Things They Carried Essay: Rebirth of a Spirit :: Things They Carried Essays

Rebirth of a Spirit in The Things They Carried   Speaking of courage is a story found in Tim O Briens The Things They Carried about a solider named Norman Bowker who has returned home from the Vietnam War. As Bowker circles the towns source of pride he comes to realize that the town that he left so mevery old age ago will never be the same. While his life was paused by the war, theirs werent. He also comes to understand that trance the people he once knew arouse changed that he has also changed. He has been consumed by a war and it will forever alter his being.   When Norman Bowker returns to his hometown after the war things seem to have move on without him. It seems that while his life was put on pause, his friends and family had moved on to their lives. His simple wish is for the past to be the present once again. He speaks of his friends sludge Arnold and Sally Kramer. Now, Max was dead and Bowker refers to him as an idea. He talks of how things would be different if Max was around to listen to all his stories and how Max would have enjoyed them. The jeering is that Max is gone. At one time Bowker had carried a picture of Sally in his wallet. He talked of how he would stop and talk to her when he saw her while driving. He decided that he might impress her with his knowledge that he had acquired during the war such as his ability to predict the time at any point during the day within 10 minutes. He repeatedly said if she was to listen. Just like the others she did not want to think about the war, it was in the past. Page 143 makes a clear point that The town could not talk, and would not listen.. It (the town) did not know shit about shit, and did not care to know.   As Bowker continues what seems to be a trip back to what is reality he circles the town lake nearly 13 times. This lake is the life of the town and is very symbolic in itself. On one side of the lake the houses are modern, with big porches and picture windows facing the wate r on the opposite side the houses were described as handsome, though less pricey and on a smaller scale.