Help with Questions to The Things They Carried: Notes (pages 156-161)
Notes (pages 156-161)
1. What does Tim O’Brien reveal about Norman Bowker in the beginning of this chapter? Does this surprise you? Explain why or why not.
2. Explain why Tim O’Brien wrote “Speaking of Courage,” the previous chapter.
3. What problem did Norman have after the war that made him feel as if suicide was the only way out?
4. In the note to O’Brien, why does Norman Bowker feel like he died in Nam too?
5. How does what Norman experienced after the war differ from what Tim experienced?
6. What does Tim attribute his mental stability and smooth transition back into American life to?
7. When Tim decided to include “Speaking of Courage,” what was the one thing he
wanted to make clear to the reader?
