"The Things They Carried"

(1) In what sense does Jimmy love Martha? Why does he construct this elaborate (mostly fictional) relationship with her? What does he get out of it?

(2) When is he most likely to think about her? Why is he thinking about her while one of his platoon members is in the tunnel?

(3) In what sense is Ted Lavender's death his fault?

(4) Here is his excuse for allowing his men to be lax: "He was just a kid at war, in love." Why does Jimmy use this excuse? In what sense does it excuse him? In what sense, doesn't it?

(5) Why do the soldiers tell jokes about the war, about killing?

(6) How is the idea of weight used and developed in this story ("Jungle boots, 2.1 pounds")? How do you, as a reader, feel reading those lists of weight? What effect does it have on you?

(7) If this is a story about sacrifice, what does Jimmy sacrifice, and why?

(8) How has Jimmy changed by the end of the story? How will he be a different person from this point on? What has he learned about himself? Or to put it another way, what has he lost and what has he gained?

(9) Do you think the war will effect him in a different way now that he refuses to think about Martha? How will it be different? What did "Martha" save him from?

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"

1. In the beginning of the story, is Connie portrayed as insecure, or as vain? Did your opinion of her change once you had finished the story?
2. How does Arnold Friend's manner change over the course of the story? How does Connie's relationship to her surroundings change over the course of the story? How might these two developments be related?
3. Discuss the significance of the title.

4.How does Connie's recognition that "everything about her had two sides to it" clarify her point of view toward Arnold?

5. How do Connie's trashy daydreams lead inevitably to her meeting a person like Arnold Friend?

6. Why does Connie whisper "Christ, Christ" when she hears a car coming up the driveway?

7. How does popular music effect the characters, and theme?

8. What is the significance of the minor characters?

9.. Why does Connie go with Arnold to the land that she "had never seen before?"

10. What are the implications of the story's ending? (Where is she going?)