Throughout all the chapters, Tim O’brien has been expressing himself through different characters, scenarios and even different things. He’s been expressing all the things he felt during the war and all the things he carried throughout, and after. Speaking of courage, is a lot more different than the other chapters. It feels a lot more different. The point of view changes, the aura changes and the main focus of this chapter is Norman Bowker and his thoughts and emotions after the war.
Bowker is described driving around in his Chev around a lake, again and again, thinking about one specific, horrible night which has left him mentally scarred. Bowker witnessed Kiowa, a former friend, get shot and fall into the pile of waste and shit and slowly sink into it. Bowker tried to help and pull him out but according to him: “The smell was too much!” and he had to let go of Kiowa. He keeps telling himself (and others given the scenario he was thinking about) that he wanted to save Kiowa for a medal, a medal that would’ve been his eighth one and all this distress is because he couldn’t get his hands on that medal but I personally believe it’s because he couldn’t save Kiowa (which is actually revealed to be true at the end of the chapter). After his twelfth turn around the lake, Bower finally gets out of his car and and walks into the lake, under the water. 3 years after the war, Norman Bowker committed suicide.
Norman Bowker is a big symbol of PTSD and O’brien is actually talking about his struggles with PTSD after the war. It’s obvious he went through a lot (especially since he had suicidal thoughts) I believe a part of that is because people didn’t really believe in PTSD during those times and even if they did it, nobody really thought of a ‘cure’ or a way to help victims cope. Fortunately today we have plenty of ways and people for victims to reach out to and start a healing process so they can be at peace with themselves and hopefully not take the path Norman Bowkers took.
