The Things They Carried / Volar

To me, if something is vivid it stands out in the reader's mind.

"At twelve I was an avid consumer of comic books - Supergirl being my favorite. I spent my allowance of a quarter a day on two twelve-cent comic books or a double issue for twenty-five. I had a stack of Legion of Super Heroes and Supergirl comic books in my bedroom closet that was as tall as I."

I chose this passage because not only does it invoke imagery relative to the physical aspects of the setting, but it also indirectly describes the time period in which the story is taking place. This passage also stands out in my mind because of how cheap the narrator could purchase comic books and the fact that she could acquire such a large collection at such a young age is unbelievable.

In Volar, the author changes from imaginative to serious. She makes this transition after she wakes up every morning and her thoughts progess from flying around in a superhero's body to the tension between her parents in their morning time together. It is a sad slice of reality that she is forced to face every morning that she wakes up early. The narrator knows that if she goes to the kitchen before the forty-five minute grace period, she will dissapoint her parents.

The object that stood out the most for me was Kiowa's feathered hatchet. This is a very significant object because it is an object that has been passed on from previous generations and as a result it has sentimental value added to its obvious practical benefits. Also, to me the hatchet is very symbolic. It is a weapon of last resort and if it does end up saving Kiowa's life the connection between him and his grandfather would become even stronger. Finally, the feathers on the hatchet are symbolic to Native Americans so it may be considered an additional good luck charm or a way of expressing love for his culture.