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The Things They Carried Norman Bowker Character Analysis

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The Things They Carried Written Component: Norman Bowker One of the characters in The Things They Carry is Norman Bowker. The five items he carries are, her diary, a thumb, non fulfillment, solitary, and a rope. Many soldiers during the Vietnam war carried a diary typically to vent their emotions throughout the experience. Bowker also carried a dead man’s thumb that has been cut off and given by Mitchell Sanders. He tells Bowker that it represents a moral, “Have gun, will travel.” It was ironic because Norman Bowker is known for being a gentle and kind man and he’s carries around a thumb conveying violence. Non Fulfillment is for his failed accomplishment to achieve a silver medal. Solitary is what he received from everyone once we had gone back home. Due to the …show more content…

The soldiers are instructed to camp in the latrine which contains a pungent odor. Due to this stench, Bowker was unable to save Kiowa while he was drowning under the mud. Failed to pull Kiowa up, Bowker focuses on getting out of the smell. This moment transforms him because he lost a friend due to his own temptations. He was unable to return home with pride because without saving Kiowa, he did not receive the silver medal his father wanted. A hidden thought Bowker has is that is wishes he didn’t have the desire to make his father proud. He does reveal this to Tim O’Brien. Since he did not save soldier Kiowa, Bowker did not receive the silver medal that his father wants. Aside from the guilt, he is unable to carry his pride because his father refuses to speak to him. Regret is what drags Bowker’s emotions. His actions always conveyed his ideas whether they were positive or negative. In his mind, the only thoughts he has is the horrific odor surrounding him and Kiowa. He has a notion to escape from the smell instead of saving Kiowa. The weight from his death is too much for him to bare. He continues to follow his inner thoughts by ending his

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