1. Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.). Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).
2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. Avoid cliches.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).
4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?
2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?
3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.
Additional Comments: Before reading this book, i anticipated that it would demonstrate more of the hardships and the fortuneless of countries our US Navy Seals had to battle against. Although it did portray some of this, it didnt demonstrate much so this book does relate to my masterpiece but hardly. Although, i am very glad I chose this novel to read because I am infatuated with it and had a hard time putting it down!
1. Throughout this amazing novel, the narrator, Chris Kyle a US Navy Seal, reveals his life story before and after being a US navy seal. He enables the audience to join him through his journey and feel as if they are right in on the action with him. In the story there is no exposition, climax, falling action or anything like that. To me, the whole entire book is a climax because of how good the book was and how exciting his experiences and stories were. Chris begins the novel by describing his childhood birth, city, home, lifestyle, etc. He and his family lived in Texas and were extremely "Hick". He claims that he was a cowboy if you'd ever seen one! He then goes on to explain his journey of becoming a Navy Seal and all of the strength and determination it took to become one. Battling both internal and external conflicts was an everyday thing for Chris every single day while a Navy Seal. There was both positives and negatives associated with the career but its negatives outweighed the positives greatly. Providing the audience with all of the steps, troubles, struggles, etc of being a Navy Seal, Chris makes it seem as if being a Navy Seal is no fun. It's not until he gives the audience detailed stories about his experiences on the battlefront that the reader gets intrigued in the idea of being a Navy Seal. Whether it being the awesome feeling of carrying a gun and killing the enemy or being devastated because a crew member had died, the Navy Seal was a continuos job filled with blood, sweat, determination, and love. Chris Kyle served 12 years in the US military and being a Navy Seal. He served 4 terms in the Iraq war and was rewarded several awards for his bravery, acts of heroism, and excellence. Known as "the Legend", Kyle proclaimed most lethal sniper in U.S. military history, having accumulated 160 confirmed kills out of 255 probable kills. Throughout all of his time in the military, he suffered trouble with the long distance between himself and family. Stationed in Iraq, he was thousands of miles apart from his young, new family and this caused several problems not only with himself but his marriage and relationship with his wife Tara. Tara was basically a single mom taking care of two ver young kids desperately and anxiously awaiting her husbands return. Each year when Kyle was asked to reenlist she begged him not to but he insisted his duty was not yet complete and continued to reenlist leaving his family. Tara suffered great anxiety and began feeling resentful towards her husband until his fifth enlistment opportunity when he finally agreed that his time in the US military was complete. After serving his extremely successful 12 years in the US Military, Kyle founded his own military training institution known as Craft International which kept him busy and his family happy. The author did an excellent job writing this novel and giving people the real life presentation of how intense US Military occupations really are. He not only fulfilled his purpose, but excelled it.
2. The theme of this book can be a controversial topic. To me, there are several possible themes that this book can portray. Passion and Patriotism are both themes that this book portrays throughout the entire plot. When concerning passion, Chris Kyle depicts this through all of his hard work, determination, commitment, and duty in the Navy Seals. He shows such a great amount of passion in everything he does not only for the job but for everyone in the country. He is so dedicated and committed to protecting his country that the reader never has a chance to doubt how great of a man he really is. Patriotism is also portrayed throughout the entire novel. The definition of patriotism is devotion to ones country. This theme is portrayed in every single page of the book. Chris Kyle is so devoted to his country that he continuously chooses his country over his family, he continues to return even when he's both mentally and physically hurt, and he is all about the USA and its success. He is the symbol of patriotism and the stars and stripes of the American flag.
3. The author of the story, Chris Kyle, uses the same tone throughout the entire novel. It is extremely intimidating, passionate, and straight up. Quotes that support this include, "In the end, my story, in Iraq and afterward, is about more than just killing people or even fighting for my country. It's about being a man. And it's about love and hate as well." Another supporting quote is, "Just to make it through training, you have to be one bad ass motherfucker." An additional quote that associates with the authors tone is, "If I had to order my priorities they would be God, country, family."
4. Some literary techniques that bettered my understanding of the book included tone, theme, diction, metaphor, personification, rhetorical question, hyperbole, allusion, analogy, onomatopoeia, and symbolism. The authors theme helped me understand the book better in which it provided me with deep moral meanings and honestly opened up my eyes to how thankful i should and we all should be to be protected by a such passionate and strong military. The author's tone being so intimidating helped me understand how intense and difficult it is to be in the military and especially a navy seal. Obviously, like portrayed throughout the novel, being in the US military is no walk in the park, its a walk in water (very difficult.) The authors diction, like the tone, helped me better understand all of the conflicts both internal and external the inhabitants of the military encounter and are forced to overcome/triumph. A metaphor that was portrayed in the novel was "Seals are silent warriors." This indicated that Seals do all that warriors and battlers do but without all of the boasting and bragging. They are conservative individuals who know their worth and do not have to boast to make themselves feel better or superior. An example of personification that was provided in the text was "My fear and relieve came out as unintelligible sobs." This indicated how tough war and battle can be. Its as if there's no way to win. You are at constant battle with not only the enemy but yourself. A rhetorical question that appeared in the text was "Did i ever hear the end of that." In the text he literally indicated that it was a rhetorical question when he was pranked by the other guys for being a newby and he totally embarrassed himself. An example of hyperbole that was in the text was "You're not a cowboy until you can break a horse." This was not a literal task, it was exaggerated. Kyle's father used to give him a hard time because he was timid around horses so his dad made up this statement so that Chris would get over his fear of horses. An allusion that was made in the book was "It was like a party on the titanic. The movies got us all psyched up, but we knew that ice burg was out there, looming in the dark." This quote supported the fact that being a Navy Seal is difficult yet has its positives. They are enabled to spend quality time with one another doing off job things but they know that the fun will always be disturbed by reality. An example of analogy that was in the text was "we're like baseball players with our little rituals and must-dos." This provided me with the knowledge that Navy Seals all have their own rituals that they do to prepare for war and get them psyched and pumped up. An example of onomatopoeia was "You'd hear the rounds coming past you in the air-errrrr- then you'd hear the echo-erhhhrhrhrhr-." This indicated how gnarly and intense the war was. They were constantly being fired at no matter where the were. The symbolism portrayed in this book was when Chris Kyle said the statement about the Fourth of July. "I've always loved the Fourth of July. I love the symbolism, meaning of the day, and of course the fireworks and barbecues." This specific quote symbolizes the whole purpose of the book; US freedom. Because of the US military, we are able to celebrate the Fourth of July and are continually battling against our enemies.
CHARACTERIZATION
1. Two examples of direct characterization from the text are "The Navy credits me with more kills as a sniper than any other American service member past or present." This indicates that Chris is an absolute stud and is a great Seal that faced a great amount of success throughout his entire career. Another example is, "I don't mind hard work, at the same time i like to have fun. Life's too short not to." This indicates that he is a hard worker yet he likes to enjoy his life and have fun sometimes. The major example i came across was, "People try to put me in a category as a bad ass, a good boy, asshole, sniper, seal, and probably other categories not appropriate for print. All might be true on any given day." "Just to make it through training, you had to be one tough motherfucker." This indicated that Chris is a strong, determined, bad ass guy because he passed through training! Examples of indirect characterization include "Studying and classes are not my thing." indicating that he is not a very school friendly individual and most likely excels in physical activities rather then educational ones. "I was sitting there saying to myself "God" over and over." This indicates that he has some type of religion (Christian) and he looks up to God as the father.
2. No, the author's diction does not range from character to character. It stays the exact same throughout the entire story and that is what makes the story such an inspiring and motivational one.
3. The main character, Chris Kyle, is both a dynamic and round character because he changes completely over the course of the story. In the beginning of the story he was die hard Navy Seal who chose everything over his family. As the story progressed, he realized that there was more to life than war and that he needed to be there for his family. He then began to spend a lot more time with his family and strengthened his bonds and relationships with his wife, kids, friends, and families. I'd say that the only area that he is a static character is his dedication to his country but no matter what he will always love and protect his country.
4. After reading this book I can walk away and say that I know Chris Kyle: The Legend: The American Sniper. The book had such a big impact on me and I feel that I have known Chris for a long time. He is such an inspiration in so many ways and I am so thankful that this book was written and I was given the opportunity to read it. This novel has made me so much more thankful for our US service members and because of this I am going to make more of an effort to thank those individuals who risk their lives every day protecting our country. I am so glad to be an american!!
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