TTTC - "Sweetheart..." Discussion Questions

“Sweet Heart of the Song Tra Bong” Discussion Questions

1.  In “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong,” how does O’Brien set us up for Mary Anne’s transformation?  What clues does he drop along the way?

2. O’Brien uses many items as symbols.  Identify one tangible item that could be symbolic.  What might it represent?

3.  Find a specific quote from the chapter that illustrate Mary Anne’s change. What does the quote specifically signify about the nature of Mary Anne’s change?

4. Identify and discuss one theme that comes up in the story.  Remember that a theme is a big idea that transcends literature and suggests something about real life.  For example, a theme from the first chapter could be that our emotions (fear, shame, regret) have a tangible weight that we must carry.

5.  Reread the cave scene.  What has Mary Anne become?  Make a list of all of graphic imagery (visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory) from that scene.  What feelings do these images conjure up?

6. Reread the last paragraph of the story and analyze its rhetoric:

            But the story did not end there.  If you believed the Greenies, Rat said, Mary Anne was still somewhere out there in the dark.  Odd movements, odd shapes.  Late at night, when the Greenies were out on ambush, the whole rain forest seemed to stare in at them—a watched feeling—and a couple of times they almost saw her sliding through the shadows.  Not quite, but almost.  She had crossed to the other side.  She was part of the land.  She was wearing her culottes, her pink sweater, and a necklace of human tongues.  She was dangerous.  She was ready for the kill.

What is the impact of this final paragraph?  What choices does O’Brien make to create a certain effect? 

Think about DIDLS:

-What details does he include or exclude?

-What images does he create?

-Identify one or two specific word choices that have significant connotations. 

-What is the language like?  Does he use any figurative language?  To what effect?

-What is the syntax like?  Does he use repetition?  Meaningful juxtaposition?  Long sentences?  Short sentences?  Meaningful punctuation?

How do all of these elements contribute to the tone (attitude towards the subject) and the mood (feeling) of this final paragraph?