15. The Things They Carried: Speaking of Courage~Indirect Characterization

O'Brien indirectly tells us the character of Norman throughout this chapter. The author describes a particular story about Norman. From this story, the reader is able to learn who Norman exactly is. The reader is given permission to make their own decisions about the character of Norman. O'Brien also gives the reader a chance to better understand him through the use of indirect characterization. Because we are able to better understand the character of Norman, we are able to better understand the life during that time as well. This short, simple frame-story reveals a lot about the lives of the people and soldiers. Norman's character is an important addition in the book, and O'Brien emphasizes this through this chapter.