Why did Norman bowker carry a vc corpses thumb?

Norman Bowker carried the thumb of a deceased Viet Cong soldier as a trophy to symbolize his struggles with guilt and trauma from the Vietnam War. The thumb served as a physical reminder of the violence he experienced and the moral complexities of war. It also represented his inability to communicate his feelings and experiences back home, highlighting the isolation and disconnection he felt after returning from combat. This act illustrates the burdens of memory and the search for meaning in the aftermath of trauma.