Analyse af 'Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada'

Titel: Wood Grouse on a High Promontory Overlooking Canada

Author: David Gutterson

Year/published: 1989

This short story is about Gary and his little brother, whose name we’re not able to know, because he’s the one who tells the story. Gary calls him Bud. Gary is just arrived from war, when he and his brother are on a backpacking. Probably it’s a kind of a road trip. They’re sleeping in the nature, and experience things together. Every night they’re sleeping in different places. Bud is curious about his brother, and what he had experienced while he was in war, but Gary won’t tell him anything. Apparently Bud arrives with the situation that he can’t be told anything, and the bond between the brothers is getting even stronger.

Gary is the big brother, who just came home from war. He absolutely regrets the experience of the war, and he’s definitely traumatized to. There’re a few quotes in the text which tells us that he’s traumatized. Ex: Bud kills the bird by an accident and Gary’s reaction is not that normal. He starts crying and says: ‘’Jesus’’, Gary said. ‘’What did you do that for?’’ and he repeats that a couple times, which also tells us, that he’s probably religious.