In the story, Speaking of Courage, the death of Kiowa is explained in detail and how Norman Bowker felt about it. This was yet, another story that made me feel pretty sad. I’m still waiting for the story, that’s going to make me smile. But I don’t think I’m going to get a story like that. Anyway, Norman continued to drive around this lake, throughout the whole story. I didn’t understand the purpose of it, but I guess it helped him “tell” what happened to him and Kiowa that night. There was a lot of repetition, as he described everything that was around him. The lake, the houses, Sally Kramer, Sunset Park, the radio, the two boys hiking, his father, and many other things were repeated throughout the whole story. All of the repeating, was a little boring. I guess that’s how his life must be, after he left the war. Doing the same things, following a routine. I guess he is still trying to transition himself back into the real world, twenty something years after the war.
It was also hard to transition in and out of the story he told about Kiowa, to him in the present. One minute, we’re driving around the lake and the next minute, we’re back in Vietnam, in the “shit field” on that horrible night. It was kind of confusing, but know that I read back, the transition from past to present, well past to past is better. They way Kiowa died, blew me away! I would’ve never thought that that was a possible way of dying. When I read that, I had to close the book and walk away. That’s just horrific. I thought I maybe read something wrong or I let my imagination get the best of me. So I had to reread, like I’ve been doing throughout the whole novel. I read everything correct, but I wished I didn’t. I can see why Bowker, didn’t want to tell anyone this story. Even if he did, I’d doubt that anyone would believe. I don’t even think that his dad fully believed him. Maybe the thought of no one would care and the effects of the war, ultimately led to the death of Norman.
Notice that the movement around the lake, mirrors his going around and around the same story. The repetition seems essential. Normal wants to tell his story, and this third person limited narration helps us appreciate how he might tell the story if he were to have an audience. I agree that the thought of no one caring and the effects, ultimately led to Norman's death. He needed that audience, to purge the death from his being but there was no one there to listen.
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