ipl-logo

Norman Bowker's Struggle In 'Speaking Of Courage'

369 Words2 Pages
In “Speaking of Courage,” the narration reverted back to third-person, where the readers observe Norman Bowker’s struggle after the war in his hometown. He remembered how “he almost won the silver star,” if he hadn’t abandoned Kiowa when he was drowning in the mud. The author showed Bowker’s guilt by repeating the scene of Kiowa’s death over and over again like a slideshow, accompanied with vivid description of his desperate state. He drew our attention especially to the stink Bowker experienced: a stink that was “ everywhere - inside of him, and in his lungs,” which I believe symbolized the survivor’s syndrome. If I recalled the term correctly, it is a condition where the person feels at fault for remaining alive when others did not. Therefore,
Open Document