Purchase Solution

Analyze a Short Story by Tim O'Brien

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

This analysis will cover how to analyze a short story by Tim O'Brien. The story is from his collection The Things They Carried and the story is called On the Rainy River. The example will show you how to take a story apart in a step by step process. The process is one that works well for most undergraduate courses in English literature. The emphasis will be placed on an examination of theme through imagery.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution instructs on how to write a literary analysis on the theme through imagery seen in 'On the Rainy River' from a collection of short stories called 'The Things They Carried' by Tim O'Brien. It provides eight clear steps to analyzing a story in English Literature.

Solution Preview

It is nearly impossible to be successful in an English literature course without learning approaches that will teach you how to analyze a story. The process of analysis is what leads the student to critical thinking, reading, and writing. Most colleges and universities use these criteria for their learning outcomes. I will lead you through a step by step process I hope will provide you with a strategy for analysis.

Step One: Read the story the first time for entertainment. Just enjoy the story.
Step Two: Read the story again, but this time write in the margins of the story or book. This is called ANNOTATION. Make question marks or write key words you find relevant to a question you have or an idea you have noticed. You may underline, bracket, circle, or highlight significant moments in the story. WARNING: Avoid underlining and/or highlighting everything. This is generally a waste of time.
Step Three: When you have thoroughly covered the material (It won't hurt to read it a 3rd time), and once you have made notes in the margin of the story, you will begin to see patterns emerge. Look for a dominant pattern or thread ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Symbolism in "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner"

The quiz will identify several potential symbolic motifs in Coleridge's famous poem. It will stimulate the student to consider possible topics for essays. Furthermore, it will provide a brief review of some of the symbolic content of the poem.

MLA Quiz

Students will practice the mechanics of MLA citations.

The I-Search Paper

Students will test their knowledge of what an I-Search paper is and Ken Macrorie's theory about writing.

Fallacies - Academic and Research Writing

This quiz discusses the different variations of fallacy and how they come into play in writing.

The Hero's Journey

This quiz will test your knowledge over what the hero's journey is and some examples from literature and the performing arts.

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • War Literature

    Analyze how the short story uses elements of literature to prove or demonstrate the theme. Craft a thesis that synthesizes your argument about the literature and the emotional baggage of war. Your thesis will frame the issues.

  • Writing for Theme

    386996 The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien The title is repeated many times throughout the story. How does the narrator classify the things they carried? Can you see meaning in the way he orders the categories?

  • Essay on destructive ability, guilt & death: comparative

    269806 Books summary Summarize: "THE THINGS THEY CARRIED" of Tim O'Brien "NIGHT" of Elie Wiessel "DEAD MAN WALKING" of Sister Helen Prejean "THE THINGS THEY CARRIED" of Tim O'Brien The Things They Carried is a story about the author and his

  • Vietnam war stories comparison

    O'Brien, Tim. "Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong." PBS. Apr. 2007.

  • US and the Vietnam War

    Tim O'Brien refers to this in many places in the book, for example "... in dead night we march back to the barracks. Vietnam Vietnam Every night while you're sleepin' Charlie Cong comes a-creepin' All around. We march to the Quick-Kill rifle range.

  • Literary analysis, critical thinking, reading, writing, literature, stories, novels.

    For example, "The jungle setting in Tim O'Brien's short stories about Vietnam mirror the oppressive, surrealistic, and chaotic psychologies of his characters."

  • Hiring Practices and Employment Discrimination

    They must have a valid driver's license if applying for the position of driver. The short test is interesting, as it was devised by Tim from sample questions found on a GED (General Education Degree) Equivalency Test.

  • Genes involved with the regulation mammalian \"biological clock\"

    The story is complicated, but essentially relies upon varying levels of each gene\'s respective proteins to modulate the others. More specifically, the promoter regions of both per and tim contain E-boxes which are bound by both Clock and Cyc.

  • Using the Hill and O'Brien Helping Skills Model

    Hill and O'Brien helping skills model Darren's presenting problems: Darren's progress is limited by his low self esteem because he often seems confused.

View More Related Solutions