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(A) Obrien chooses to end the first section of the novel with this sentence. He provides excellent visual details of what each solider in Vietnam would carry for day-to-day fighting. He makes you feel the physical weight of what soldiers have to carry for simple survival. When you combine the emotional weight of loved ones at home, the fear of death, and the responsibility for the men you fight with, with this physical weight, you start to understand what soldiers in Vietnam dealt with every day. This quote sums up the confusion that the men felt about the reasons they were fighting the war, and how they clung to the only certainty things they had to carry in a confusing world where normal rules were suspended.

Choosing Passages from the Text:
Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example, you might record:
Effective &/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices
Passages that remind you of your own life or something youve seen before
Structural shifts or turns in the plot
A passage that makes you realize something you hadnt seen before
Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs.
Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
Events you find surprising or confusing
Passages that illustrate a particular character or setting

Responding To the Text:
You can respond to the text in a variety of ways. The most important thing to remember is that your observations should be specific and detailed. You must select 5 quotes per Part from Jennifer Government. There are six parts, so you should have a total of 30 quotes (including the epilogue). A direct quotation from the text should be given on the left side of the paper. The right side should provide an analysis of the quote. Most importantly, your analysis should be at least double the length of the quote.

Basic Responses
Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
Give your personal reactions to the passage
Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
Tell what it reminds you of from your own experiences
Write about what it makes you think or feel
Agree or disagree with a character or the author

Sample Sentence Starters:
She advocates
They celebrate the fact that
, he admits.
Basically, X is warning that
In other words, X believes
Xs point is that
In making this comment, X urges readers to

Higher Level Responses
Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc)
Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different position
Analyze a passage and its relationship to the message as a whole