Free Write: Spend the next 3 minutes writing about your day so far today. Don’t think, just write using the space below. This morning I had to get up at 6 o’clock because I had Quiz Bowl.I just want to go back to bed for 15 minutes. I don’t like that I have to get this up early for Quiz Bowl. On the plus side Profe brings us doughnuts. I’ll only try to have one since I’m trying to watch my weight. There are way too many kids that come to Quiz Bowl Practice. I just wish they would shut up and listen so we can hear Profe ask the questions. I just got back from taking a career readiness test for careers class with Mrs. H. Crap now I late for Ms. Brown’s class for the second day in a row! I really hope she doesn’t get mad at me. I absolutely hate being late for class. Part I: Defining and Understanding Stream of Consciousness Stream of Consciousness is a method used by authors to help us get into the mind of the narrator as he or she tells a story. It captures how the narrator is thinking in real time, and as a result, the narrator’s thoughts guide the style of the literature. Earlier in the novel, O’Brien used stream of consciousness to convey the thoughts of First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross in the chapter “The Things They Carried.” Now, “In the Field” returns us to this character’s unique point of view again. Read the passage below, and as you read answer the questions below the passage. A crime, Jimmy Cross thought. Looking out toward the river, he knew for a fact that he had made a mistake setting up here. The order had come from higher, true, but still, he should’ve moved to higher ground for the night, should’ve radioed in false coordinates. There was nothing he could do now, but still it was a mistake and a hideous waste. He felt sick about it. Standing in the deep waters of the field, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross began composing a letter in his head to the kid’s father, not mentioning the shit field, just saying what a fine soldier Kiowa had been, what a fine human being, and how he was the kind of son any father could be proud of forever (164). 1. How does Jimmy Cross’s stream of consciousness reveal aspects of his character? Find two examples from the passage to support your ideas.

“He felt sick about it” ­ the loss of Kiowa was a great one and he feels a sense of responsibility. The fact that Jimmy leaves out the details of the field from the letter indicates that he actually might be covering his culpability and might not be as forthcoming with accepting blame and responsibility as he initially indicates. 2. What specific conflicts (person vs. self, person vs. person, person vs. nature, person vs. supernatural or person vs. society) does this stream of consciousness reveal?
Person vs. Self ­ he should have moved to higher ground; he is beating himself up; he is contemplating own up to the responsibility Person vs. Person ­ Jimmy is unsure as to how to address Kiowa’s dad

Part II: Extending Your Understanding of Stream of Consciousness Directions: Now that you have had some practice recognizing what stream of consciousness is and how O’Brien uses it, take a closer look at another passage from “In the Field.” Read your assigned passage and discuss the following questions as you read and after you read. Passage #1: “Jimmy Cross did not...tried to settle in for the night” (167­168). Passage #2: “A stupid mistake...cold, sad drizzle (168­169). 1. How does the stream of consciousness technique reveal Jimmy Cross’s character? We learn that Jimmy Cross does not like war and didn’t want the responsibility of being the leader. Jimmy Cross did not take the other soldiers interests in mind. Cross is shaming himself when he says “He should’ve known. No excuses”(168). He beats himself up because he regrets not thinking of the other soldiers interests. 2. How does stream of consciousness reveal conflicts developed throughout the novel?

Stream of consciousness reveals conflicts developed throughout the novel because Jimmy Cross blames the higher up people for Kiowa’s death because they are the ones who told Jimmy where to set up camp for night. Jimmy Cross explains his frustration by saying “Not a good spot for good GIs. But it was a war, and he had his orders, so they’d set up a perimeter and crawled under their ponchos and tried to settle in for the night”(168). Jimmy feels that he has no other choice than to listen to the orders given to him. Part III: Reflecting on Stream of Consciousness Directions: You have looked at several examples of stream of consciousness in “In the Field.” Now that you have taken the time to consider the impact of stream of consciousness, respond to the following question while maintaining a formal tone. You should use all of your knowledge of the novel up to this point, including information from this chapter, to support your answer. 1. Aside from Tim, Norman, and Jimmy, which other character or characters in the novel should O’Brien have developed through stream of consciousness narration? Why? O’Brien should have developed the character Kiowa through the stream of consciousness because he brings a different perspective from that of his fellow soldiers to the unfortunate events that happened to the Alpha Company. Kiowa is shy and quiet so the audience does not know what Kiowa thinks about the war. By developing the character of Kiowa through stream of consciousness the audience would get to know Kiowa’s perspective and thoughts on things that happened in the war.