Norman Bowker's Suicide

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The Things They Carried As quoted from Plato, “Only the dead have seen the end of the war”. The battle between life and death does not simply end at the close of a war or during a resolution of peace. Rather, in the minds of those who survived the atrocities and terror, it lives on. Yet, as the strife continues to rage, the future of the affected becomes dependent on their decision to continue to fight with hope, or to find solace in defeat. This internal struggle is exemplified through Norman Bowker’s ending in the novel The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien. Despite the tragedy, his suicide serves as a representation of his moral reconciliation with himself, death, and the present. His resolution and resulting harmony depicts the contradictions …show more content…

This internal battle to transform the war mindset of a soldier to the norms of society is exemplified through Norman’s actions. First, this is displayed through the situation at the Drive Thru. Norman’s distance from society is shown when he attempts to order from Mama’s Burgers, but does it incorrectly, as the procedure has evolved. This evolution reflects the transformation of the world that occurred while Norman was in the war. Thus, when he returns he is stuck in the past, and not confident in how to proceed into the future. This disparity with time is again echoed with Norman’s compulsion of guessing the time. This symbolizes that he is mentally frozen in time, unable to adapt. In addition, while Norman drives through his town, he sees a change in the lake. “The lake had divided into two halves. One half still glistened, the other was caught in shadow.” (O’Brien, 150). This division among the lake represents the divide Norman saw among the world he lived in as he attempted to adhere to the norms of society. The glistening half of the lake represents the life outside of the war, shining and drawing attention. Meanwhile, the side caught in the shadows depicts the side of Norman that is still within the war, hidden in darkness, unpresentable. Additionally, this reflects the silence that Norman was forced into about his memories of the war. His thoughts had to be hidden in the darkness. This is reinforced as Norman imagines telling several people, such as his Dad, Sally Gustafson, and the voice over the intercom, his story about almost receiving the Silver Star award. However, he does not. “He could not talk about it and never would. The evening was smooth and warm.” (O’Brien, 153). In his suicide itself, this oath of silence is present. Norman left no note and no explanation. Overall, Norman’s death raises the issue of

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