1. Turnitin.com is officially up and running. We will discuss how to set up your student account today. You must submit your Catcher essay to Turnitin.com in the next 24 hours or it will not be validated for 1st quarter grades.
2. A.P. workbooks are here! As we work on Hamlet in class, I will be assigning work in English Literature: Close Reading and Analytic Writing. The majority of assignments from this book will be posted on our blog.
3. Your assignment: Complete lesson 1 in English Literature: Close Reading and Analytic Writing. Take note of the marginal notes/questions to help guide your reading. Respond to the "essay question" on our blog:
Lesson 1: from The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
Assignment: Write an explication of the story's last paragraph, taking into account both objective information about Lemon and the narrator's interpretations. Assignment length: 200 word minimum. Due: Tuesday, November 15. There is no need to comment on classmates' posts for this assignment. Follow the conventions of standard written English.
Remember: Report to the Lecture Hall for class on Monday, November 14th.
The impression I got from the last paragraph of this story was that Curt Lemon felt the need to prove himself. He clearly felt humiliated by what happened. I got the impression that he is a young, reckless soldier, whose notion of fear and pain is reserved for the superficial things of life, such as going to the dentist. This phobia seemed a bit naive, one most people would grow out of by high school. The reason that he “was all smiles” after he had his tooth pulled is because he felt that this would prove his fearlessness. All it did, however, was provide us with a good example of situational irony, and with his comrades the impression that he would do anything to solidify his “tough guy” persona. I agree with the narrator that Curt had low self-esteem, therefore, he was overcompensating. His childish essence and damaged psyche seem to be tied to some childhood trauma. The support behind this is that his antics are not only reckless, but reckless without cause, as though he’s trying to his peers that he is superior, and furthermore, he’s trying to prove to himself that he is not inferior. Curt Lemon seems to be symbolic of all of the American youth, the narcissistic generations who try to make up for their weaknesses by fantasizing of greatness. For example, the most insecure, scared kids, are often those who become bullies.
ReplyDeleteI got a very powerful impression from this last paragraph. The indirect characterization of Curt Lemon displays to the reader the stereotypical tough-guy physique most predominantly displayed in the military where the story occurs. What then becomes known a few sentences before the last paragraph was that Curt Lemon says "No way. Count me out. Nobody messes with these teeth" (O'Brien 4) which shows the reader that there is a subliminal feeling of fright that he does not want to display to alter his presentation towards others. Inevitably, in the last paragraph, after the dentist dealt with his teeth, he isolated himself from everyone else. This occurs due to the overwhelming pain that he probably experienced. In Curt Lemon's mind, showing tears while in the army is the most dreadful and atrocious thing that can ever possibly occur. In the perspective of Curt Lemon, the boy who always bragged about his own accomplishments could not stand the thought that others were laughing at him, instead of with him. What then becomes dominantly known of Curt Lemon is that his desire to prove himself to others will always prevail. Instead of dealing with the constant embarrassment, he desires to prove himself by taking the initiative to go to the dentist and have him extract his tooth. Curt then proceeds to smile the day after because he got rid of his insecurity and gained his tough-guy physique back. Overall, like Ahmed said, the people who are bullies are typically the ones who have the most insecurities. Through all of these characterizations, direct and indirect through the narrator, the reader attains the knowledge that people who aspire to prevail above others tend to have problems of their own that they do not want to display for fear of losing their known character.
ReplyDeleteI think the purpose of the last paragraph was for Lemon to show that he can handle anything. I believe Lemon felt like a chicken when he passed out, so he went back to the dentist to prove that he was a man. The reader can tell that Lemon’s ego/ pride is very important to him. This shows first when the author states that Curt Lemon, “had the tendency to play the tough soldier role,” and when he passed out in the tent he probably thought that he’s soft or his toughness was just an act. Lemon going back to the dentist was more for his own satisfaction rather than proving to others that he could withstand anything.And based on him going back to the dentist on false pretenses could also show that Curt is in fact brave even though he fainted the first time. Him going back shows how he overcame his fear and any insecurities he had that developed in high school.Curt Lemon going back to the dentist reminded me of Dimmesdale from the Scarlet Letter. In the novel Dimmesdale was afraid to the towns people that Pearl was his daughter. And Hester was the shame of the town because no one knew if she was still married. And if she was that would be considered adultery and if she wasn’t then most likely be free. But because no one knew she had to wear an “A” of her dress, and this relates back to Dimmesdale because he ended up carving an “A” on his chest. So the connection im trying to make between Curt and Dimmesdale is that they both had to do with what was right for them or they wouldn’t be able to live with themselves. Curt can be a symbol of everyone today and how we all have fears but the best thing to do is face them.
ReplyDeleteJust like my classmates, i also thought that Curt Lemon was trying to overcome his fear. However, i don't believe that he was trying to prove his manliness to other people. He decides to go wake up the dentist at night time when everyone is sleeping. This leads me to the conclusion that if he wanted to prove himself to others, he would have done this during the day when people were around.
ReplyDeleteThe narrator mentions that they "could hear him bawling himself out"(O'Brien 47).Curt Lemon had a bad experience with a Dentist when he was a teenager as he mentions in the story, and since he has grown up, he wants to over come the fears he had before to improve himself as a soldier. Soldiers are stereotyped as being the tough guys who are not scared of what comes their way, hence Curt wants to be the perfect soldier.
At the end of the story, in the morning(now people are around), he walks with a big smile on his face. Was it because he was happy he over came his fear, or was it to show off to his friends that he did go to the Dentist? If i had to predict, i would think that he did it for both reasons. The reason why i believe he would want to show off is because at the beginning of the story, the narrator tells us that he would often brag about what he accomplished.
It seems to me that Curt Lemon was not so much afraid of the dentist as he was afraid of not being in control. Certainly, the dentist disturbed him, but the real issue was that someone was “messing” with his teeth. He didn’t know what the dentist was going to do, how he would do it, or anything else. It mentions very early in the story that Curt was a man who liked to look big. He puffed out his chest, walked tall, and talked big. Clearly he was a confident man, the type of guy who controls any conversation you have with him. This is further evidenced by his antics. He wants to be visible, and knows how to do it. When the dentist came by, that was gone. He couldn’t tell a captain “no,” nor could he tell the captain what to do. His feeling of being out of control, coupled with his fear of dentists, resulted in him fainting. Then in the last paragraph, he turns it all around, after crying about it at least. He is disappointed in himself at first, and worried about what his comrades will think. Eventually, he decides to face his fears, but in control this time. He complains to the dentist about a horrible toothache, and despite the lack of evidence, the dentist has no choice but to remove the tooth in question. Finally, Curt gets what he wants, respect from his fellow soldiers (That’s what he would tell himself at least) and a return of control to his life.
ReplyDeleteThe last paragraph of the story seemed to reveal the inner struggle that was taking place within Curt Lemon’s mind. He seemed to be battling some inner demon. It looks to me as though there was some sort of stigma that occurred when he was little. I agree with Ahmed and Kaelyn that he seemed to have been insecure. I also agree that he was trying to overcompensate for his shortcomings. Curt Lemon wished he fit into shoes that just weren’t his. An example of this was the “tough soldier” act that he put on. The fact that he went at night seemed to signify that he was trying to prove to himself that he is not less than anyone else. Curt also seemed to blow this whole entire fiasco completely out of proportion. It was not a big deal to the others that he was afraid of the dentist, but Curt’s paranoia led him to harm himself by having the perfectly healthy tooth pulled. This shows his child-like behavior, thinking that it’s not okay to show human traits, such as fear. Just as Kaelyn said, it seems as though his driven necessity to prove something is always going to prevail.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, I felt that Curt Lemon was simply trying to prove a point. In the last paragraph, Kurt Lemon only went to get his tooth removed to prove he was a tough soldier. The first time at the dentist, Curt Lemon fainted right away, which made him look like a coward. So, to make him self look like a tough soldier he went to the dentist to remove a tooth that wasn't even hurting him. The protagonist of this story was obviously Kurt Lemon because he is what the story is about. The antagonist of this story was the dentist, because he changes the main character by making him faint. I believe the motivation of Kurt Lemon was to prove to everyone that he was not a coward, but that he was a tough soldier and that he wasn't really scared of the dentist. Kurt represents everyone in our society today because that is just how people are. People usually want to prove to others that they are the best or the toughest and they will do whatever it takes.
ReplyDeleteI think the last paragraph of this excerpt is a matter of pride. Lemon seemed to have a bruised ego more than anything else, and he didn't like the image of vulnerability and relatability that he came with fainting from the dentist's office. Previously, he had an image of superiority over the other soldiers and the fact that he has fears really humanizes him as a character. The fact that he had a good tooth removed probably is there to show Lemon trying to regain his fearless image and is another story to adding to his "replaying exploits." The fact that it looks like he overcame this fear is very important to Lemon because he can then distance himself from the other soldiers since he can't relate to them as much. This is further shown when he physically distances himself from the other men after having gone to the dentist.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that Curt Lemon was trying to overcome fear. Fear only played a role when he fainted because of the dentist. However, he was trying to make up for his embarrassment.
ReplyDeleteFrom the given information, we can see that Curt Lemon is trying to appear manly to his fellow soldiers, and, as a soldier, probably likes feeling that things are under his control. However, a dentist comes in to examine the soldiers' teeth, and Curt is extremely scared of dentists, due to childhood experiences with them. Moreover, it puts the dentist in a position of control over him.
Anyways, it seems that Curt is put to shame when he faints because of a dentist, and, being a soldier, doesn't want to seem the least bit weak. To make up for this massive embarrassment, that any other person would have just laughed off, he had a perfectly good tooth removed. Why, you may ask? I believe it was some odd way of proving his manliness. After all, after all the stories he must have told others about himself, he has now endured pain, and can legitimately say that he did so without being a sissy. Also, what he did must've been memorable, as the narrator remembers this event despite having not known him too well. I suppose Curt achieved something, here.
In The Things They Carried, Curt Lemon thinks of himself as superior to his peers. Like an alpha male, he feels as if he must perform dangerous feats or acts of courage in order to assert his dominance over the other “wolves”. However, his behavior is different than many other people with large egos: not only does he “talk the talk,” but he himself feels as if he must “walk the walk.” When shows weakness by fainting, he wants to redeem himself by also suffering some amount of pain. In this way, he is able to morally justify to himself why he is “higher” than the others. Additionally, yanking a perfectly healthy tooth out may be a form of overcompensation. Although it is clear in the final paragraph that Lemon is by no means untouchable, he mitigates this weakness by doing much more than what is necessary. What Lemon knows how to do, he does a lot of. Unfortunately, he can only brag for so long before it becomes unimpressive. Finally, like James mentioned, what Lemon is truly afraid of is the loss of control. The dentist is a place where many people feel vulnerable, and the fact the Lemon was not able to joke and boast his way out of the situation contributed to his fear. By pulling the tooth out, he was at least able to “show-off” to his fellow soldiers and still feel in control.
ReplyDeleteThe overall purpose of the story was to characterize Curt Lemon, and the last paragraph certainly plays an important role in this. The traits the author highlights in the last paragraph are Lemon’s stoic nature, and unwillingness to show any vulnerability. After fainting in front of the dentist, Lemon went off by himself for the rest of the day, presumably embarrassed because he showed fear. However, instead of accepting his “weakness” with any dignity, he felt the need to prove it to everyone that he wasn’t afraid after all. He went to the dentist and complained of a toothache until the dentist finally agreed to pull the tooth. Lemon went out of his way to gain back his apparent perceived loss of status with the other men. Lemon might have had the tooth pulled to show the others that he was tough enough, but he also might have done it to convince himself that he wasn’t afraid. Obviously, he had a fear of the dentist, which he had to overcome to go and have the tooth pulled. He might have been angry at how he saw himself, in addition to how others saw him. The narrator’s interpretation of Lemon as a “tough guy” seems quite accurate in light of the actions he took to maintain his pride.
ReplyDeleteBased on the narrator's interpretations, Curt Lemon seemed somebody with a superiority complex. The narrator uses "tendency to play tough solider" and "that he was too high for his own good" to show how big his pride can get. However, with superiority complex can sometimes come with a hidden inferiority complex; a person can act superior but subtly can be insecure. Soldiers are usually portrayed as tough and strong, which is probably what lead to Curt Lemon acting like this. The purpose of using vivid imagery of the primitive dentist was to show how Curt Lemon's true character is exploited when he faces his utmost fears. He is initially depicted as a strong character but when facing a situation he truly despises, which is the dentist, he chickens out.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when faced with his fears, Curt Lemon somewhat "redeemed himself" after the dentist, hence, "there was some pain, no doubt, but in the morning, Curt Lemon was all smiles." Therefore, I thought the purpose of the last paragraph was to portray how somebody full of pride can initially act a coward when faced with something they dislike, but once these fears/dislikes have been conquered, they can make a person stronger. However, as seen here, it takes some pain and hardship to do so. That’s why the last paragraph was a mix of how pride can bring a person down and overcoming fears.
I think that the last paragraph really takes in and shows the reader how an experience of embarrassment (in Curt Lemon situation) can drive someone to change completely to be what “society” wants you to be instead of who you want to be. In the last paragraph the reader can see how scared Curt Lemon was of dentist when “he fainted even before the man touched him.” When his friends lifted him up and put him on a “coat” the author said that he had “a funny new look on his face, almost sheepish, as if he’d been caught committing some terrible crime.” Curt Lemon felt embarrassed that he fainted in front of people who he made himself seem “tough” in front of. It was as equally weighed as a crime to Curt Lemon to faint in front of those who thought him to be stronger than he really was. It was at that point he felt that he wasn’t going to be socially accepted and so he decided to not talk to anyone for the rest of the day. Many people in general do this; when they feel like they have let someone down or have done something socially not acceptable, they seem to put things to the side and avoid them for as long as possible. Like some of my peers have said Curt Lemon felt the need to show others that he could be socially acceptable by going to the dentist at night, where no one could see him, and get a tooth pulled out. The reader can see that Curt Lemon really cared about his social image because at the end of the day he went to the dentist and the following “morning Curt Lemon was all smiles.”
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the excerpt from the story I thought that Curt Lemon was just trying to be a wise guy meanwhile trying to overcome a horrible childhood experience. I think that Curt Lemon had such a horrifying childhood experience that traumatized him for the rest of his life. This is similar to The Brave New World where they “train” the babies into not liking books or flowers. I think that the other boys made fun of him because they’ve always had good experiences with the dentist. Usually, when a child goes to a dentist they receive a sticker or a lollipop. In Curts case, he obviously was affected greatly.
ReplyDeleteCurt Lemmon is a very interesting character that was placed there to emphasize the need to have no fear during times of war. Lemmon does this by attempting to show no fear and acting tough. It is important to not have panic during war as this will lower the moral of your fellow soldiers while increasing the moral of the enemy. By going back and removing a perfectly good tooth Lemmon showed and displayed, that he had no fear. This would have encouraged his fellow squad mates to put their faith and trust in him.
ReplyDeleteCurt’s desire to be tough could also be due to preexisting conditions or dreadful childhood experiences. This was shown when Lemmon stated he did not like dentist because “he’d had a couple of bad experiences with dentists”(Tim O’Brien 4) This shows that his childhood experiences have shaped his personality and have great effect on him. Unfortunately, in war you must set aside your horrific past occurrences and be brave. Thus, Lemmon had to regain the groups trust and reassure them that he was fearless. This explains why Lemmon went back to the dentist and made him remove a tooth. The removal of the tooth could also hide a hidden meaning of war taking a part of you with it. This is due to the fact that most people are never the same when they come back from wars and are forever changed by them.
In the short story "The Things They Carried", I get a sense of vulnerability from Curt Lemon as he attempts to face his fear of dentists, but cannot. Although he does not wish to show his fellow soldiers that he is afraid, he can’t help but tense up and fidget as his fear increases. This fear ultimately consumes Lemon to the point that as he faces the dentist inside the tent, he faints. As he comes to, something in Lemon changes; this event has utterly humiliated him. The embarrassment to him is about as bad as kryptonite to Superman; it eventually overwhelms him so much he chooses to revisit the dentist. He even lies to get himself admitted to seeing him, and has the dentist pull a tooth that really did not need pulling. However, Lemon felt that until he conquered this fear, he would have to live with this shame. During times of war, it is important for one to be brave, and to have no weaknesses. Lemon’s weakness, the dentist, is one that unless he overcomes, he will have to live with forever. He knows that he cannot have any vulnerability. Although it surely hurt to have a tooth pulled – a perfectly good tooth at that – he smiles the next day because inside he knows he has overcome his fright.
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