I have to write a paper in regards to "the things they carried" by Tim O’Brien and have to analyze the text and use supporting evidence from the text I have to choose one of the 3 following topics to write my paper about.

ESSAY #2 ASSIGNMENT Due dates: Draft Essay due 10/14 Revised and Final Draft Essay due 10/28 Lateness: Papers will not be accepted more than one class late, and will also be reduced. Format: The essay should be 12 fonts Times New Roman. Double-space. Number your pages. Include a standard, single-spaced heading or a title page. Length: 4-6 full pages (more is okay, less is not) Assignment: Write a well-organized analysis which includes: a clearly stated thesis, several body paragraphs which support your thesis using strong evidence from the text, secondary resource(s) and a conclusion. You should analyze and discuss the autobiography, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien and incorporate a discussion of the secondary source (s) to support, expand upon or oppose your own ideas. You should write an interpretive essay which integrates a discussion of the research solely as a means to strengthen your argument. . Choose one of the following: A) Throughout the novel, O’Brien presents an essential paradox about War: it is horrible and it is beautiful. Analyze some of the ways O’Brien and other characters experience the contradictions of war—both its horror and its beauty. How do the secondary resources help solidify this paradox? B) Soldiers are usually profoundly changed by their experiences in war. Choose at least 3 characters from the stories and examine how these characters are changed by their experiences. What conclusions can you draw from these examples using secondary resources to help one to understand the effects on war and the human spirit? (Research articles on War and PTSD) C) O’Brien and his fellow soldiers deal with the uncertainty, fear, and death around them in many ways. Choose three characters from the stories to examine how these characters respond to their circumstances. What conclusions can you draw about soldiers and war through these examples? How does the research help one understand the complexities of war. Important Notes 1) Before writing the paper, you will need to actively re-read the text that you want to analyze: taking notes, highlighting (annotating) on specific passages which help support your intended thesis. Be certain that the essay provides convincing evidence to use in the essay such as secondary sources and (i.e.: quote a phrase or a line; paraphrase; summarize; make reference to a passage). 2) The essay will be evaluated in such areas as: content, organization, grammar, mechanics and documentation. (Helpful hints: review the sheets that provide you with powerful adjectives, powerful verbs, tenses and transitional phrases. (Avoid rambling) inconsistency of content. 2A) Proofread the essay several times in order to eliminate errors in each of these categories. Visit the Writing center if you are having trouble in these areas. Follow the general literary essay protocol: • Name the work and the author in the introduction paragraph. • Refer to the author by last name after the first time he/she is mentioned. • Place titles of the text in “quotation marks”. • Discuss the work using present tense. • Since this is literary analysis, refrain from discussions of a personal nature. • Since you will be discussing your ideas and and opinions in the essay, it is perfectly acceptable to use “I” in your essay. However, you should avoid addressing the reader as “you”. • Follow MLA format. 1) Look at what you have written already. Your writings have value. Please do not panic (: See me with questions if you need further assistance and/or work with a tutor at the Writing Center. DO YOUR BEST!!!!!!!!