The Sun Also Rises: Stream of Consciousness-Page 102

As Jake Barnes reminisces about his time in Spain, he gives the reader a view of how his mind works. Hemingway incorporates a stream of consciousness in his character Jake that shows how chaotic Jake's inner thoughts are. I think that this stream of consciousness helps readers realize, if they already had not before, how confusing and disordered Jake's life really is. I've been confused about Jake and the plot of the story since the beginning of the book, but now I somewhat understand. Being a veteran of war, Jake went through an experience that no one who hasn't experienced war can understand. Like Tim O'Brien in his book The Things They Carried, Jake had to go through the transition of war to peace. However, I think that Jake and Tim O'Brien dealt with the change very differently. While O'Brien went through the transition with ease, Jake Barnes has struggled with his battle wounds, which I think are not only physical but also mental. War is such a powerful thing that can create havoc in a person's life, and I think that Jake Barnes is an example of this. Reading about Jake's crazy friends and drinking habits as well as this incorporated stream of consciousness, I have a better understanding about Jake's life and the reason why he is the way he is.

"That has nothing to do with the story. Anyway,..."

The Sun Also Rises: Page 27-Vernacular

So far for me, this book has been really confusing. I feel like Hemingway's style of writing and structure throw me off. I think he jumps from one scene to another without transitions, introduces characters that are difficult to remember, and incorporates confusing settings and plots. Even with all of these factors that make the book challenging for me, the vernacular of the characters still stood out to me. With all of the chaos from the numerous characters and the plot that shifts quickly, the vernacular is one thing that helps me comprehend the story a little bit better. As the story takes place in Paris during this particular part of the book, Hemingway incorporates French vocabulary and diction into his writing. When I saw the words such as bal musette, fiacre, and poules in the text, I was able to better understand the plot as well as the culture and language of where the story took place. I think this allowed me to connect to the book in an easier way. Hemingway's placement of French words in the book made the story seem less distant and more relatable to me.

"The dancing-club was a bal musette in the Rue de la Montagne Sainte Genevieve."

The Things They Carried: Conclusion

Even though the ending of the book was really sad, I really did like the book. I liked the fact that I could see what was happening when he retold war stories. I enjoyed never knowing what was coming next and how he kept me guessing. I liked the way that O'Brien incorporated the entire spectrum of war in his book, both good times and bad times. Also, I thought that O'Brien's honesty made the book seem so lifelike and real. I feel like I was able to learn a decent amount from this book. After reading it, I know not only more about the way war really is but also how to write with passion, emotion, and inspiration. O'Brien's style and method of writing really appeals to me. I love the fact that he was motivated by a tragedy, but he kept moving forward to make something positive out of the experience. Overall, O'Brien's storytelling was very interesting and inspiring to me.

"I'm skimming across the surface of my own history, moving fast, riding the melt beneath the blades, doing loops and spins, and when I take a high leap into the dark and come down thirty years later, I realize it is as Tim trying to save Timmy's life with a story."

The Things They Carried: Motivation-Linda

Even though the character Linda only appears in the book for a short amount of time, I think that she is a very important part of the book as well as an important part of O'Brien's life. Although their time together was short, Linda had a lasting impact on O'Brien's life. Linda allowed O'Brien to experience and learn about true love, and she also inspired him to keep the dead alive with stories. She was O'Brien's motivation to dream and write. Maybe if O'Brien never had Linda in his life then he wouldn't be the author that he is today. I think that it's amazing that O'Brien felt like he really loved someone at such a young age. I'm almost double O'Brien's age at that time, and I still struggle with the concept of being in love. After realizing that he was in love, it must have been devastating for a nine year old boy to have to cope with the death of the girl that he was in love with. In my opinion, O'Brien turned a terrible situation into something amazing, and his life has changed because of it.

"I just loved her."
"Even then, at nine years old, I wanted to live inside her body. I wanted to melt into her bones--that kind of love."

The Things They Carried: Ghost Soldier

Even though Bobby Jorgenson messed up when O'Brien was shot the second time in the butt, I felt sorry for him. I understand where O'Brien was coming from when he was extremely upset with the medic for taking so long to treat him, but he didn't handle his emotions very well. After all, Jorgenson was inexperienced or "green". He was scared and had no idea how to handle himself. He even admitted that he made mistakes that day that O'Brien was shot. He apologized and tried to ask for forgiveness from O'Brien. I think that guilt alone was enough of a punishment for Jorgenson, but O'Brien hated him so much for what happened that he felt like he had to get his own revenge. In my opinion, scaring a fellow soldier was completely uncalled for. Even Mitchell Sanders told him it was the wrong thing to do, but O'Brien had so much anger towards Jorgenson that no one's opinion really mattered to him. At Least after the prank was finished, I thought it was good that the two men called it even.

The Things They Carried: The Ghost Soldiers-Azar

Ever since the character Azar was introduced in the book, I had a bad feeling about him. In all of the stories that he was in, I never once got a good vibe from him. Azar never proved himself as a good friend to anyone during the span of the war. From the beginning, Azar had the biggest mouth. He was always making completely unnecessary comments in terrible situations. Azar especially made me angry when he made jokes about Kiowa's death. I don't understand how a fellow soldier could be so heartless and disrespectful during such a terrible crisis. What really made me hate Azar was when he and O'Brien were trying to mess with Bobby Jorgenson. When O'Brien wanted to stop, Azar wouldn't listen to him. Though the men had already made their point, Azar just kept pushing and making the situation worse. While he did that, Azar also managed to treat O'Brien like he was garbage. He even kicked O'Brien in the head after the prank. I wonder if Azar knew that people didn't care for him, because I can't find any other explanation for why he was the way he was.

"Nobody cared for him, including myself." -O'Brien about Azar

The Things They Carried: Field Trip

I think that it's very interesting that O'Brien took his daughter Kathleen that was ten years old to Vietnam. I was amazed at how well his daughter was behaving at such a young age. I think that trip was a good chance for Kathleen to learn about a war that her father fought in that was so distant to her. Also, I think the trip was a great opportunity for O'Brien to have closure from the war. I felt that O'Brien seeing Vietnam at peace really allowed him to be at peace as well. Even though the trip was a pretty positive experience in my opinion, there were parts of the trip that were extremely difficult for O'Brien. Visiting the places where combat and fighting took place must have been unpleasant and hard to endure. Having to remember all of his times in Vietnam, both good and bad, must have been an indescribable experience. Even twenty years after the war ended, I was amazed at the fact that O'Brien still was able to recall the memories like they happened yesterday.