Speaking Of Courage By Tim O Brien: An Analysis

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There are too many American veterans that are forgotten. It is very easy to place a flag on the lawn, stickers on a car and a quick thank you in passing for services rendered, but how many civilians actually know what that thank you is for? For sacrificing their time, doing what many Americans are not willing to do, exchanging hardship for holidays and of course protecting and ensuring this fine nation’s freedom. What is not thought of is the silent suffering that comes with the apparent glory and the inevitable aftermath of physical, mental and emotional turmoil.
In the moving short story Speaking of Courage by Tim O’Brien, a veteran, Norman Bowker, returns home, desperate to find someone to speak to, only to realize there really isn’t anyone who would understand “He was folded in the war; he was part of the waste”. As Norman contemplates sharing why he wasn’t “quite brave enough” to win that eighth medal he imagined “the feel of his tongue against the truth” the unspeakable truth.
As a society we tend to talk a good game and not follow through. Veterans need more than just verbal recognition for their sacrifice, they need help, they need remembrance. …show more content…

A service member on the other hand, gets reprogrammed, broken down so they can be rebuilt. Rebuilt into what? A well oiled military weapon, groomed to fit into a military society, follow orders, and give up the comforts of civilian life for their country. The problem lies with the fact that the service members never get deprogrammed before being released back into society. Many veterans struggle with finding employment, feel socially awkward, and battle with adapting to civilian life, ultimately leading to

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