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“Speaking of Courage”

“Speaking of Courage”. Free Write #1. What is your definition of courage? Write about a time when you demonstrated courage (or a lack of courage). . Free Write #2.

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“Speaking of Courage”

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  1. “Speaking of Courage”

  2. Free Write #1 What is your definition of courage? Write about a time when you demonstrated courage (or a lack of courage).

  3. Free Write #2 What do you think O’Brien’s definition of courage is in this story and how does it compare to the definition he gives in “On the Rainy River?” Use the following passage from “On the Rainy River” to help you with your comparison: “Tim O’Brien: A secret hero. The Lone Ranger. If the stakes ever became high enough—if the evil were evil enough, if the good were good enough—I would simply tap a secret reservoir of courage that had been accumulating inside of me over the years. Courage, I seemed to think, comes to us in finite qualities, like an inheritance, and by being frugal and stashing it away and letting it earn interest, we steadily increase our moral capital in preparation for that day when the account must be drawn down. It was a comforting theory. It dispensed with all those bothersome little acts of daily courage; it offered hope and grace to the repetitive coward; it justified the past while amortizing the future.”

  4. Large Group Discussion Guidelines • Read your question out loud to the class. • Tell the class what ideas you came up with in your discussion. • Allow the rest of the class to comment or add their own insights to the question.

  5. Question #1 O’Brien uses symbolism throughout this story. What does Norman Bowker’s repeated circular drive around the lake symbolize? What is the symbolic meaning of Norman wading in the lake? What are some other symbols in this story and what do they symbolize?

  6. Question #2 Other than courage, what are some other themes you can identify in O’Brien’s “Speaking of Courage?”

  7. Question #3 How is the scenery of Norman Bowker’s hometown in Iowa juxtaposed with the scenery of the Vietnam War? What kind of imagery does O’Brien create in his descriptions of the two? Find examples in the text to support your answer.

  8. Question #4 Is there significance in the story being set on the fourth of July? If so, find passages within the story that support your answer.

  9. Question #5 In this story, Norman faces an inner struggle as he longs to share his story, but he can’t find the right person to share it with. Who does he imagine telling it to and why is he unable to do so in real life?

  10. Question #6 “Speaking Courage,” and “The Things They Carried,” are the only two stories in this book that are told in third person, why do you think this is so? Did O’Brien intend to set these stories apart?

  11. Final Thoughts Do you think Norman Bowker was courageous? Why or why not?

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