Reading short stories, poetry, and drama is refreshing and important in developing a wider perspective on life. The short story "Speaking of Courage" by Tim O’Brien has captured my attention from the very first time I started reading it since it expanded my outlook on how people struggle to obtain the meaning in life and end up being either miserable or happy depending on the life choices they make. Therefore, "Speaking of Courage" briefly summarizes the life of soldiers in a manner that everybody can relate.
The most interesting point was the trouble that Mr. Norman Bowker goes through after the war. He is a man who has achieved much in military circles with medals to show, but he realizes there has left no place for him to go. Apparently, it appears to be rather challenging situation since he is unable to reciprocate the practice gained in the war fields to his daily life. Just like many other people who experienced the influence of war, he is all alone at a time when he needs someone to talk to. He realizes that his achievements as a military man are useless for him but still admires them since they make his father content with his abilities as a soldier. Undoubtedly, he lives a life that does not satisfy his needs and expectations but can do nothing with it as he does not know how to start all over again. Bowker constantly struggles with his past mistakes, and wishes he could have done things better if he had such a chance. Probably, it is the main reason he walks into the lake at the end of the story to imagine what could be done on his behalf to change the events in Vietnam. The story of Bowker can stand for the reflection of the struggles of every individual who desires to find love and appreciation from surrounding people. However, in order to achieve this goal, forced to do what he or she is not passionate about. Apparently, the protagonist is not an exception for this reason and like many other people, struggles with things from the past he wishes he could change. The story captures the plight people go through in terms of their private lives. Personally, I can interpret the story in different levels.
The author of the story uses layers of narration as a technique to allow characters deal with their guilt as survivors. Tim tells the story of Norman considering the manner of talking about Kiowa’s death in Vietnam. In terms of the narration, Bowker’s feeling of guilt in not enough to save his friend. The layers of narration help us not to focus on Kiowa’s death, but rather the reaction of those who were present and the effect that the death had on them. Like any other short-story, poem, or drama, the event is used to explore the complexity of normal life and grieve for loss. The technique is effective in reducing the attention to Kiowa’s death and enabling the focus on the guilt felt by his friend based on the inability to help to prevent the death. Moreover, it presents problems the average soldier (as well as any other individual) goes through on the daily basis.
The story is exciting since it highlights the role of short stories in society. By writing books about events that took place in Vietnam, Tim is able to deal with the horrors of war without being overwhelmed by the emotions. The author writes his stories using past tense to make special emphasis on the consciousness of the person during the war and after it. It helps him in living a more balanced and comfortable life. In contrast, Bowker has no one to talk to about the horrors he experienced. Thus, he lives the horrors of the war each day, and that influences him emotionally. Namely, he recounts that his friend is dead and his former girlfriend is married, and wishes he could change what happened in Vietnam instead of living with it.
Tim’s O'Brien story "Speaking of Courage" has an informative nature since it enables a person to see life from the perspective of those who took part in the war and what effect it has on their lives afterwards. Moreover, it gives a chance to know the importance of art in dealing with past experiences and guilt to allow one to live a balanced life.
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