CSL

“Spin” explores the idea of controlling reality and memory through story. Write a blog entry explaining how this is explored in this chapter. Be sure to explain concepts using detail and commentary.

     A “spin” is a way to tell a story from a certain viewpoint.  Sometimes spins are used by the media and politicians.   Throughout the chapter ironically named, “Spin”, uses this concept to not elude from the truth but to tell the truth from a different view point through using diction.  In the novel it reads, “On occasions the war was like a Ping-Pong ball.  You could put fancy spin on it, you could make it dance.”  Now that O’Brien has captured us in the novel he could tell us that blue elephants were responsible for the Viet Nam war.  This is what O’Brien wants is to tell us his story about the war, not necessarily the facts but his story.  O’Brien puts a “spin” on the chapter by talking about remembering writing at his home after the war.  This sets a comfort level which makes us like it more, we have all sat in our house thinking about our memories but not all of us have experienced war.  Now that O’Brien has us hooked he can tell the story any way he wants too and like Mr. Z said he will begin to mess with our head.

     Throughout the first section, “The Things They Carried”, they describe many things they “hump” around.  These things that can be sorted by either tangible or intangible.  The intangible things the soldier carried were grief, the grief of losing a loved one or being away from home.  Love, the love of those whom they missed back in America.  Terror, the terror of being in a foreign land being shot at by people who want to kill you.  Longing, the longing to go home or to get the heck out of Viet Nam.  Lastly, blame, the blame you think you deserve because you had a soldier or friend die and you should have been there.   The tangible things included the guns and claymores in which they used to defend themselves.  They kept the letters of family members or loved ones.  The radios they used to call in help or to be pulled out of an area, the voice of the battlefield.  Lastly, the meal kits, these fueled the troops to be able to fight and preserve America.

    If asked, “What do I hump?”, well first I would look at you funny, then I would say that the intangible things that I would carry are my faith, that I believe in one holy Apolistic Catholic Church.  My ego, that can get me into trouble but can also help me sometimes.  My mercurialness, that allows me to get out of things.  The tangible things would be many stationary things, like pens and pencils, to write down my genius ideas.  My wallet, to establish America’s nobility.  Lastly, I carry a rosary, this is tangible yet it represents something so very abstract that some doubt it.  So with this rosary I kill two birds with one stone.