The end of Kiowa’s life signifies the end of the Silver Star for Bowker. timing and use of one’s energy. Without finding a meaning for his life, Bowker, and many other veterans ended their lives in suicide. The five Bible verses that mention “the lake of fire” show it to be a symbol rather than a literal lake. Related. It states in the chapter that Bowker was the recipient of seven medals during his duty, including a Purple Heart, but none of those seem to matter for Norman just because he didn’t receive a Silver Star. Introduction Lake -The lake is used to symbolize the war -Vietnam -It also represents everything that the war took away from him Kiowa Experience -Throughout the novel the soldiers isolation is constantly being emphasized - Norman is alone driving around the lake thinking on Without even elaborating on it, the fact the Bowker received seven awards means he had to of done something right in Vietnam. Cacti symbolize warmth, protection, and endurance. 10. Though he refers to "death" in a "poisonous wave," he describes its location as "Eden," an obvious symbol for the emergence of life. In “Notes” O’Brien says that it is a fabricated story and he made it because he wants to illustrate how hard for the soldier to tell a true war story after the military. I enjoyed your evaluation here and I don’t think you are overanalyzing the text at all when you propose that he refers to his ‘almost’ Silver Star more than he does to Kiowa. If you consider the more numerous references to the Silver Star it certainly seems like you may be right in asserting that Bowker may be selfish. Here's an in-depth analysis of the most important parts, in an easy-to-understand format. Although OBrien is unclear about whether or not he actually threw a grenade and killed a man outside My Khe, his memory of the mans corpse is strong and recurring, symbolizing humanitys guilt over wars horrible acts. Poe draws on the legend of the lake to tap into its inherent dangers, but at the same time he revels in the beauty of the nature surrounding him. I personally had not noticed this trend but it does seem to support the idea that he is more concerned with missing out on the metal than he was about losing Kiowa. What does Grendel's unwillingness to accept gold or land to settle the feud mean for the Danes? Although it is not specifically stated, we assume Bowker is thinking about Kiowa and Max as he circles the river. In The Things They Carried, the chapter “Speaking of Courage” shows Norman Bowker back in his hometown after his Vietnam service. Death. And maybe his own guilt about the interplay of these things: his overpowering desire to be seen as courageous winning out over his wish to have saved Kiowa, that leads to his death. ( Log Out / Change ). The lake symbolizes the past and how it revolves around in his life still and helps him reflect on the future and how he wants to keep moving in his. Speaking of Courage Back from Vietnam, on the Fourth of July, Norman Bowker is driving the seven-mile loop around the lake over and over again. ( Log Out / The collection and the first story share a title, "The Things They Carried," that points to the importance of what the men carry during the war and afterward, when some of the soldiers find that they cannot lay down the burdens of war. “Speaking of Courage” Narrative Techniques. and Parallelism. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. I think that the story "Speaking of Courage" really gives us an idea of how soldiers may have felt after coming home from the war. But he still has the urge to show off for her: he wants to show her his seven medals and his newfound ability to tell time perfectly by the sun without looking at a clock… OBrien marvels at the wreckage of his body, thinking repeatedly of the star … In The Man I Killed, OBrien distances himself from the memory by speaking in the third person and constructing fantasies as to what the man must have been like before he was killed. In "Speaking of Courage," the narrator says, "Sometimes the bravest thing on earth was to sit through the night and feel the cold in your bones. As Norman circles the lake in his hometown, he thinks about everything that had been taken away from him. If the greed analysis stands firms, I thought it would be interesting to associate Bowker with a Shakespearean tragic hero, like Lear or Macbeth. He has driven around this lake many times, with girls, or with friends, having philosophical debates. I agree with your last comment here, having Bowker’s desire of heroism “beat” his desire to save Kiowa. However a cactus could also, more literally, signify the desert. In conjunction with your discussion of the lake symbolizing Kiowa’s drowning place this idea further connects the idea of Kiowa’s death and Bowker’s metals. Describe the setting of the story. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. O'Brien uses symbolism throughout the book to convey truths about both the profound and the mundane experiences of war. After the war, Norman Bowker doesn't know what to do with himself. In order to tell a "complete" story of Arthur from his … Their desire to be great, hubris, leads to their eventually downfall. In essence, Bowker is suffering from survivor’s guilt. Even though he has the medals to prove his courage, that is not satisfactory enough for Norman some how. The lawns were spacious. Paul Berlin followed the tar road in its seven-mile loop around the lake, then he started all over again, driving slowly, feeling safe inside his father's big Chevy, now and again looking out onto the lake to watch the boats and water skiers and scenery. I really like that comparison of the lake to the medal, that never crossed my mind. In chapter 15, Norman Bowker returns to Iowa and drives his father's Chevy around a lake numerous times on the Fourth of July reminiscing about how he … He drives around the small lake in his hometown one evening, thinking. However, after much pondering and reflection I feel that the road around the lake that Bowker incircles continuously throughout … Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Brody Henrisken. Speaking of Courage & Notes Thematic Investigation Formation of Identity & Effect of Adversity on the Individual: Character Evaluation Throughout this memoir, there are many forms of this theme, for example when O'Brien is talking about Norman Bowker and how he had felt lost The Things They Carried Chapter 15, Speaking of Courage. It's a graceful lake, but not good for swimming; it drowned his best friend Max Arnold before he … The greed argument is actually something I noticed while writing this as I was trying to find a deeper analysis on Kiowa. Birds symbolize freedom –perspective . Speaking of Courage The war was over, and there was no place in particular to go. It's the Fourth of July and he's driving his father's Chevy around the lake's seven-mile loop. (Ecclesiastes 9:10) Death cannot literally be burned. Having trouble understanding The Things They Carried? Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. I don't think he is trying because he doesn't want people to ask about it and nit is easier to not try then try and fail. The war was over and there was no place in particular to go. Norman Bowker followed the tar road on its seven-mile loop around the lake, then he started all over again, driving slowly, feeling safe inside his father's big Chevy, now and then looking out on the lake to watch the boats and water-skiers and scenery. What does the lake symbolize in speaking of courage? ... What does the lake symbolize? Norman Bowker followed the tar road on its seven-mile loop around the lake, then he started all over again, driving slowly, feeling safe inside his father's big Chevy, now and then looking out on the lake to watch the boats and water-skiers and scenery. The Lake: The Lake is a physical metaphor, that expressed Bowker's physical need/ want to go back to Vietnam to change all of the events that led up to Kiowa's death in the sewage field. The Lake / Field In 'Speaking Of Courage', the lake reminds Norman of the shit field, which serves as a metaphor for the power to kill. How does “Notes” expand the reader’s understanding of “Speaking of Courage”? I mention this twist on the topic because in this chapter, the Silver Star seems is mentioned in text more than Kiowa, it may just be over analyzing though. It is a day for patriotism, but Paul does not feel like a patriot. It is a symbol of maternal love because it can endure and thrive in harsh conditions, just like a mother’s unconditional love. Identify the technique and discuss it. Similar to O’Brien’s lamenting over people he has lost, Bowker drives repeatedly around a lake in his hometown, symbolizing the drowning of Kiowa, and a childhood friend Max who had drowned. The lake also symbolises a threat as it has taken Max Arnold, a friend who would surely have listened to Norman after the war when he desperately needed someone to talk to. The lake is calm and flat and silver. "max was gone." The title of this chapter speaks loudly because it concerns how Bowker judges courage and it shows his disillusionment of his definition of courage. A summary of Part X (Section14) in Tim O’Brien's The Things They Carried. In high school at night Bowker had driven around the same lake with his girlfriend Sally Kramer, or he drove with friends and they would spend the ride talking about whether or not God existed. Get free homework help on Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried: book summary, chapter summary and analysis, quotes, essays, and character analysis courtesy of CliffsNotes. Norman Bowker drives around the lake for so long just because it gave him a safe feeling. The pining over the Silver Star can either represent his guilt over losing Kiowa or it a way it could represent a greed in Bowker. "... the smell was simply too much, and how he'd backed off and in that way had lost the Silver Star. Really interesting discussion. Camp “Speaking of Courage” starts the book around the lake and is told throughout the the whole of the story. In addition, it can represent the transition of life, death and resurrection. (Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8) The following are cast into the lake of fire: 1. There is really a lot of conclusions you can draw from Bowker’s regret over not winning the medal, but I just tackled the key reasons. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of The Things They Carried and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. 3. Course Hero Literature Instructor Russell Jaffe provides an in-depth summary and analysis of "Speaking of Courage" from Tim O'Brien's short story collection The Things They Carried. Along the road the houses were all low-slung and split-level and modern, with big porches and picture windows facing the water. Use this CliffsNotes The Things They Carried Study Guide today to ace your next test! Create your own unique website with customizable templates. He muses about his high school sweetheart, Sally, who is married. I think we all can identify that Bowker is disillusioned of what the meaning of courage, or being a hero is. This constant circling of the lake relates to the constant phrase he uses, “almost won the Silver Star” because Bowker is disillusioned that one moment of inferiority serves as a synecdoche for his whole war experience. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Show More. Even though he lost Kiowa, he still had courage during his time at war. Lake A lake is a feminine symbol, often the home of monsters and magical, mystical powers, especially in Egyptian times. How does the setting relate to the structure of the story? This could be why we never fully discover is Bowker is selfish or truly selfless and missing Kiowa. 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