When comparing wartime settings, those of World War I are terrifically more traumatic and gruesome to today's situations. By acknowledging the correlation of “PTSD” and “Shell Shock”, it grants the opportunity to take a further look into the underlying causes and descriptions of these two conditions. With “Shell Shock” being the most distinct psychological disorder, World War I soldiers faced in Erich Maria Remarque’s novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the characteristics can be viewed as very similar to today’s post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At the time soldiers first started experiencing “Shell Shock” in World War I, it was puzzling and difficult to identify all the possibilities to why these men were experiencing such harsh …show more content…
In the novel, the first most relevant posttraumatic behaviors are demonstrated through Paul's character, by means of him reflecting on his past interests he had before entering the war, in comparison to his attitude after. When Paul returned home he began to experience isolating thoughts: “I imagined leave would be different from this. Indeed, it was different a year ago. It is I, of course, that has changed in the interval. There lies a gulf between that time and today. At that time I still knew nothing about the war, we had been only in quiet sectors. But now I see that I have been crushed without knowing it. I find I do not belong here anymore, it is a foreign world.” (Remarque 1). Unfortunately, there wasn't much help or treatment physicians could offer to those in need. Resulting in depression, nightmares, anxiety and sudden displays of anger or aggression. It wasn't until the late 1970s, the condition of post-traumatic stress disorder, rephrased its common symptoms to include the long-term challenges.("Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)"). Now psychologist have even been able to classify; head trauma, life-threatening natural disaster, rape, beating, and domestic abuse, to being trauma-related contributors for PTSD. Resulting in about 7.7 million Americans to be suffering from the condition in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health ("Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)").Thanks to discoveries like these, people are more aware of post-traumatic stress disorder and are capable of recognizing the signs and symptoms. Now PTSD is seen as a key related condition, people associate with war and other traumatic-related
Intro: Between 1914 and 1918, Australia’s involvement in the war changed many lives of people from all different ranks, on the battle grounds and the family’s back home in Australia. It had a great impact on Australia as a country, soldiers, family’s, nurses or other personnel’s, however when the guns fell silent in 1918 it did not end there, instead it continued on for years. When soldiers returned to their homes they suffered from their mental or physical problems as a result of the war. For example, soldiers affected with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD often deal with trauma as a result of the combat, they often suffer with nightmares, flashbacks, difficulty with sleeping which can impact their daily life. The war also had a great
In the book, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque,in the epigraph he states,” Even though they may have escaped [the] shells, [they] were destroyed by the war”(Remarque Epigraph). The soldiers were destroyed in many ways, and one of them is that although they would return home they would still be thinking of the war and of the front, be it in thoughts of their friends, or nightmares. Also those that return home may not know what to door even if they can do anything. This is shown throughout World War One, in which this book was written. This is show in the book when “Müller…
If there was one word to describe WW1 it would be death. That was it, battle after battle filled with death, and it took a major toll on everyone both on and off the battlefield. The story All Quiet on the Western Front had no short of that. Characters who had just been introduced would be killed by a shell just a few moments later. Death was a similarity between real life and the book.
(183) Paul’s nostalgia is heartbreaking and truly demonstrates the dehumanizing effects of the war. As Paul stands in his room amidst his childhood books and papers, he becomes aware of the fact that even if he manages to survive the war, he will never find his way back to the Paul that once called this foreign place home. In
During the Battle of the Bulge, soldiers fought in “grueling physical and psychological conditions” that led to persistent struggles after the war with remembering these conditions (Intro: Battle of the Bulge). Many veterans refer to the immediate effects of returning as the “shock of peace” (Childers). However, despite these widespread mental health problems, there were few psychiatrists to treat these soldiers as well as a “cultural ethos” that discouraged discussing emotions, especially among men (Childers). When soldiers returned home, they often had difficulty with finances.
It is I of course that have changed in the interval. There lies a gulf between that time and to-day. At that time I still knew nothing about the war, we had only been in quiet sectors. But now I see that I have been crushed without knowing it. I find I do not belong here any more, it is a foreign world”.(Analysis).
In a more combat situation 15% who served are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most of us cannot imagine the horrors of war however, those who served in a war helps us realize or understand through their stories; the gruesome reality of war and its effects on those who served. In Erich Maria Remarque's landmark novel All Quiet on the Western Front illustrates how war is hell on the soldiers who served in WW1. In the novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque, the author reveals the hopeful yet discouraging war experience between the main character of the story, Paul and his relationship to the first industrialized world war between Germany and others through a variety of literary elements including theme to emphasize the impact of war on young men, as well as employing characterization that appears to readers senses to illustrate how war changes the boys to men of the lost generation through irony. Erich Maria Remarque conceptualizes theme to teach readers how war is vile and putrid.
“Shell-Shock” took the British Army by surprise, because they were not expecting the soldiers to have a negative side effect because of the war. Not only did “shell-shock” affect the troops that were involved in World War I, but it also affected the nurses that cared for the troops. When “shell-shock” came to be, the doctors were unaware of how to treat it. Doctors had formed theories from soldier’s symptoms that it might have been a concussion, or unnoticeable damage to the nervous system from the exposure of the repeated shell blasts (Jones 250). However, as the war went on, doctors began to see “shell-shock” as a psychological matter (Jones 250).
In addition, Paul was injured in the book and goes home and stays with her family while he recovers. He is no longer able to relate to his family, since it is very difficult to think and have emotions and at the same time with much death all around him in the war. There is much talk of how he and his friends do not think about deep things, but just think about eating and silly things. His father and people over all his people want me to tell them stories of war and hate Paul because their experiences are horrible. Paul has just returned to the fight and basically everyone in the book is wounded and dies.
Mental Illness in “A Soldier’s Home” Throughout history, medical practices have changed and adapted as the time and depth of education of doctors has expanded and grown in understanding of the human body and its function. As these medical practices have become more helpful and beneficial to the human body, sciences and doctors are coming to realize that some diseases and conditions that were labeled as “fake” or “made up” in the past centuries, are in fact real and legitimate ailments. These beliefs can be seen in the literature of the past, as the customs of the specific time would lead the population to think. This believe can be seen in the short story, “A Soldier's Home”, by Ernest Hemingway, the author shows a World War I soldiers struggle of undiagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, through using the main characters' issues with; conformity, friendship and family, to show the audience how this untreated PTSD ruined a young man's identity, friendships and tore apart his family.
Throughout the ages, wars have wreaked havoc and caused great destruction that lead to the loss of millions of lives. However, wars also have an immensely destructive effect on the individual soldier. In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front written by Erich Maria Remarque, one is able to see exactly to what extent soldiers suffered during World War 1 as well as the effect that war had on them. In this essay I will explain the effect that war has on young soldiers by referring to the loss of innocence of young soldiers, the disillusionment of the soldiers and the debasement of soldiers to animalistic men. Many soldiers entered World War 1 as innocent young boys, but as they experienced the full effect of the war they consequently lost their innocence.
Bruce Dohrenwend, and his colleagues have done research on the percentage of people affected by PTSD, “The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS) of a representative sample of 1200 veterans estimated that 30.9% had developed posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) during their lifetimes and that 15.2% were currently suffering from PTSD”(Dohrenwend et al). Monaco, Perry, and Walowick all experienced these symptoms at one point in Fallen
The novel focuses on coping with the death and horror of war. It also speaks volumes about the true nature of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the never-ending struggle of dealing with it. In the
The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.
The war novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque depicts one protagonist, Paul, as he undergoes a psychological transformation. Paul plays a role as a soldier fighting in World War I. His experiences during the war are not episodes the average person would simply experience. Alternatively, his experiences allow him to develop into a more sophisticated individual. Remarque illustrates these metamorphic experiences to expose his theme of the loss of not only people’s lives but also innocence and tranquility that occurs in war.