Calling Home by Tim O`Brien

Transcription

Calling Home
by Tim O’Brien
Two of the worst things a young soldier has to face in war are fear and
homesickness. In “Calling Home,” which is set during the Vietnam War, you
will learn what happens when four soldiers have a chance to call home.
LITERARY FOCUS: POINT OF VIEW AND SETTING
This story is told from the third-person limited point of view. The narrator,
who does not appear in the story, zooms in on one character: Paul Berlin.
The narrator describes what Paul sees, thinks, and feels. The other characters—Oscar, Eddie, Doc, and the young Pfc—are described only as Paul sees
them, so we do not learn about their inner thoughts or feelings.
• While reading “Calling Home,” pause every so often to think about
Paul’s world—what he thinks and what he sees.
The main setting—the time, place, and customs of a story—of “Calling
Home” is Vietnam during the Vietnam War. A second setting is described
in the story as Paul Berlin remembers his parents’ home.
• As you read, think about the importance of both of these settings to the
message of “Calling Home.”
Often writers do not state what they mean directly. In order to understand
what is being said, the reader has to make inferences, or guesses based on
evidence. You make inferences about a story based on evidence in the text
and based on your own experiences and prior knowledge. What inferences
can you make already, based just on the title of this story?
Literary Skills
Understand the
third-personlimited point of
view.
Understand
setting.
Keep track of the inferences you make as you read by filling in a chart like
this one.
Story Detail
Reading
Skills
Make
inferences.
Vocabulary
Skills
Use context
clues to
understand
jargon.
102
Part 1
Collection 3: Narrator and Voice
My Inference
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
READING SKILLS: MAKING INFERENCES
PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARY
The following words appear in the story that follows. Become familiar
with these words before you begin reading.
correlate (kôr√¥·l†t) v.: bring one thing into
relationship with another.
Before they left the base, the troops would
correlate their watches.
pensive (pen√siv) adj.: thoughtful.
The young men became pensive after
talking to their families.
console (kän√s£l≈) n.: instrument panel used to
operate electronic or other type of system.
The soldiers sat at the console and got ready
to place their calls.
CONTEXT CLUES: JARGON
Jargon is the special vocabulary used by people engaged in a particular
activity or occupation. Jargon can include newly created words, existing
words that are given new meanings, or abbreviations of words. You may
be familiar with computer jargon such as reboot, Web, and cookie.
The jargon in this story includes words that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam
developed to describe the world around them.
Some of the jargon is explained for you in footnotes. For other words, you
will find context clues, or hints in the surrounding words and sentences,
that will help you figure out their meanings. There are different types of
context clues, as shown below. In the examples given, the unfamiliar word
is in bold type and the context clue is underlined.
• DEFINITION OR SYNONYM: The weary grunts, or foot soldiers, marched
into camp.
• RESTATEMENT: Their platoon was made up of the most battle-weary
company squads.
• CONTRAST: Instead of rushing into action when he heard the planes
overhead, the commander became pensive.
Calling Home
103
© Alberto Rossi/Getty Images.
In August, after two months in the bush, the platoon returned to
Chu Lai for a week’s stand down.
The word bush in line 1 is
jargon for “forest, woods,
or jungle.” The phrase stand
down (line 2) means “rest
from fighting.”
They swam, played mini-golf in the sand, and wrote letters
and slept late in the mornings. At night there were floor shows.
There was singing and dancing, and afterward there was homesickness. It was neither a good time nor a bad time. The war was
all around them.
Circle the positive aspects
of Chu Lai (lines 3–7).
Underline the negatives.
On the final day, Oscar and Eddie and Doc and Paul Berlin
hiked down to the 42nd Commo Detachment. Recently the
10
outfit had installed a radio-telephone hookup with the States.
“Calling Home” from Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien. Copyright © 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 by Tim O’Brien.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
104
Part 1
Tim O’Brien
“It’s called MARS,” said a young Pfc1 at the reception desk.
“Stands for Military Air Radio System.” He was a friendly, deeply
tanned red-head without freckles. On each wrist was a gold
watch, and the boy kept glancing at them as if to correlate time.
correlate (kôr√¥·l†t) v.: bring
one thing into relationship
with another.
He seemed a little nervous.
While they waited to place their calls, the Pfc explained
What two times might the
Pfc be correlating?
how the system worked. A series of radio relays fed the signal
across the Pacific to a telephone exchange in downtown
Honolulu, where it was sent by regular undersea cable to San
20
Francisco and from there to any telephone in America. “Real
wizardry,” the boy said. “Depends a lot on the weather, but,
wow, sometimes it’s like talkin’ to the guy next door. You’d
swear you was there in the same room.”
They waited nearly an hour. Relay problems, the Pfc
explained. He grinned and gestured at Oscar’s boots. “You guys
are legs, I guess. Grunts.”
console (kän√s£l≈) n.: instrument panel used to operate
an electronic or other type
of system. As a verb, console
(k¥n·s£l√) means “make
someone feel better.”
“I guess so,” Oscar said.
The boy nodded solemnly. He started to say something but
then shook his head. “Legs,” he murmured.
Eddie’s call went through first.
30
The Pfc led him into a small, sound-proofed booth and had
“Grunts” are infantrymen,
or foot soldiers. Underline
context clues in lines 25–26
that help reveal the meaning
of the term.
him sit behind a console equipped with speakers and a microphone and two pairs of headsets. Paul Berlin watched through
a plastic window. For a time nothing happened. Then a red
light blinked on and the Pfc handed Eddie one of the headsets.
Eddie began rocking in his chair. He held the microphone with
one hand, squeezing it, leaning slightly forward. It was hard to
Read the boxed passage
aloud at least twice. Build
speed and smooth out your
delivery with each read.
see his eyes.
He was in the booth a long time. When he came out his face
40
was bright red. He sat beside Oscar. He yawned, then immediately
covered his eyes, rubbed them, then stretched and blinked.
“Geez,” he said softly.
Then he laughed. It was a strange, scratchy laugh. He
cleared his throat and smiled and kept blinking.
“Geez,” he said.
1.
Pfc: Private First Class.
Calling Home
105
Notes
© Janis Christie/Getty Images.
Pause at line 50. When Eddie
comes out from the booth,
how do you think he is
feeling?
“What—”
goes. Like that—‘Who?’ Just like that.”
He took out a handkerchief, blew his nose, shook his head.
50
His eyes were shiny.
“Just like that—‘Who?’ ‘Eddie,’ I say, and Ma says, ‘Eddie
who?’ and I say, ‘Who do you think Eddie?’ She almost passes
What do you think Eddie
means by “Graves
Registration” (line 55)?
Circle the context clue that
helps you figure it out.
out. Almost falls down or something. She gets this call from
Nam and thinks maybe I been shot. ‘Where you at?’ she says,
like maybe I’m calling from Graves Registration, or something,
and—”
“That’s great,” Doc said. “That’s really great, man.”
“Yeah. It’s—”
“Really great.”
60
Eddie shook his head violently, as though trying to clear
stopped-up ears. He was quiet a time. Then he laughed.
106
Part 1
Eddie giggled. “It was . . . You shoulda heard her. ‘Who?’ she
“Honest, you had to hear it. ‘Who?’ she keeps saying.
‘Who?’ Real clear. Like in the next . . . And Petie! He’s in high
Notes
school now—you believe that? My brother. Can’t even call him
Petie no more. ‘Pete,’ he says. Real deep voice, just like that guy
on Lawrence Welk—‘Pete, not Petie,’ he goes. You believe that?”
“Hey, it’s terrific,” Doc said. “It really is.”
“And clear? Man! Just like—I could hear Ma’s cuckoo clock,
that clear.”
“Technology.”
70
“Yeah,” Eddie grinned. “Real technology. It’s . . . I say, ‘Hey
Ma,’ and what’s she say? ‘Who’s this?’ Real scared-soundin’, you
know? Man, I coulda just—”
“It’s great, Eddie.”
Doc was next, and then Oscar. Both of them came out
looking a little funny, not quite choked up but trying hard not
to be. Very quiet at first, then laughing, then talking fast, then
turning quiet again. It made Paul Berlin feel warm to watch
them. Even Oscar seemed happy.
“Technology,” Doc said. “You can’t beat technology.”
80
“My old man, all he could say was ‘Over.’ Nothin’ else.
‘Weather’s fine,’ he’d say, ‘over.’ ” Oscar wagged his head. His
Pause at line 79. Are the
reactions of Doc and Oscar
similar to or different from
Eddie’s reaction?
father had been an R.T.O.2 in Italy. “You believe that? All he says
is ‘Over,’ and ‘Roger that.’ Crazy.”
They would turn pensive. Then one of them would chuckle
or grin.
“Pirates are out of it this year. Not a prayer, Petie says.”
“I bleed.”
“Yeah, but Petie—he goes nuts over the Pirates. It’s all he
90
knows. Thinks we’re over here fightin’ the Russians. The Pirates,
pensive (pen√siv) adj.:
thoughtful.
that’s all he knows.”
“Crazy,” Oscar said. He kept wagging his head. “Over ’n’
out.”
It made Paul Berlin feel good. Like buddies; he felt close
to all of them. When they laughed, he laughed.
2.
This story is told from the
third-person-limited point
of view. Circle the name of
the character that the narrator focuses on in the story.
R.T.O.: radio-telephone operator.
Calling Home
107
Then the Pfc tapped him on the shoulder.
He felt giddy. Everything inside the booth was painted white.
Sitting down, he grinned and squeezed his fingers together. He
Re-read lines 97–100. Why
does the Pfc tell Paul to
“ease up”?
saw Doc wave at him through the plastic window.
100
“Ease up,” the Pfc said. “Pretend it’s a local call.”
The boy helped him with the headset. There was a crisp
clicking sound, then a long electric hum like a vacuum cleaner
running in another room. He remembered . . . his mother always
used the old Hoover on Saturdays. The smell of carpets, a fine,
powdery dust rising in the yellow window light. An uncluttered
house. Things in their places.
He felt himself smiling. He pressed the headset tight.
What day was it? Sunday, he hoped. His father liked to putz
on Sundays. Putzing, he called it, which meant tinkering and
110
dreaming and touching things with his hands, fixing them or
building them or tearing them down, studying things. Putzing . . .
Circle details in lines 101–121
that help you visualize the
setting of Paul’s home.
He hoped it was Sunday. What would they be doing? What
month was it? He pictured the telephone. It was there in the
kitchen, to the left of the sink. It was black. Black because his
father hated pastels on his telephones. . . . He imagined the ring.
and in the basement, where his father had rigged up an extra
bell, much louder-sounding in the cement. He pictured the
basement. He pictured the living room and den and kitchen.
120
Pink formica on the counters and speckled pink-and-white
walls. His father . . .
The Pfc touched his arm. “Speak real clear,” he said. “And
after each time you talk you got to say, ‘Over,’ it’s in the regs,
and the same for your loved ones. Got it?”
Paul Berlin nodded. Immediately the headphones buzzed
with a different sort of sound.
He tried to think of something meaningful and cheerful
to say. Nothing forced: easy and natural, but still loving. Maybe
start by saying he was getting along. Tell them things weren’t
130
108
Part 1
really so bad. Then ask how his father’s business was. Don’t let
He remembered it clearly, how it sounded both in the kitchen
doesn’t Paul want to tell his
parents about his fear or
about anything bad? Circle
the detail that tells you.
on about being afraid. Don’t make them worry—that was Doc
Peret’s advice. Make it sound like a vacation, talk about the swell
beaches, tell them how you’re getting this spectacular tan. Tell
them—tell them you’re getting skin cancer from all the sun, a
Miami holiday. That was Doc’s advice. Tell them . . . The Pfc
kitchen in Paul’s parents’
home.
swiveled the microphone so that it faced him. The boy checked
his two wristwatches, smiled, whispered something. The kitchen,
Paul Berlin thought. He could see it now. The old walnut dining
table that his mother had inherited from an aunt in Minnesota.
140
And the big white stove, the refrigerator, stainless steel cabinets
Using details on this page,
tell how you think Paul feels
about his parents and his
home.
over the sink, the black telephone, the windows looking out on
Mrs. Stone’s immaculate back yard. She was something, that
Mrs. Stone. Yes, that was something to ask his father about: Was
the old lady still out there in winter, using her broom to sweep
away the snow, even in blizzards, sweeping and sweeping, and in
the autumn was she still sweeping leaves from her yard, and in
summer was she sweeping away the dandelion fuzz? Sure! He’d
get his father to talk about her. Something fun and cheerful.
The time old Mrs. Stone was out there in the rain, sweeping the
150
water off her lawn as fast as it fell, all day long, sweeping it out
to the gutter and then sweeping it up the street, but how the
street was at a slight angle so that the rain water kept flowing
back down on her, and, Lord, how Mrs. Stone was out there
until midnight, ankle-deep, trying to beat gravity with her
broom. Lord, his father always said, shaking his head. Neighbors.
That was one thing to talk about. And . . . and he’d ask his
mother if she’d stopped smoking. There was a joke about that.
She’d say, “Sure, I’ve stopped four times this week,” which was a
line she’d picked up on TV or someplace. Or she’d say, “No, but
160
at least I’m not smoking tulips anymore, just Luckies.” They’d
Pause at line 163. What do
you think happened to Billy
Boy Watkins, Frenchie Tucker,
and Bernie Lynn?
laugh. He wouldn’t let on how afraid he was; he wouldn’t mention Billy Boy Watkins or Frenchie Tucker or what happened to
Bernie Lynn and the others who were gone.
Yes, they’d laugh, and afterward, near the end of the conversation, maybe then he’d tell them he loved them. He couldn’t
Calling Home
109
remember ever telling them that, except at the bottom of letters,
but this time maybe . . . The line buzzed again, then clicked, then
Pause at line 167. What
does Paul want to say to
his parents that he’s never
said before?
there was the digital pause that always comes as a connection is
completed, and then he heard the first ring. He recognized it.
170
Hollow, washed out by distance, but it was still the old ring.
He’d heard it ten thousand times. He listened to the ring as he
would listen to family voices, his father’s voice and his mother’s
voice, older now and changed by what time does to voices, but
still the same voices. He stopped thinking of things to say. He
concentrated on the ringing. He saw the black phone, heard it
ringing and ringing. The Pfc held up a thumb but Paul Berlin
barely noticed; he was smiling at the sound of the ringing.
The narrator doesn’t state
directly what happened
with Paul’s phone call.
Circle the details in lines
178–185 that tell you that
no one answered.
“Tough luck,” Doc said afterward.
Oscar and Eddie clapped him on the back, and the Pfc
180
shrugged and said it happened sometimes.
“What can you do?” Oscar said. “The world, it don’t stop
turning.”
“Yeah.”
“Who knows? Maybe they was out takin’ a drive, or
110
Part 1
something. Buying groceries. The world don’t stop.”
How do you think Paul feels
at the end of the story?
Calling Home
Setting Graphics
Show how you visualize the two settings described in
this story. In the tent on the top, draw the setting in Vietnam. In the house
on the bottom, draw Paul’s home as he remembers it. Base your drawings on
details in the story, and include as many details as you can. If you really dislike
drawing, you can use the two spaces to describe the settings instead.
Vietnam
Paul’s Home
Calling Home
111
Skills Review
Calling Home
Complete the sample test item below. Then, check your answer, and read the
explanation that appears in the right-hand column.
Sample Test Item
The narrator describes the thoughts
and feelings of—
A Paul
B Eddie
Explanation of the Correct Answer
A, Paul, is the answer.
Although all the other characters
appear in the story, the reader does not
learn of their thoughts and feelings.
C Doc
D the Pfc
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct response.
A Honolulu
3. After calling home, Eddie, Oscar, and
Doc had all the following reactions
except—
B San Francisco
A happiness
C Vietnam
B embarrassment
D Mars
C amazement
D anger
2. Which of the following might you
infer from reading this story?
F
The soldiers can’t wait to get back
to fighting.
G Their families mean a lot to these
soldiers.
H There are people in the U.S.
protesting the war.
J
Many people die in wars.
4. Why does Paul smile while he is
waiting for his call to go through?
F
G He recognizes the ring of his
family’s telephone.
H He realizes you can’t sweep away
a rainstorm.
J
Literary Skills
Analyze the
third-person
narrator.
Analyze setting.
112
Part 1
He learns that his little brother
has grown up.
His friend Doc has made a funny
face.
1. The action of this story takes place in
which setting?
Skills Review
Calling Home
Context Clues: Jargon
DIRECTIONS: Use context clues to determine the meaning of the boldface
word in each of the following sentences. Circle the letter of each correct
response.
1. He glanced at the soldier’s worn-out
boots and said, “You guys must be
legs.”
A footmen
C hikers
B foot soldiers
D relay racers
2. The Pfc explained the rules for making a call: “You have to say, ‘Over,’
after each time you talk; it’s in the
regs.”
F
rags to riches H requirements
G reputations
J
3. The platoon has a week’s rest before
they have to return to the fighting.
A military unit
C play group
B martial arts
group
D spaceship
Vocabulary
Skills
Use context
clues to
understand
jargon. Use
words in
context.
4. The grunts walked through the
jungle for three weeks without
encountering any enemy soldiers.
F
boars
H foot soldiers
G elephants
J
salesmen
regulations
Vocabulary in Context
DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing a word from the
word box to fit in each numbered blank.
Word Box
The commander sat staring at the screen on the
correlate
(1)
console
(2)
pensive
What did the new information mean? He did not know how to
(3)
in front of him. He was
, searching his brain, trying to figure it all out.
the new data with what was already known
about life on planet Xenia. Would it be safe to continue the mission?
Calling Home
113
52
The Holt Reader: Teacher’s Manual
102
Part 1
Vocabulary
Skills
Use context
clues to
understand
jargon.
Reading
Skills
Make
inferences.
Literary Skills
Understand the
third-personlimited point of
view.
Understand
setting.
by Tim O’Brien
Story Detail
My Inference
Keep track of the inferences you make as you read by filling in a chart like
this one.
Often writers do not state what they mean directly. In order to understand
what is being said, the reader has to make inferences, or guesses based on
evidence. You make inferences about a story based on evidence in the text
and based on your own experiences and prior knowledge. What inferences
can you make already, based just on the title of this story?
READING SKILLS: MAKING INFERENCES
The main setting—the time, place, and customs of a story—of “Calling
Home” is Vietnam during the Vietnam War. A second setting is described
in the story as Paul Berlin remembers his parents’ home.
• As you read, think about the importance of both of these settings to the
message of “Calling Home.”
This story is told from the third-person limited point of view. The narrator,
who does not appear in the story, zooms in on one character: Paul Berlin.
The narrator describes what Paul sees, thinks, and feels. The other characters—Oscar, Eddie, Doc, and the young Pfc—are described only as Paul sees
them, so we do not learn about their inner thoughts or feelings.
• While reading “Calling Home,” pause every so often to think about
Paul’s world—what he thinks and what he sees.
LITERARY FOCUS: POINT OF VIEW AND SETTING
Two of the worst things a young soldier has to face in war are fear and
homesickness. In “Calling Home,” which is set during the Vietnam War, you
will learn what happens when four soldiers have a chance to call home.
Calling Home
• CONTRAST: Instead of rushing into action when he heard the planes
overhead, the commander became pensive.
• RESTATEMENT: Their platoon was made up of the most battle-weary
company squads.
• DEFINITION OR SYNONYM: The weary grunts, or foot soldiers, marched
into camp.
Some of the jargon is explained for you in footnotes. For other words, you
will find context clues, or hints in the surrounding words and sentences,
that will help you figure out their meanings. There are different types of
context clues, as shown below. In the examples given, the unfamiliar word
is in bold type and the context clue is underlined.
Calling Home
The young men became pensive after
talking to their families.
pensive (pen√siv) adj.: thoughtful.
Jargon is the special vocabulary used by people engaged in a particular
activity or occupation. Jargon can include newly created words, existing
words that are given new meanings, or abbreviations of words. You may
be familiar with computer jargon such as reboot, Web, and cookie.
The jargon in this story includes words that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam
developed to describe the world around them.
CONTEXT CLUES: JARGON
The soldiers sat at the console and got ready
to place their calls.
console (kän√s£l≈) n.: instrument panel used to
operate electronic or other type of system.
Before they left the base, the troops would
correlate their watches.
correlate (kôr√¥·l†t) v.: bring one thing into
relationship with another.
The following words appear in the story that follows. Become familiar
with these words before you begin reading.
PREVIEW SELECTION VOCABULARY
103
Collection 3
Student Pages 102–103
104
Part 1
10
“Calling Home” from Going After Cacciato by Tim O’Brien. Copyright © 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978 by Tim O’Brien.
Reprinted by permission of the author.
outfit had installed a radio-telephone hookup with the States.
hiked down to the 42nd Commo Detachment. Recently the
On the final day, Oscar and Eddie and Doc and Paul Berlin
all around them.
sickness. It was neither a good time nor a bad time. The war was
There was singing and dancing, and afterward there was home-
and slept late in the mornings. At night there were floor shows.
They swam, played mini-golf in the sand, and wrote letters
Chu Lai for a week’s stand down.
Circle the positive aspects
of Chu Lai (lines 3–7).
Underline the negatives.
The word bush in line 1 is
jargon for “forest, woods,
or jungle.” The phrase stand
down (line 2) means “rest
from fighting.”
© Alberto Rossi/Getty Images.
In August, after two months in the bush, the platoon returned to
Tim O’Brien
40
30
20
“It’s called MARS,” said a young Pfc1 at the reception desk.
1.
Pfc: Private First Class.
“Geez,” he said.
cleared his throat and smiled and kept blinking.
Then he laughed. It was a strange, scratchy laugh. He
“Geez,” he said softly.
covered his eyes, rubbed them, then stretched and blinked.
was bright red. He sat beside Oscar. He yawned, then immediately
He was in the booth a long time. When he came out his face
see his eyes.
one hand, squeezing it, leaning slightly forward. It was hard to
Eddie began rocking in his chair. He held the microphone with
light blinked on and the Pfc handed Eddie one of the headsets.
a plastic window. For a time nothing happened. Then a red
phone and two pairs of headsets. Paul Berlin watched through
him sit behind a console equipped with speakers and a micro-
The Pfc led him into a small, sound-proofed booth and had
Eddie’s call went through first.
then shook his head. “Legs,” he murmured.
The boy nodded solemnly. He started to say something but
“I guess so,” Oscar said.
are legs, I guess. Grunts.”
explained. He grinned and gestured at Oscar’s boots. “You guys
They waited nearly an hour. Relay problems, the Pfc
swear you was there in the same room.”
wow, sometimes it’s like talkin’ to the guy next door. You’d
wizardry,” the boy said. “Depends a lot on the weather, but,
Francisco and from there to any telephone in America. “Real
Honolulu, where it was sent by regular undersea cable to San
across the Pacific to a telephone exchange in downtown
how the system worked. A series of radio relays fed the signal
While they waited to place their calls, the Pfc explained
He seemed a little nervous.
watch, and the boy kept glancing at them as if to correlate time.
tanned red-head without freckles. On each wrist was a gold
“Stands for Military Air Radio System.” He was a friendly, deeply
Calling Home
105
Read the boxed passage
aloud at least twice. Build
speed and smooth out your
delivery with each read.
“Grunts” are infantrymen,
or foot soldiers. Underline
context clues in lines 25–26
that help reveal the meaning
of the term.
console (kän√s£l≈) n.: instrument panel used to operate
an electronic or other type
of system. As a verb, console
(k¥n·s£l√) means “make
someone feel better.”
and the time in the U.S.
the time in Vietnam
What two times might the
Pfc be correlating?
correlate (kôr√¥·l†t) v.: bring
one thing into relationship
with another.
Collection 3
Student Pages with Answers
53
54
106
Part 1
soldiers’ deaths
stopped-up ears. He was quiet a time. Then he laughed.
Eddie shook his head violently, as though trying to clear
“Really great.”
“Yeah. It’s—”
“That’s great,” Doc said. “That’s really great, man.”
informs families of
army department that
sick or wounded; an
Nam and thinks maybe I been shot. ‘Where you at?’ she says,
out. Almost falls down or something. She gets this call from
and—”
who?’ and I say, ‘Who do you think Eddie?’ She almost passes
“Just like that—‘Who?’ ‘Eddie,’ I say, and Ma says, ‘Eddie
a hospital for the very
60
He took out a handkerchief, blew his nose, shook his head.
His eyes were shiny.
like maybe I’m calling from Graves Registration, or something,
50
goes. Like that—‘Who?’ Just like that.”
Eddie giggled. “It was . . . You shoulda heard her. ‘Who?’ she
“What—”
© Janis Christie/Getty Images.
What do you think Eddie
means by “Graves
Registration” (line 55)?
Circle the context clue that
helps you figure it out.
embarrassed; happy
emotional; sad;
Pause at line 50. When Eddie
comes out from the booth,
how do you think he is
feeling?
Notes
90
80
70
“Honest, you had to hear it. ‘Who?’ she keeps saying.
It made Paul Berlin feel good. Like buddies; he felt close
“Crazy,” Oscar said. He kept wagging his head. “Over ’n’
2.
R.T.O.: radio-telephone operator.
to all of them. When they laughed, he laughed.
out.”
that’s all he knows.”
knows. Thinks we’re over here fightin’ the Russians. The Pirates,
“Yeah, but Petie—he goes nuts over the Pirates. It’s all he
“I bleed.”
“Pirates are out of it this year. Not a prayer, Petie says.”
or grin.
They would turn pensive. Then one of them would chuckle
is ‘Over,’ and ‘Roger that.’ Crazy.”
father had been an R.T.O.2 in Italy. “You believe that? All he says
‘Weather’s fine,’ he’d say, ‘over.’ ” Oscar wagged his head. His
“My old man, all he could say was ‘Over.’ Nothin’ else.
“Technology,” Doc said. “You can’t beat technology.”
them. Even Oscar seemed happy.
turning quiet again. It made Paul Berlin feel warm to watch
to be. Very quiet at first, then laughing, then talking fast, then
looking a little funny, not quite choked up but trying hard not
Doc was next, and then Oscar. Both of them came out
“It’s great, Eddie.”
know? Man, I coulda just—”
Ma,’ and what’s she say? ‘Who’s this?’ Real scared-soundin’, you
“Yeah,” Eddie grinned. “Real technology. It’s . . . I say, ‘Hey
“Technology.”
that clear.”
“And clear? Man! Just like—I could hear Ma’s cuckoo clock,
“Hey, it’s terrific,” Doc said. “It really is.”
on Lawrence Welk—‘Pete, not Petie,’ he goes. You believe that?”
Petie no more. ‘Pete,’ he says. Real deep voice, just like that guy
school now—you believe that? My brother. Can’t even call him
‘Who?’ Real clear. Like in the next . . . And Petie! He’s in high
Calling Home
107
This story is told from the
third-person-limited point
of view. Circle the name of
the character that the narrator focuses on in the story.
pensive (pen√siv) adj.:
thoughtful.
They are very similar.
Pause at line 79. Are the
reactions of Doc and Oscar
similar to or different from
Eddie’s reaction?
Notes
Collection 3
108
Part 1
130
120
110
100
really so bad. Then ask how his father’s business was. Don’t let
start by saying he was getting along. Tell them things weren’t
to say. Nothing forced: easy and natural, but still loving. Maybe
He tried to think of something meaningful and cheerful
with a different sort of sound.
Paul Berlin nodded. Immediately the headphones buzzed
and the same for your loved ones. Got it?”
after each time you talk you got to say, ‘Over,’ it’s in the regs,
The Pfc touched his arm. “Speak real clear,” he said. “And
walls. His father . . .
Pink formica on the counters and speckled pink-and-white
basement. He pictured the living room and den and kitchen.
bell, much louder-sounding in the cement. He pictured the
and in the basement, where his father had rigged up an extra
He remembered it clearly, how it sounded both in the kitchen
father hated pastels on his telephones. . . . He imagined the ring.
kitchen, to the left of the sink. It was black. Black because his
month was it? He pictured the telephone. It was there in the
He hoped it was Sunday. What would they be doing? What
building them or tearing them down, studying things. Putzing . . .
dreaming and touching things with his hands, fixing them or
on Sundays. Putzing, he called it, which meant tinkering and
What day was it? Sunday, he hoped. His father liked to putz
He felt himself smiling. He pressed the headset tight.
house. Things in their places.
powdery dust rising in the yellow window light. An uncluttered
used the old Hoover on Saturdays. The smell of carpets, a fine,
running in another room. He remembered . . . his mother always
clicking sound, then a long electric hum like a vacuum cleaner
The boy helped him with the headset. There was a crisp
“Ease up,” the Pfc said. “Pretend it’s a local call.”
saw Doc wave at him through the plastic window.
Sitting down, he grinned and squeezed his fingers together. He
to worry about him.
He doesn’t want them
doesn’t Paul want to tell his
parents about his fear or
about anything bad? Circle
the detail that tells you.
setting of Paul’s home.
is nervous.
to relax because Paul
The Pfc wants Paul
does the Pfc tell Paul to
“ease up”?
He felt giddy. Everything inside the booth was painted white.
Then the Pfc tapped him on the shoulder.
160
150
140
versation, maybe then he’d tell them he loved them. He couldn’t
Yes, they’d laugh, and afterward, near the end of the con-
Bernie Lynn and the others who were gone.
tion Billy Boy Watkins or Frenchie Tucker or what happened to
laugh. He wouldn’t let on how afraid he was; he wouldn’t men-
at least I’m not smoking tulips anymore, just Luckies.” They’d
line she’d picked up on TV or someplace. Or she’d say, “No, but
She’d say, “Sure, I’ve stopped four times this week,” which was a
mother if she’d stopped smoking. There was a joke about that.
That was one thing to talk about. And . . . and he’d ask his
broom. Lord, his father always said, shaking his head. Neighbors.
until midnight, ankle-deep, trying to beat gravity with her
back down on her, and, Lord, how Mrs. Stone was out there
street was at a slight angle so that the rain water kept flowing
to the gutter and then sweeping it up the street, but how the
water off her lawn as fast as it fell, all day long, sweeping it out
The time old Mrs. Stone was out there in the rain, sweeping the
get his father to talk about her. Something fun and cheerful.
summer was she sweeping away the dandelion fuzz? Sure! He’d
the autumn was she still sweeping leaves from her yard, and in
away the snow, even in blizzards, sweeping and sweeping, and in
the old lady still out there in winter, using her broom to sweep
killed.
Calling Home
They probably were
109
Pause at line 163. What do
you think happened to Billy
Boy Watkins, Frenchie Tucker,
and Bernie Lynn?
misses home terribly.
Mrs. Stone. Yes, that was something to ask his father about: Was
He loves them and he
Mrs. Stone’s immaculate back yard. She was something, that
Using details on this page,
tell how you think Paul feels
about his parents and his
home.
kitchen in Paul’s parents’
home.
over the sink, the black telephone, the windows looking out on
And the big white stove, the refrigerator, stainless steel cabinets
table that his mother had inherited from an aunt in Minnesota.
Paul Berlin thought. He could see it now. The old walnut dining
his two wristwatches, smiled, whispered something. The kitchen,
swiveled the microphone so that it faced him. The boy checked
Miami holiday. That was Doc’s advice. Tell them . . . The Pfc
them—tell them you’re getting skin cancer from all the sun, a
beaches, tell them how you’re getting this spectacular tan. Tell
Peret’s advice. Make it sound like a vacation, talk about the swell
on about being afraid. Don’t make them worry—that was Doc
Collection 3
55
56
110
Part 1
180
something. Buying groceries. The world don’t stop.”
“Who knows? Maybe they was out takin’ a drive, or
“Yeah.”
turning.”
“What can you do?” Oscar said. “The world, it don’t stop
shrugged and said it happened sometimes.
Oscar and Eddie clapped him on the back, and the Pfc
“Tough luck,” Doc said afterward.
barely noticed; he was smiling at the sound of the ringing.
ringing and ringing. The Pfc held up a thumb but Paul Berlin
concentrated on the ringing. He saw the black phone, heard it
still the same voices. He stopped thinking of things to say. He
and disappointed.
Certainly he is sad
Answers will vary.
How do you think Paul feels
at the end of the story?
The narrator doesn’t state
directly what happened
with Paul’s phone call.
Circle the details in lines
178–185 that tell you that
no one answered.
would listen to family voices, his father’s voice and his mother’s
voice, older now and changed by what time does to voices, but
He’d heard it ten thousand times. He listened to the ring as he
Hollow, washed out by distance, but it was still the old ring.
completed, and then he heard the first ring. He recognized it.
he loves them.
170
there was the digital pause that always comes as a connection is
but this time maybe . . . The line buzzed again, then clicked, then
He wants to tell them
Pause at line 167. What
does Paul want to say to
his parents that he’s never
said before?
remember ever telling them that, except at the bottom of letters,
Paul’s Home
Vietnam
Calling Home
Setting Graphics
Show how you visualize the two settings described in
this story. In the tent on the top, draw the setting in Vietnam. In the house
on the bottom, draw Paul’s home as he remembers it. Base your drawings on
details in the story, and include as many details as you can. If you really dislike
drawing, you can use the two spaces to describe the settings instead.
Calling Home
111
Collection 3
112
Part 1
Literary Skills
Analyze the
third-person
narrator.
Analyze setting.
Calling Home
Although all the other characters
appear in the story, the reader does not
learn of their thoughts and feelings.
A, Paul, is the answer.
Explanation of the Correct Answer
C amazement
D Mars
The soldiers can’t wait to get back
to fighting.
Many people die in wars.
J
H There are people in the U.S.
protesting the war.
G Their families mean a lot to these
soldiers.
F
2. Which of the following might you
infer from reading this story?
B embarrassment
C Vietnam
He learns that his little brother
has grown up.
J
His friend Doc has made a funny
face.
H He realizes you can’t sweep away
a rainstorm.
G He recognizes the ring of his
family’s telephone.
F
4. Why does Paul smile while he is
waiting for his call to go through?
D anger
A happiness
3. After calling home, Eddie, Oscar, and
Doc had all the following reactions
except—
B San Francisco
A Honolulu
1. The action of this story takes place in
which setting?
DIRECTIONS: Circle the letter of each correct response.
D the Pfc
C Doc
B Eddie
A Paul
The narrator describes the thoughts
and feelings of—
Sample Test Item
Complete the sample test item below. Then, check your answer, and read the
explanation that appears in the right-hand column.
Skills Review
D relay racers
B foot soldiers
regulations
D spaceship
C play group
boars
G elephants
F
J
salesmen
H foot soldiers
4. The grunts walked through the
jungle for three weeks without
encountering any enemy soldiers.
B martial arts
group
A military unit
3. The platoon has a week’s rest before
they have to return to the fighting.
pensive
console
correlate
Word Box
Calling Home
113
the new data with what was already known
about life on planet Xenia. Would it be safe to continue the mission?
(3)
Vocabulary
Skills
Use context
clues to
understand
jargon. Use
words in
context.
, searching his brain, trying to figure it all out.
in front of him. He was
The commander sat staring at the screen on the
What did the new information mean? He did not know how to
(2)
(1)
DIRECTIONS: Complete the paragraph below by writing a word from the
word box to fit in each numbered blank.
Vocabulary in Context
J
rags to riches H requirements
G reputations
F
2. The Pfc explained the rules for making a call: “You have to say, ‘Over,’
after each time you talk; it’s in the
regs.”
C hikers
A footmen
1. He glanced at the soldier’s worn-out
boots and said, “You guys must be
legs.”
DIRECTIONS: Use context clues to determine the meaning of the boldface
word in each of the following sentences. Circle the letter of each correct
response.
Context Clues: Jargon
Calling Home
Skills Review
Collection 3
57

Calling Home by Tim O`Brien

Transcription

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