4 stars (Too Much Freedom and Not Enough) - Adolescent girls probably since the dawn of time have been trying to elude the domineering gaze of their mothers in a time during their development where young females are creating their own identity and discovering who they really are and how they want to portray themselves to others. It's a juncture at which they are even more prone to seek independence and the discoveries of independence--a period when the teenage girl is (or is at least trying to) mature into womanhood. sometimes too quickly. Renowned feminist author Joyce Carol Oates very expertly tackles this issue in her 1965 short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" We're confronted with a young girl named Connie who just wants her own space, a girl who's tired of being told that she just doesn't measure up to her mother's high standard like her sister Jill; a girl who wants some romance--some love (or lust) in her life; an innocent naive girl who wants the freedom to meet and know boys but who is too young to understand that there are "good boys" and then there are "bad boys." Connie goes out at night with her friend and meets a guy. They seem to have a good time together, but it's just one of those things where you have a good time and you wake up the next morning having forgotten much of what happened the night before. Life just goes on. At least that's the case with Connie. But she soon learns that that's not quite the case with the boy she met, named Arnold Friend. When her parents leave for a barbecue, she's left home all alone. She couldn't be happier. Finally she has her space, she has nobody talking down to her or criticizing her, she finally feels that spirit of freeom she so craves, which involves the lack of parental supervision and control. But in a very scary way she soon comes to know that this parental security is actually an important safety net, one that every adolescent needs. She comes to realize that independence has a price, and... The Gale Group :: Short Stories (single author) :: Fiction & Short Stories (single author) :: Fiction :: :: Joyce Carol Oates-s -Where Are You Going- Where Have You Been--- A Study Guide from Gale-s -Short St
3 stars (Danielle's summary review) - The things they carried is a great book by Tim O'Brien. Jimmy cross has a crush on a college girl named Martha, he knows she will never return his love because she majors in English and went to a movie on a single date to see Bonnie and Clyde and he put his hand on her knee and she looked at him and ordered him to pull his hand back. Now cross is in Vietnam and he really misses martha. The things that that they carried in thier packs depended on what kind of constitutions and personalities they had, like marijuana, bug repellant etc.. The stronger men got to carry the guns. Cross was the map keeper and basically had to protect his men. Lavender got shot, but cross didnt really care because he was focused to much on Martha and how much that he missed her. The things they carried is basically and introspective memory story and self-conscious examination of the methods and reasons behind storytelling. The narrator is unreliable; he speaks of the necessity of blurring truth and fiction in a true war story. The settings are during the late 1960's and late 1900's in Vietnam and Massachussets. The major conflict is the men of the Alpha Company, especially Tim O'Brien, grapple with the effects - both immediate and long term - of the vietnam war. Themes are physical and emotional burdens;fear of shame as motivation; the subjection of truth to storytelling. 5 stars (The Things They Carried) - This book gives outstanding insight into rhe Vietnam War and the people that served in it. The Things They Carried is a very enjoyable book; after you get through the first 10 or so pages you'll want to read the whole thing. I'm not normally into reading books, but I really liked this book and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes a well told set of stories. Meaning, this book isn't just one story, but instead a set of stories told through the eyes of multiple characters. Regardless of whether you like that in a book or not, READ THIS BOOK! ... The Gale Group :: Short Stories (single author) :: Fiction & Short Stories (single author) :: Fiction :: :: Tim O-Brien-s -The Things They Carried-- A Study Guide from Gale-s -Short Stories for Students- (Vol
5 stars (Very funny, very good short story) - I just finished the Time Traveler's Wife and was looking around amazon and found this short. I usually don't pay good money for 1.5 thousand digital words, but I loved Audrey's book, so I thought I'd risk the $[very low price deleted by moderator] since it was a low price. And, it was worth every penny. This is a funny short story, and I didn't find Time Traveler's Wife funny. But, I think that if you liked the book, you'll love this. ... Amazon com :: Humorous fiction :: Angels :: Short Stories (single author) :: Fiction :: Literature & Fiction :: Audrey Niffenegger :: :: Jakob Wywialowski and the Angels
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