The World's Best Book Summaries
What happens in the chapter in The Things They Carried called “Night Life”? How does “Night Life” demonstrate the ways war can make a soldier go crazy? We’ll look at the basic elements of this chapter from The Things They Carried, “Night Life,” and discuss how seeing your fellows die, one after the other, can lead to paranoia.
Who are the main The Things They Carried characters? How do their stories demonstrate both the humanity of soldiers and the dehumanizing effects of war? The Things They Carried is a collection of interconnected short stories about the experiences of a company of young American men serving in the Vietnam War. We’ll cover the primary The Things They Carried characters and their main scenes in the book.
What happens in the chapter in The Things They Carried called “The Lives of the Dead”? How does “The Lives of the Dead” show the origins of author/narrator O’Brien’s writing style and his belief in the power of storytelling? We’ll look at the basic elements of this chapter in The Things They Carried, “The Lives of the Dead,” and look at how a childhood love led to the narrator’s desire to write stories.
Who is Martha in The Things They Carried? What are the most important scenes involving her in the book? Martha is a character in The Things They Carried who only appears in the memories of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. Cross is in love with Martha, and he clings to his love to help him get through the war. We’ll cover the spectral presence of Martha in The Things They Carried and look at how this character impacts the events of the book.
Who is Lieutenant Jimmy Cross in The Things They Carried? What are the defining moments for his character? First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is the commanding officer in charge of Alpha Company, a unit of the U.S. Army in the Vietnam War, in The Things They Carried. Cross is a reluctant leader and often feels guilty for the deaths of his men. We’ll cover the most important scenes involving Lieutenant Jimmy Cross in The Things They Carried.
How does Ted Lavender die in The Things They Carried? What is the significance of his death? Ted Lavender is shot in the head and killed outside a small village during the Vietnam War in The Things They Carried. His death comes entirely out of the blue and deeply impacts his commanding officer. We’ll cover how Ted Lavender dies and how his fellow soldiers deal with his death. Learn how Lavender’s death (and the reactions to it) exemplify the themes of the novel.
What are the most prominent The Things They Carried themes? What happens in the book to illustrate these themes? The Things They Carried themes are trauma, brutalization, shame, and the power of storytelling. These are the most important themes in this Vietnam War classic. We’ll cover the most important The Things They Carried themes and look at how they played out in the book.
No matter what environment we operate in—whether a town, city, family, relationship, workplace, or other setting—change is inevitable. Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson is a parable about a place that changed, and how its inhabitants reacted. Through the characters’ triumphs and travails, Who Moved My Cheese offers lessons and tips for coping successfully with change in our lives by changing our attitudes and behavior.
What is the hero’s journey? How is it relevant today? The hero’s journey is a template of the plots of ancient and current myths and legends. It was popularized by Joseph Campbell in The Hero With a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the hero’s journey entails and why it’s still relevant today.
Who is Audrey Westover? What is Audrey’s relationship with her sister Tara like? Are they still in contact? Audrey Westover is the fictional name Tara Westover gives to her only sister in the memoir Educated. We’ll cover parts of Educated that demonstrate the complicated relationship between Audrey Westover and the author. We’ll also look at why they’re no longer in contact.