Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Elroy's thoughts
Post a comment on whether or not you think Elroy Berdahl wanted "O'Brien" to run away or go back home and face life as a soldier. Support your position with evidence from the book (you could use quotes, if they make your argument stronger).
Now, rewrite the second half of chapter 4 from Elroy Berdahl's perspective. Express what you think he thinks about "O'Brien" the young man coming and staying with him for 6 days. Use what you read in the chapter as a jumping-off point. What do we, as the audience, know about Elroy? Do you think he wanted "O'Brien" to run away or go back and serve as a soldier? In your re-write, make it clear that you have evidence for Elroy's thoughts, actions, and feelings. Your re-write should be a minimum of 500 words long. It is due on Friday.
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10 comments:
I think that Elroy didn't know exactly what O'Brien should do but that he had faith that O'Brien would make the right decision, whatever it might have been. The envelope labeled, "emergency fund" would have been useful in either situation so that really doesn't give us a reliable clue. But Elroy didn't REALLY know anything about O'Brien's particular situation so how could he decide what O'Brien should have done? (the reason I say this is because Elroy kind of reminds me of myself, and if i was in his position, this is the attitude i would take). Either that or Elroy really didn't care all that much about what decision O'Brien made, but that isn't very likely because he seemed to take a liking to O'Brien. But anyways, i think that Elroy believed that O'Brien would figure out the path that was right for him and that's why he didn't really talk about it.
-JeNN
(P.S. there I wrote something. Happy now?)
After reading the rest of the chapter I come to a conclusion that Berdahl didn’t want O’Brien to run away… I feel that Berdahl wanted O’Brien to face his fears and not be conquered by them. Though he never really speaks much but it is implied, because if Berdahl really did want to go fishing then he would have stayed in the middle of the lake but he didn’t, he made O’Brien face his fears and what’s more reality, “It struck me that he must’ve planned it. … I think he meant to bring me up against the realities, to guide me across the river and to take me to the edge and to stand a kind of vigil as I choose a life for myself.” Berdahl wanted O’Brien to make a choice because he know that procrastinating doesn’t solve anything so it was either escaping the war or going to the war and O’Brien ended up choosing the latter which seemed to be what Berdahl wanted because that way Obrien would face his fears and not be controlled by them anymore.
I think Elroy did know why O'Brien because it's said he was a smart man, he could have used deductive reasoning to deduct that this man was running away from the war. Elroy didn't actually wanted to O'Brien to run away or go back, he wanted him to choose his own destiny. This can be explained by the fact that Elroy never actually questioned why he was there to begin with and also due to the fact that he lowered the prices for him.
Look before you leap. Elroy Berdahl didn't make O'Brien to run away or go back home.
He just makes O'Brien to think.
Elroy Berdahl is like a magician that can read O'Brien's brain.
At first, O'Brien wanted to run away from the war. But he was embarrassed about his action; he feared to make his family felt shame. O'Brien had no ideas for what to do. He didn't make up a decision. He just wanted to escape the truth; he wanted to run away from the real world. O'Brien was not brave enough to solve the problem and even face it. Elroy Berdahl looked everything deep in his eyes. However, he never asked O'Brien a question as he wanted him to relax and faced the problem. On the sixth day, Elroy Berdahl took O'Brien to fishing. They arrived in the border of Canada. O'Brien started to face the problem. He thought of his life and his family. He decided to stay.
I think Elroy Berdahl neither want him to run away nor go back home.
He wants O'Brien to face the problem and to plan his own future.
No one can help you, except yourself.
You're the one that can decide your own life.
Well after reading this chapter, I now understand what to do in this assignment.
I think that O’Brien should have faced his consequences, but unfortunately he was to embarrassed about his action . If I was in his position I would have stayed at war because, if I was sent to war it was for a reason and I would fight with honor and for liberty and justice for all. Plus I’ll fight for all those innocent people who need our help. Specially I would fight with all honor representing all those who had fought in the pass wars such as, The Vietnam War, World War One, World War Two and the other wars I just can’t think about now. All I know is that O’Brien didn’t have an idea about what he was doing or he was suppose to do. All I notice about O’Brien was that he wanted to escape from the reality in front of his eyes and around the society.
After reading the rest of the chapter I come to a conclusion that Berdahl didn’t want O’Brien to run away… I feel that Berdahl wanted O’Brien to face his fears and not be conquered by them. It shows how much the author really wanted the character O'brien to make a decision. Theres a part in the story that says "I think he meant to... guide me across the river... as I choose a life for myself" This section shows how the author was kinda giving a path or a choice for O'brien to make.
I think that Elroy wanted O'Brien to stay and face his life as a soldier. He doesn't want O'Brien to run away and go home because he wanted him to stand up to his fears and conquer them. Elroy believed that O'Brien should make his own decisions and get a grip on his own destiny. Elroy's true motive that day was not to go fishing but to guide O'Brien into doing the right thing.
I think wether or not Elroy knew about "O'Brien" running away from the way Elroy probally wanted "O'Brien" to go home or something. to just leave him alone in his little house.
IF Elroy knew about the situation i would imagine that Elroy would be ashamed of "O'Brien" to run away from the war. Elroy seems like a proper man who does things the american way. wether or not he believed in the way i think Elroy would have gone just because he was an american and it was his duty.
Elroy wants O'Brien to do whatever he wants. If that means running from the war or going back to face life as a soldier. If Elry wanted to make O'Brien to do something, he would of talk to O'Brien about it or confront him about the subject.
Elroy Berdahl wanted O'Brien to choose a path, whatever it was, Berdahl was just helping a youn man out with the draft to the war. I think Berdahl knew how war was like (I have the impresion that Berdahl was in the military at one pint in his life), that's why I think he didn't pressured O'Brien to make a choice imidietly. A young man like O'Brien was stresed about the war and how he could die and all his hopes and dream would never be. He needed some serenety to think clearly about his choice. Maybe thats why he refers Berdahl to "the hero of his life" because he kinda gave him a peaceful choice of facing his fears and become a man of honor (according to the stereo type of the men back then)
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