The story that Norman tells to many people in "Speaking of Courage" is a very courageous story. I think that Norman was a very courageous man but not because of what happened in the story , I think that he has courage because he tells the story. Being in the Vietnam war was probably the hardest times in his life. He suffered and lost so much, he was probably pushed to his limits during this time bit physically and emotionally, he might have even done some things that he's not proud of, things that will never be spoken of. He endured all those hardships in Vietnam and came back home only to be mistreated, despised, and alone. Many people would have probably given up in he war.The pain, fear, stress alone would have killed them but Norman lived through it which took more courage than we can ever understand because we were not there and we are not him. I find norman to be one extraordinary person because not only did he live through it, he told people about it too. He told people about one of the hardest times in hs life and possibly one of the toughest moments if that time. Could you do that? Could you openly talk about how you weren't able to save a man that you had right in your had, could you talk about the time your best friend died? I know I couldn't. This reminds me of Lemon in the Dentist when he went back to go get his teeth pulled to show that he wasn't afraid. I think thats what Norman is doing whenever he tells this story, he facing the thing that almost killed him. I think that is the type of courage that O'Brien is conveying through out the book. The type of courage thats hard to do and may not seem courageous or acceptable, but you do it anyway because its what you think is the right thing.
