Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada

Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada

I

Is it possible for a war to change your personality for the rest of your life? People do lots of bad things, but killing other human beings is probably the worst. Coming home from war can be a hard thing for even the bravest and strongest man, it leaves you with all kind of fears, many soldiers don’t even know that they have killed people, because their mind won’t accept the fact that they have done these terrible thing. This may lead to depressions and thoughts about suicide. Many returned soldiers get Shell Chock, and start losing their faith in life.

Like all other wars, the Vietnam War was terrible to; soldiers were ordered to shoot entire families. They experienced things that we can only try to imagine. “Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada” is a story about two brothers, after one of them has just returned from war.

Bud and his older brother Gary, who has just returned from the Vietnam War, is hiking and fishing in the Pacific Northwest near the border to Canada. They are crossing the border several of times, just to feel the freedom it gets them, the environment is described as beautiful; pure sunlight, lots of mountains and rivers, but too sultry to fish in.

Bud is a fifteen year old boy, he loves the outdoor life and have a dream about been a hunter someday. It seems like he’s used to be in the nature and know a lot about fishing.

(L.3-4)

“That day we caught no fish at Wall Lake. They were there watching what we did, but the weather was all wrong, too sultry, and the fish stayed down in the deep water.”

Someone who hasn’t been fishing lots of times wouldn’t have known that.

Bud is not the quiet type of guy; he likes basketball and loves to throw rocks. He also tells us that he have a dream about someday to be a hunter. I think that maybe the rocks and hunting have a connection, because just before he strikes the wood grouse he says; “imagining my self a hunter of wild animals”.

We are also told that he has been fighting Mike Kizinski, the text doesn’t say who he is, but I guess it’s someone from school.

Bud and Gary probably had a good relationship before Gary left, and they were the tough guys, but after Gary’s return, Bud is confused about his brothers feeling, he can’t understand what his brother has been through, he got a “new” brother and it’s hard for him to deal with. He’s still trying to be tough; the fighting, his dream etc. he is still very young and hasn’t experienced the bad side of life so it’s hard for him to imagine all the things his brother might have seen or done.

I just think he’s an ordinary teenage boy that likes to dream about some action.

Gary’s aged isn’t mentioned, but my guess would be in the early twenties, because we know he has been fighting in Vietnam. I think the war has changes him a lot. Gary have probably always been a role model for Bud, and I think they did a lot together before he went to war, and maybe even all those things that Bud still do, like throwing rocks and fighting. But Gary have seen some horrible things, that has touched him deep in to his heart. He is reserved and won’t tell Bud about Vietnam, even though Bud seems very interested.

(L. 5-7)

“That day Gary wouldn't talk about the war he'd only just come back from.”You don't want to know," he said to me. "Take my word for it, Bud." So after a while I didn't ask anymore. But I could see Gary had seen things I hadn't”.

He is very sentimental and gets a bit angry at Bud when he strikes the wood grouse. Bud seems chocked over Gary’s reaction, which could indicate that he wasn’t like this before he left.

(L. 77-78)

“But he went on crying. He cried with no shame. He cried in a way I didn't think was possible. He didn't rub his eyes or try to stop it.