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"Overall... Group 5 did a masterful job on their padlet project" (Emily Holloway 1).

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" I’ve crossed the threshold out of the bathroom three times, and each time that I think I am done crying, that I can go back into the game to sit next to my brothers as if nothing has happened, my eyes start leaking and my chest burns, hotter than the bright air with the bees drowsing in the crape myrtle, and I have to go back into the bathroom." (Ward 116)

This is the moment when all Esch's idealism and hope is snatched away by Manny. Esch has spent the entire story dreaming of Manny and how they can be together. Then with the pregnancy, Esch thought she could make Manny acknowledge her. Drawing on the ferocity she wishes she had more of, she forces Manny to acknowledge her and the baby. Manny throws her away and leaves her. Her hope is snatched away. Ultimately leaving her in more pain than before.

Citation 8

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A memorable scene for book readers and movie watchers a like is when Candy was forced to give up his dog to have it killed. Candy's dog was old and smelly and didn't have any use around the ranch, yet Candy had sentimental attachments to it and wanted to keep him around. It became quite apparent that everyone else in the bunkhouse didn't have the same feelings. Candy's dog's death demonstrates the environment the story takes place in. Value is found in use, without use you are unnecessary. Candy had idealistic thinking when he wanted to keep the dog around. He ignored the reality of his situation because of his attachment. However, reality met him in the form of a leash and a luger, both causing him great pain

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Being caught up in your own Idealistic world

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Being caught up in your own Idealistic world

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Almost everyone in this story was too caught up in their personal lives to care about the hurricane. They knew it was coming but did not care. A lot of the things that happened could have been avoided if the signs were payed more attention to.

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Throughout the novel Esch fantasizes about being with Manny. Even when he treats her so badly and denies that the child is his. This idealistic barrier is something that Esch has to overcome. She eventually does overcome it when she comes out to Manny and then beats him up.

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For the most part the hurricane affected everyone by destroying their surroundings. However, there were some characters that did not seem as affected by Katrina. For example, Junior did not have any major life changes throughout the book. The hurricane obviously still affected him but not as much as someone like Skeetah for example.

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The aftermath of Katrina altered thousands of peoples realities and destroyed many peoples ideal worlds leading into the future. This can be seen in the novel with all the characters

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It is important to note that everyone except for one character (the Dad) was not worried about the hurricane. This is because they were all caught up in stuff going on in their personal and social life. Because of this there drastic consequences. Them being caught up in their idealism cost them a lot.

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Katrina's affect on Idealism and Reality

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Katrina's affect on Idealism and Reality

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Most of the book is takes place during the buildup to hurricane Katrina making landfall. This eventually affects everyone because of the destruction but also on what some of the characters had to set aside. For example, the Dad spends every day prepping for this hurricane. he could be doing other things to support the family but instead he starts to prepare. Once Katrina does hit, it changes everyone's idealistic view and now they have to face their new reality.

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Esch's father is an interesting character with many conflicting ideals. He is generally cold towards the children during the story and doesn't really acknowledge them until he needs them to do work. This is mostly a result of all the bad things that have happened to him during his life. He lost his wife in child birth and lost three of his fingers while prepping for the hurricane. This leads him to turn to the drink so he can somewhat escape the reality he is in.

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The character Randall in this novel probably had the biggest shot at success over any other character. However his dreams of going pro were ruined by his family. He has to face the reality of his situation

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It almost seems that throughout the book that Skeetah cares more about China than the rest of his family. It would probably be ideal for Skeetah to just care about China and the Puppies. However he is tasked with caring for his family for the most part. This shows that some things come at a cost to as China is swept away in the storm at the end of the book.

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throughout the novel Esch is figuring out ways to deal with her new reality of being pregnant. throughout the book she contemplates on ways to undo the pregnancy and come out that she is pregnant to her family members. In the end she seems contempt with her choices and doesn't so much mind the reality that she is in.

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Idealism is a very present theme in this novel because the family that is represented is in a very poor situation. Every character is dealing with an internal struggles and hope for other things.

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Personal Observation: Curly and his glove

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Personal Observation: Curly and his glove

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Everyday, Curly wears just one glove on his right hand. Candy informs us that Curly fills it with Vaseline to keep his hand soft for his wife. This shows the love Curly has for his wife, sadly it is a one-way love. Curly never got told that his wife never truly loved him. Curly was happy in his marriage with his wife, there were some things he would change for the better. However, he was sheltered from he reality of his marriage.

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Due to the lack of well-working technology in the pit. The family wasn't informed of the exact path of Katrina. They knew they were going to get hit, but was ignorant in how strong it really was going to be. This is another representation of idealism vs. reality.

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All through the book, Esch recalls the story of Madea and Jason. Esch uses their story to guide her through her love life and pregnancy journey. In short, Madea put her love, Jason, before her family; even resulting in killing her own brother. However, this is where Esch differed from Madea. Once Esch found that Manny had a girlfriend and truly didn't care about her, she chose her family before her love. Esch realized she didn't want a life with Manny raising her child, rather to be around those who love her and will be a good influence on her kid.

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Personal observation: Everyone's memory of their mom

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Personal observation: Everyone's memory of their mom

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It is seen throughout the book that when Esch and Skeetah recall memories of their mother, they remember different things. For example, Skeetah remembers their mother telling them to "be good... to look after each other" (Ward 174). Everyone's remembers what they want and or need to from their past loved ones. For instance, Esch recalls moments of her mother teaching her things, things the men around her wouldn't teach her.
Citation #8

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How Hurricane Katrina Crushed Everyone's Dream

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How Hurricane Katrina Crushed Everyone's Dream

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Obviously everyone has some sort of dream or goal, whether it is small or big, everyone has a goal. A lot of people don't achieve their goals due to different reasons because their lives are not the same, but when Katrina came it made everyone into one and gave them one reason why they couldn't achieve their dreams. Katrina killed people, killed their pets, destroyed towns, crushed their homes, and their dreams.

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Randle was working so hard to become a professional basketball player, but his dreams and ambitions were ruined by his own family and friends. The conflict that included his family and friends at the basketball game caused him to miss out on the opportunity to get into a basketball camp for free.

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Even Manny and his Cousin had some idealistic views. He wanted to win the dog fights so that he can have some of China's puppies, but it didn't go as plan. Instead of going towards Manny's cousin's ideals, it went towards Skeetah's which proves the point that not everyone will fulfill their idealistic views.

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This picture shows how everything people worked for their entire lives had just turned into trash. From their cars, houses, and personal belongings have been destroyed and can never return to its original state, ruining their whole dreams and ambitions.

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Idealism has often been portrayed as a means to avoid ones reality. We see it with Jimmy Cross, Esch, George, as well as many others. All these characters share similar situations. Not in where they are, or what they are doing, but the severity of them all is apparent. In these very hard situations to function in, is idealism a crutch that humans lean on? Is idealistic thinking a way to trick people into believing there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel? If is just try hard enough I can make it happen. Perhaps that is the ultimate relationship between idealism and reality, or just how it relates to dire situations.

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The Crane Wife is at some points difficult to follow. CJ Hauser uses three different stories to ultimately get across the massage she wants. The story of her divorce draws similarities to Esch and Manny's relationship. CJ Hauser was in an emotionally abusive relationship because of her idealistic views about the relationship. She thought she could turn it around. Perhaps it was something she could do. Constantly looking for an explanation and solution besides the one that ends up being real. This is very similar to Esch in the way she interacts with Manny.

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After now reading two stories about Hurricanes, it isn't easy to look at images such as this and wonder all that rests beneath that water. Houses, cars, glass, and other debris is an easy answer. The harder thing to imagine is how many dreams drowned in the water those days? How many years of effort, gone with Katrina?

Citation 9

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" 'Him and Randall got into a fight because Randall say he shouldn’t be taking her. Say it ain’t her place to go.' " (Ward 121)

After the fight at Randall's basketball game, his focus has clearly shifted to his next possibility of fulfilling his idealistic dream. China's puppies are going to be sold, and that money will pay for Randall's basketball camp. He forces all of his effort into making this dream become true, because like most characters, he is using idealism to escape reality. The quote shows that Randall places high value in China now, so that she can raise the puppies.

Citation 8

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During survival scenarios, is idealism outside of surviving still relevant?

This question is something that popped into my head while I was reading the last two chapters. While the family is desperate to escape the flood waters, does each individual use their own idealism to fuel their desire for survival, or is it simply surviving that drives them? Does Esch think about making a better life for her child, so she has to survive for it? Or does she not even contemplate that and simply survive? Does Randall think about making it out through basketball, or does he just run from the water empty headed?

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" Randall catches the ball each time it springs from the backboard and throws it back up. He is not letting it touch the earth. He is saving it from making that flat, collapsing sound, again and again. His lips turned down at the corners, smiling. "(Ward 109)

This quote illustrates the effort that Randall puts into basketball. Randall sees basketball as his way out of the situation he is in. He has one free attempt to try and get his name out in recruiting circles and he doesn't want to blow it. Randall has envisioned himself being successful, and is putting the effort in to make that dream come true. He has a lot riding on this idealistic dream, and to have reality out of his control take it away is more painful than never having the dream at all.

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Throughout the novel it is apparent that each character deals with their own struggles. The father in the novel arguably goes through the most. Although a lot of the raising of the children comes from outside influences, the father still is present in everyone's life. Not as attentive as some would think normal, but he has a tough life, made worse by poor choices. It is safe to assume the father doesn't have the life he wanted. The father would have liked to have a functioning household, with an involved wife by his side, helping to provide a better life than what they live. However, he lost his wife shortly after childbirth. Without her, it doesn't seem like he has fully recovered. His previous idealism, met with harsh reality most likely lead him down the path of alcoholism and suffering.

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" China. She will return, standing tall and straight, the milk burned out of her. She will look down on the circle of light we have made in the Pit, and she will know that I have kept watch, that I have fought. China will bark and call me sister. In the star-suffocated sky, there is a great waiting silence." (Ward 206)

In the second to last paragraph, we see here that Esch, although going through the changes she has, still has idealistic tendencies when facing hard realities. China was lost in the flood water while the family is going to higher ground, it is assumed that China could not have survived, yet Esch continues to idealistically believe that China will come back. Perhaps this is Esch relying on her coping Mechanism again, or Esch wanting China to return to actually acknowledge Esch's transformation. China serves as a maternal role model for Esch, yet she will never see how Esch has changed. This is a hard reality for Esch and now she fantasizes of a dramatic return from China.

Citation 8

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" I wondered if Medea felt this way before she walked out to meet Jason for the first time, like a hard wind come through her and set her to shaking. " (Ward, 10)

This is Esch's first reference to Medea in the novel. Throughout the Novel Esch continues to make comparisons between her and Medea, and her situation with Manny to Jason and Medea. This form of idealism that Esch shows gives her the notion that maybe her and Manny have some mythical story waiting to unfold for them. Esch is ultimately met with reality and the idealistic thinking creates pain for her when her dream is ultimately not achieved.

Citation 8

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Nella was the first puppy that dies from China's litter. Her death is a foreshadowing of the ruthless reality that is quickly arriving; hurricane Katrina. At this time in the book, none of the kids are taking the storm seriously; they believe that everything will be ok, that the storm isn't as strong as it really is.

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Personal Observation: Lennie killing Curly's wife

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Personal Observation: Lennie killing Curly's wife

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Curly's wife's death contributes to the theme of idealism vs. reality. Upon finding Curly's wife dead; the harsh new reality quickly set in for George. He had hope that this new life would be long lasting and that his history wouldn't repeat itself.

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LOOLLLLL

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Due to her mother dying when she was young, Esch grew up in a masculine environment. She even said at one point that she doesn't know if her own father knows if she is a girl. This had a big factor in why Esch dealed with her pregnancy as she did. Therefore, Esch thinks about how her mother raised her before she died as a sense of comfort and guidance to help her through these times.

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At one point through Esch's pregnancy process, she recalls girls at her school talking about cheap ways for abortion. Esch resorts to kneading her stomach like dough in attempt to damage the baby. Getting pregnant was the last thing that Esch wanted. After realizing that kneading her stomach wouldn't have any effect; the rest of her life became visible. Although it wasn't what she was wanting, she has become accepting to it.

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This picture shows the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. Hurricane Katrina made many communities stronger. It can be seen in this picture how people in New Orleans came together and provided help. Katrina has a large influence on how this city is today; a more ideal place to live for many.

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“Ain’t it a little early to be trying to claim one of my b*tch’s puppies?” (Ward 118).

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“Ain’t it a little early to be trying to claim one of my b*tch’s puppies?” (Ward 118).

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This scene shows Skeetah's passion and love towards China's puppies. Not only is Skeetah being protecting them from Rico, he is being selfish in wanting to live his ideal life. Though it isn't stated directly, it can be seen through how Skeetah treats China that he would be ecstatic to have a group of strong dogs for fights.
Citation #8

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This is the last intimate scene we see between Manny and Esch. Coincidentally, this is the most intimate we've seen Manny be with her; however, he still won't look at her face. Esch, having dreamt of this moment many times, forces Manny to look at her.
Citation #8

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" 'If she come back, Skeet, ain’t like she going to leave again,' I say. 'Ain’t no if'...'Not if. When.'"  (Ward p201)

As said in class, we all know that China isn't coming back to Skeetah. Skeetah probably knows this, and even though he knows this he still decides to wait for China to cope with his pain of losing his dog, but deep down he still has hope that China will be coming back to him.
(Citation #8)

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Echs and Cj Hauser had similar experiences regarding their love lives, Esch had dreams of falling in love with Manny and living a long life with him being the father of her baby.  Cj Hauser had dreams and ambitions of being in love with her fiancé, like Esch she was manipulated and mentally abused by her partner. At the end they both got rid of the toxic men in their life, ultimately throwing away the idealistic views they had with the men.
(Citations #8 &  #5)

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During any hurricane there are always people that stay and people that leave, they all wish to survive the wrath of the storm. Most people that leave survive and get to see another day, but the a lot of people that stay are less fortunate. They have to fight for their lives as they hunker down trying to stay safe from the storm. A lot of people are successful but some are not able to come out of the storm with their lives. With this observation we can see how people have their idealistic views during a storm and how not everyone can fulfill those views.

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Everyone but Esch's dad thought the hurricane wasn't going to be that bad, Esch's dad was doing all of the preparations to keep the house safe while everyone was living in their own world. The dad got injured and couldn't complete storm proofing the house, so the children tried their best to keep the house safe. Unfortunately their preparations were enough, they had to leave the house because it started to flood.
(Citation #8)

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Esch's parents got married and I'm assuming that they wanted to live long lives with each other and watch their children grow up together. They suffered a lot financially and with some family problems, Esch's mother finally lost her life while giving birth to Junior and ultimately changed the course of the family.
(Citation #8)

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Skeetah wanted to make sure all the babies were safe and healthy to ensure that he can sell them and make a good amount of profit. But he had a lot of set backs that made him lose all the babies except two which has totally ruined his goal of making a profit from the babies China made. (Citation #8)

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Esch always dreamt of Manny falling in love with her, but she suffered throughout the process of trying to make that happen. Esch tried her hardest but after all that she ended up empty handed and left with a baby that she would have to raise by herself.
(Citation #8)

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Salvage the Bones shows that even through all the pain and suffering someone endures while trying to fulfill their idealistic views, not everyone will fulfill their idealistic views and dreams.

(Change/edit it if you want )

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This photo shows just how young the soldiers in the Vietnam War were. Youth often times goes hand in hand with Idealism. These young men had their whole lives in front of them, but as we see with Jimmy Cross, idealism for after the war results in pain and distraction. The Vietnam War in The Things They Carry could represent the larger reality of life and of adulthood.

Citation 7

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Lennie’s puppy’s death is one of the more memorable scenes to people who read the book. Lennie was weeping, yelling, trying to bury the puppy, and at one point flung the dead puppy across the barn. Perhaps the scene might have been too morbid for the big screen, or Gary Sinise thought that the audience would lose the connection they had with Lennie if this made the final cut. Either way, the puppy scene was widely skipped over in the movie. It is interesting because it seems that there could be intent behind it. Lennie is a lovable character that the audience is attached to, the director most likely thought the audience would see him differently and the final scene wouldn't have been as emotional.

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" The things they carried were determined to some extent by superstition. Lieutenant Cross carried his good-luck pebble. Dave Jensen carried a rabbit's foot. Norman Bowker, otherwise a very gentle person, carried a thumb that had been presented to him as a gift by Mitchell Sanders. The thumb was dark brown, rubbery to the touch, and weighed 4 ounces at most. "

This form of idealism is belief in superstition. The men are seeking comfort, something to ease their minds in order to distract them from the fact that they are on their own. Supernatural help in the form of a rabbits foot is simply a means to protect their mindsets from what is going on. Ultimately it leads to more pain as they continue to endure tragedy and hardship.

Citation 6

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In Tim O'Brien's, The Things They Carry, it seems that there is a constant underlying theme of Idealism Vs. Reality. This theme was explored in Of Mice and Men, but this novella does it differently. Of Mice and Men suggested that reality ultimately destroys idealism resulting in pain. In The Things They Carry, the them more leans towards idealism is a way to block out reality. Jimmy Cross is an unlikely leader, didn't want to be in the war, so he most likely is obsessing over Martha because she represents his life after the war. This ultimately is a distraction which costs lives. When Jimmy Burns the letters it was almost signifying that he gave up on the hope of making it out, and instead fully accepted his reality.

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"But the city was his, low creature that he

was, and it was his duty to defend it. It had spent years training him, honing

him, making him ready to serve for its hour of need. He was a foot soldier,

too, and in that breath of forever he heard the battle call of his home."

This is the scene where Tookie rallies back against the Hate, using the love for his city, and the connection he has with it. Ultimately this is a form of idealism that Tookie is expressing. Tookie shows his own faith in the city, and feelings he has for it by charging against the monster in order to protect it. I believe it is because Tookie thinks that he can make a difference. That if he defends the city than things will change. Ultimately there will still be another storm. Tookie's idealistic thinking has blurred his reality.

Citation 6

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Jimmy Cross's Character transformation. 

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Jimmy Cross's Character transformation. 

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One of the main things that Lieutenant cross carries around is his obsession with Martha. Ultimately it serves as his form of idealism, his hope to make it out. It is his distraction from what the reality of life is for him. His Men pay the price for their leader not acknowledging reality because he still is holding out hope. Ultimately Ted Lavender is killed and Cross was distracted by Martha. Following this he burns the photo of her, signaling the end of his obsession with her and hope of getting out of there. This act signifies a change in Jimmy Cross because he no longer holds the hope of getting out. It is a very similar character arc to George from Of Mice and Men. Both characters suffer from having attachments to hopes, and both let them go in order to deal with reality.

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" To carry something was to hump it, as when Lieutenant Jimmy Cross humped his love for Martha up the hills and through the swamps. In its intransitive form, to hump meant to walk, or to march, but it implied burdens far beyond the intransitive. "

In this story Lieutenant Cross's love for Martha is his own idealism. It serves as a distraction for him from brutal  reality, but also as a comfort. It seems to Cross that because Martha is out there, he has to get through this to see her. There will be something after the war. His idealism and hope has now detached him from the the reality and he ultimately pays for it. Which is why it is a burden, something he has to "hump" around.

Citation 6

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" In the late afternoon, after a day's march, he would dig his foxhole, wash his hands under a canteen, unwrap the letters, hold them with the tips of his fingers, and spend the last hour of light pretending." (O'Brien 1)

This is one of the first lines of description we get of Jimmy Cross and it goes to show the value of idealism in tough situations. The Vietnam War and the Great Depression were both incredibly tough situations to live through, because of this idealism is such a strong theme in both Of Mice and Men as well as The Things They Carry.

Citation 6

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People may think that all of war is hell, and that is true but sometimes people have to loosen up a bit and have some fun to help them escape the war for a brief moment. This video shows men having a little bit of fun during training, although it is training, this kind of stuff happens in actual battle. They have to sometimes distract themselves from the pain in order to fulfill their idealistic views.

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Quote from text with relevant explanation

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Quote from text with relevant explanation

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"Briefly, in the rain, Lieutenant Cross saw Martha's gray eyes gazing back at him. He understood. It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do. He almost nodded at her, but didn't. Instead he went back to his maps. He was now determined to perform his duties firmly and without negligence." (O'Brien 11)

The idealistic views that Cross carried with him came at a cost, not just to him but to his crew. His little dreams made him a lot more lenient, he didn't care much of anything other than Martha. His ideals got one of his comrades killed in an easily avoidable way. Through all that suffering he has thrown away his old ideals and created new ones for the better of him and his men.

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Everyone has their own idealistic views but some do share similar ones. For example, Lieutenant Cross carried around a pebble that Martha sent him to remind him of what is waiting for him when he got home, and Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend's pantyhose with him for the same reason.

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"On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs" (O'Brien 10). 

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"On the morning after Ted Lavender died, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha's letters. Then he burned the two photographs" (O'Brien 10). 

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The death of Ted Lavender was a huge awakening for Lt. Cross. This made him realize that his idealistic world back home might not be what he thinks it is. He realizes that the woman he loves might has moved on to another man. This changes Lt. Cross's motivation to survive from seeing his lover again to keeping his squad alive so they can see their loved ones.
Citation #6

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"The men laughed. They all felt great relief" (O'Brien 6). 

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"The men laughed. They all felt great relief" (O'Brien 6). 

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The last thing the men want is another one of their teammates die. They want everyone to be safe and make it home alive, however, deep down they know that majority them won't make it back home.
Citation #6

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"Will your flashlight go dead? Do rats carry rabies? If you screamed, how far would the sound carry? Would your buddies hear it? Would they have the courage to drag you out?" (O'Brien 5). 

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"Will your flashlight go dead? Do rats carry rabies? If you screamed, how far would the sound carry? Would your buddies hear it? Would they have the courage to drag you out?" (O'Brien 5). 

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This quote is every though that is going through Lt. Cross's head before he enters the fox hole to check for enemies. In this moment, the harsh reality he is in has finally set in. Lt. Cross realizes how quickly his life can change, how quickly it can end.
Citation #6

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This quote represents the dark reality of war. Men on both sides of the war wish they were back home. Each situation that these men go through effects them for the rest of their lives. Even when they aren't carrying their guns and band-aids, they will always carry the ghosts the found during the war.
Citation #6

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"In addition to the three standard weapons—the M-60, M-16,and M-79—they carried whatever presented itself, or whatever seemed appropriate as a means of killing or staying alive" (O'Brien 3)

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"In addition to the three standard weapons—the M-60, M-16,and M-79—they carried whatever presented itself, or whatever seemed appropriate as a means of killing or staying alive" (O'Brien 3)

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Along with items that reminded these soldiers of their home life, they had to carry things to keep them alive in the present moment. These were the things that kept them tired down to reality

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Whenever Ted Lavender died Lieutenant Cross felt responsible for his death and blamed it on his obsession with Martha. This made him realize what his main priorities were; well at least for a brief moment. This is the pain and suffering that came with Cross' idealistic views of Martha.

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This soldier was probably a musician but was drafted to join the war and most likely had dreams of going back home to return to his music career. We all know coming home from war is easier said than done, he must have went through lots of hardships and struggles to try to make it home, assuming that he did make it home.

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It is important to remember that everything happening to Lieutenant Cross is also happening to a lot of other soldiers at the time. This is also represented in the book. For example, Henry Dobbins carried his girlfriend's pantyhose around his neck as a reminder to his life with her.

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The Things They Carried suggest that everyone has their own idea of idealism and dreams, and each one comes with its own source of pain and suffering.

(Just in case we need a second thesis statement, feel free to edit or change it)

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"He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead" (O'Brien 7)

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"He felt shame. He hated himself. He had loved Martha more than his men, and as a consequence Lavender was now dead" (O'Brien 7)

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This incident in the novel is a great example that if you live too much out of reality in this fake idealistic life, there will be consequences. Lavender dying in the book was a big wake up call for lieutenant Cross and after that he realized that he has to take care of his men first.

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The truth of the matter is that a lot of the people that were drafted into the war were stripped away from their idealistic life. If you were drafted for the war that became your new reality. It is shown that almost everyone in Lieutenant Cross's platoon would rather be with someone else and not doing the tasks that they were assigned to do.

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"Henry Dobbins, who was a big man, carried extra rations; he was especially fond of canned peaches in heavy syrup over pound cake. Dave Jensen, who practiced field hygiene, carried a toothbrush, dental floss, and several hotel sized bars of soap he'd stolen on R&R in Sydney, Australia. " (O'Brien 2)

We can learn a lot about these soldiers with just by what they carried, for example Dave Jansen carries toothbrushes, dental floss, and soap which could be his form of idealism. Henry Dobbins he carried canned peaches and pound cake, this could be his favorite snack as a kid and remind him of home which would indicate that he would want to go home.
(Citation #6)

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Everyone has their own ideals that they peruse.

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Everyone has their own ideals that they peruse.

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Everybody has their own lives and their own dreams and ideals, this is shown in The Things They Carried when they start to list the things everyone carried a long with them throughout the war. "The things they carried were largely determined by necessity. Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs, wristwatches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C rations, and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 15 and 20 pounds, depending upon a man's habits or rate of metabolism" (O'Brien 2)
(Citation #6)

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"Lieutenant Cross gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under the white sand at the Jersey shore" (O'Brien 5)

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"Lieutenant Cross gazed at the tunnel. But he was not there. He was buried with Martha under the white sand at the Jersey shore" (O'Brien 5)

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This quote from "The Things They Carried" perfectly shows how sometimes idealism can take you out of reality and interfere in real life. Lieutenant Cross is in a dangerous situation where he should be paying attention to what's going on, but he is daydreaming about a life with Martha that is not real.

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When a man is madly in love with a woman they will usually do anything to be with that woman, and in the case of The Things They Carried, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross was madly in love with a girl named Martha which would make him act differently and disrupt is line of judgement.
(Citation #6)

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Instead of showing a more idealistic world that the soldiers want to live in, this picture represents the reality that most of them are in. They are sent to fight in a war that they don't want to fight in. It takes a toll on a lot of them.

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Photo of Soldier with pictures of girlfriend in helmet.

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Photo of Soldier with pictures of girlfriend in helmet.

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This photo is somewhat similar to what Lieutenant Jimmy Cross does with his letters from Martha. He always keeps them close to him and it shows that he is thinking of a more idealistic life with her.

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This novel is a great representation of the struggle between idealism and reality. You can tell that the men shown in this story would rather be somewhere else than Vietnam. A lot of these men did not have a choice on if they were going or not because they got drafted. Throughout the story you can see that these men think about different people and different places that they want to be at. Where they are currently in not their idealistic life.

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"I was only foolin’, George. I don’t want no ketchup. I wouldn’t eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me." (Steinbeck 13).

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"I was only foolin’, George. I don’t want no ketchup. I wouldn’t eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me." (Steinbeck 13).

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In this scene, George just went off on a rant on how he could live a better life if he didn't have to watch over Lennie. This outburst scared Lennie and made him realize he couldn't achieve his own ideal life without George. The ideal life being owning their own ranch and tending to a small group of rabbits.
Citation 1

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"Kneeling, watching the hole, he tried to concentrate on Lee Strunk and the war, all the dangers, but his love was too much for him, he felt paralyzed, he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered." (O'Brien 5).

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"Kneeling, watching the hole, he tried to concentrate on Lee Strunk and the war, all the dangers, but his love was too much for him, he felt paralyzed, he wanted to sleep inside her lungs and breathe her blood and be smothered." (O'Brien 5).

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In this scene, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross is in the process of clearing a fox hole for any enemies. As Lt. Cross is entering the hole, his mind starts to wander of his love back in America. During those hard times, he wishes he was back in his ideal life with his love.
Citation 6

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""What kinda harm am I doin' to you? Seems like they ain't none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain't used to livin' like this. I coulda made somethin' of myself." (Steinbeck 88). 

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""What kinda harm am I doin' to you? Seems like they ain't none of them cares how I gotta live. I tell you I ain't used to livin' like this. I coulda made somethin' of myself." (Steinbeck 88). 

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During this scene in Of Mice and Men Curley's wife vents to Lennie she isn't living the life she could be living. She goes on to explain how years ago a Hollywood actor told her she was a "natural" and could be a star in the film industry. However, her mother wouldn't allow her at the time due to her being only fifteen years old.
Citation 1

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Photo representing "The Things They Carried"

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Photo representing "The Things They Carried"

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This photo perfectly shows the extent of how many supplies men in the Vietnam War had to carry. In the short story The Things They Carried the platoon of men are described down to the smallest detail; specifically what each man is hauling. Most of the items were common war supplies, while others were personal belongings. Most of these personal belongings allows them to remember their ideal lives back home. For example, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross holds a polished rock as a reminder of his girl back at home.

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Idealism and reality vs. The American Dream

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Idealism and reality vs. The American Dream

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There is a heavy dose of idealism in Of Mice and Men. In fact the basis of the two main character's relationship revolves around hope for a better life. Hard Work, determination, and friendship will help them achieve that. However, there is a specific interaction with crooks that suggests the American is not for everyone. While Candy and Lennie discuss their dream, Crooks seems eager to join. However, as the group leaves the room Crooks then backs out of his offer to help. In this one interaction there were heavy themes involving race and class that Crooks discussed. This suggests that the American dream is not for everyone.

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Throughout the novella I always believed that Lennie represented hope and idealism. However, looking back, there could be a reasonable claim made that Lennie also represented reality, and his continuous string of killings was the ultimate foreshadowing of hope, innocence, and idealism being killed along with Lennie.

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" Slim twitched George's elbow. 'Come on, George. Me an' you'll go in an' get a drink.' George let himself be helped to his feet. 'Yeah, a drink.' (107) "

This is a key moment for George as a character. After Lennie is dead, his hope is too. George then finishes his transition into a character very similar to slim. Realistic and only taking what he can get.

(Citation 1)

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This photo clearly shows pain and emotion from George. George became attached to the dream and he knew that with Lennie dying, the dream would be dead too.

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This is a photo that perfectly describes the children's situation in "St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves". The parents and nuns want the children to adapt to the human world and become one with society, but this is a lot for these children to handle. The overwhelming lists of expectations created by the parents and nuns lead to the chaos that happened in the ball room.

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A personal observation of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried

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A personal observation of Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried

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First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross had a crazy obsession of a girl named Martha, his obsession was so crazy that he would suck on a pebble that she sent to him while he was at war. Lieutenant Cross was dreaming about how he would go back to the U.S. after the war and be with Martha and live long happy life. But his obsession got the better of him; due to him being too occupied thinking about his crush one of his men in his battalion was killed because of his lack of dedication to his job.

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The unrealistic vision that Hauser had for her relationship.

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The unrealistic vision that Hauser had for her relationship.

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When going into a relationship you expect it to be all "lovey dovey" and dreaming about how you're going to live the rest of your life with your partner and have a "happily ever after". But in "The Crane Wife" Hauser talks about how her relationship with her fiancé was not doing too good. He was not giving her enough attention, he would gaslight her into thinking that him being with other women was okay and had her thinking that they an open relationship; which obviously was not something that Hauser expected. This is all supports the fact that most idealistic thinking comes with pain suffering.

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A quote about Lennie and George's dream with in-text citation and relevant explanation

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A quote about Lennie and George's dream with in-text citation and relevant explanation

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"O.K. Someday - we’re gonna get the jack together and we’re gonna have a little house and a couple of acres an’ a cow and some pigs and -" "An’ live off the fatta the lan’,"Lennie shouted. "An’ haverabbits. Go on, George! Tell about what we’re gonna have in the garden and about the rabbits in the cages and about the rain in the winter and the stove, and how thick the cream is an the milk like you can hardly cut it. Tell about that, George." (Steinbeck p.14)

One of the main ideas in the novella Of Mice and Men is that George and Lennie had a dream that they wanted to achieve but obviously they had a lot of hardship throughout the process of reaching that goal which supports the thesis that idealism is a major source of pain and snuggle in life.
(citation #1)

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This is a fan made photo of the scene where George has to "put Lennie down". In this photo Lennie represents idealism while George represents the suffering and pain that comes with idealism.
(Citation #1)

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While having a conversation with Lennie and Candy, Lennie and George's dream sounded very appealing to him. He even offered to help work on the land. However, when George came back from downtown and found Lennie with Crooks, he became very aggravated. This little outburst made Crooks realize how unrealistic this new life is, and quickly took back his promise to work on the land.

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"You hadda, George. I swear you hadda" (Steinbeck 107)

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"You hadda, George. I swear you hadda" (Steinbeck 107)

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This quote was recited by Slim right after George shot Lennie at the end of the book. This really showed that their dream was no longer achievable and that idealism was dead. Reality had once again interfered.

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Idealism in "St. Lucy's home for Girls Raised by Wolves" continued.

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Idealism in "St. Lucy's home for Girls Raised by Wolves" continued.

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Not only did the parents of these girls have an idealistic view of their future, but the Nuns who converted them also had idealistic beliefs. Their goal was to convert every one of the girls to be like normal humans. This turned out to be unrealistic when one of the girls (Mirabella) cannot be changed and is forced to be released into the wild after she acts out.

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During this scene of the movie, Lennie is begging George to tell him about the rabbits and his dream. While telling Lennie about their fantasy, Lennie can't help but interrupt and give his input. This shows how much Lennie desired this ideal life to become reality.
Citation 4

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Of Mice and Men: George and Lennie's Dream

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Idealism in "St. Lucy's home for Girls Raised by Wolves".

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Idealism in "St. Lucy's home for Girls Raised by Wolves".

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While reading Karen Russell's novel "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves", one can pinpoint the theme of idealism a number of times.
The book is about a family of werewolves, however, the wolf trait is only present every other generation; leaving a generation being purely human. The kids in this generation were sent to a religious school where they taught them how to act more "human".
Not only did the kid's parents have an ideal life for their kids, the nuns at the school wanted the best for the kids in the human world.
Many times the kids would only comply with what the nuns would order thinking of how badly their parents wanted them to succeed in this new and better world.
Citation 3

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This image shows that there is a separation between real life and what we want to be true. Of Mice and Men shows this with their dream of buying land and living on their own.

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"Jus' nuts, said Crooks. I don't blame the guy you travel with for keepin' you out of sight." (Steinback 68)

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"Jus' nuts, said Crooks. I don't blame the guy you travel with for keepin' you out of sight." (Steinback 68)

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This quote is recited by Crooks after Lennie tells him about the dream that he and George have. Lennie is being the more idealistic person in this scene while Crooks is living more in reality and can see that their vision is not very achievable.

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This is a screenshot from the film Of Mice and Men. In this scene, Lennie has just accidentally killed the puppy that Slim gave him. Lennie knows that at this point that he can't afford to mess up and do anything bad anymore. Shortly after this scene, Lennie kills Curly's wife; which leads George killing Lennie. This is the end of Lennie and George's idealistic life.