Examine the last paragraph on pg. 143 in "Speaking of Courage" and answer the questions that follow.
1. Describe the primary purpose of this paragraph.
2. In the beginning of the paragraph, O'Brien writes, "he took pleasure in the steady sounds of the engine and air conditioning." Reflect on the "steady sounds" and how/why these may be a comfort to Bowker. How do these "steady sounds" connect to his constant driving around the lake?
3. Through Bowker's eyes, O'Brien describes how the town "looked as if it had been hit by nerve gas, everything still and lifeless, even the people." What does this perspective suggest about how the war has affected how Bowker views the world? Be specific. Think about his specific choice of words here and what they mean.
4. O'Brien repeatedly uses personification in this paragraph. Identify some examples of personification and the significance they have on the paragraph's tone and purpose.
5. O'Brien uses the adjectives brisk and polite twice at the end of the paragraph. To what purpose? Consider the connotations of these two words and their particular significance.
Now read the following paragraph from later in the chapter, on page 150.
A good war story, he thought, but it was not a war for war stories, nor for talk of valor, and nobody in town wanted to know about the terrible stink. They wanted good intentions and good deeds. But the town was not to blame, really. It was a nice little town, very prosperous, with neat houses and all the sanitary conveniences.
Think about these two paragraphs together and how they exemplify the theme of this chapter. How do these paragraphs explain Bowker's suicide?
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