Hwang 1 Seong-Doo Hwang Ms. Talbert American Literature: Period 4 January 23, 2015 Junior Paper Outline Revised Main Thesis/Central Claim: WWII soldiers with strong mental might were able to survive through the gruesome war, as they kept their spirits up. However, no man was safe from the nightmares and difficulties of PTSD once they returned home after the war. Support Thesis #1/Sub Claim #1: While WWII soldiers had similar physical capabilities, very few unique men who had the mental might like Louis Zamperini, had an advantage in fighting the horrors of imprisonment in Japanese POW camps. Evidence # 1: When Mac passes his breaking point, it becomes clear that the journey Louis is in for is an emotional battlefield. “The two men who …show more content…
“From the earliest childhood, Louie had regarded every limitation placed on him as a challenge to his wits, his resourcefulness, and his determination to rebel…The same attributes that had made him the boy terror of Torrance were keeping him alive in the greatest struggle of his life” (148). Evidence # 3: WWII POW’s soldiers bodies would shut down because they would be exhausted from all of the mental abuse by the Japanese soldiers. “Your body responds to the way you think, feel and act. This is often called the ‘mind/body connection’” (Mind Body Connections). Hwang 2 Evidence # 4: Louis’s mental toughness helped his body withstand the Japanese POW camps. “The mind-body concept is defined as the interaction that takes place between our thoughts, our body and our external world” …show more content…
“He started smoking again. There seemed no reason not to drink, so each evening, he swigged wine as he cooked… If he got drunk enough, he could drown the war for a time” (351). Evidence # 3: It has been medically proven that, “Involvement in warfare can have dramatic consequences for the mental health and well-being of military personnel” (Engel) Evidence # 4: Proper medical care was not provided to PTSD patients after WWII as, “Custodial State hospitals were depopulated and their patients "dumped" in nursing and boarding homes, which now constitute the largest arena for and most expensive form of psychiatric care” (Engel) Concluding Statement: In conclusion, Louis Zamperini was able to survive his long treacherous journey with his ability to keep his head held high but once he faces PTSD, Louis also struggled. Hwang 3 Work Cited Hillenbrand, Laura. Unbroken. New York: Random House, 2010 Haley, James. Staff, Editorial. "Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health." Mind/Body Connection: How Your Emotions Affect Your Health. Copyright © American Academy of Family Physicians, n.d. Web. 26 Jan.
One conflict seen in Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is the conflict between man and nature, which Louie, Phil, and Mac faced while lost at sea. As the men spent countless days at sea their points of view about the situation “were becoming self- fulfilling” (Hillenbrand 155). The
Louie’s rebellion not only hurt him, but also helped him on his journey. He drank his parent’s wine at the age of 8, which is an act of rebellion. “He began drinking one night when he was eight; he hid under the kitchen table, snatched glasses of wine, drank them dry, staggered right off the front porch, and fell into a rose bush.”(7) Louie did a lot things that got him hurt. He let kids in through the back of the gym into the basketball games. “Finally, someone discovered Louie sneaking kids in the back door.”(13) His rebellious side got to him and when he got to Torrance High he was seen more as a dangerous young man than a rebellious teen. In one of the multiple POW camps Louie was in, he had gotten a journal. “Louie had another private act of rebellion. A captive gave him a tiny book he’d made from rice paste flattened into pages.”(155) In this book he knew shouldn’t have
Laura Hillenbrand’s novel Unbroken incorporates the improbable life of the main character, Louie Zamperini. She introduces both the inspiring and powerful journey that Louie encounters in his life as he grows up. Hillenbrand looks to and successfully does catch the versatility of the human soul. Zamperini’s story including his involvement in World War II gives a persuasive stage in which the author demonstrates numerous qualities of Louie. Leaving readers to appreciate his courage, quality, grit and above all else, his bravery. “Confident that he was clever resourceful, and bold enough to escape any predicament, [Louie] was almost incapable of discouragement. When history carried him into war, this resilient optimism would define him.” Louie
PBS’ Frontline film “The Wounded Platoon” reviews the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers as they return home and transition back into civilian life, focusing particularly on the rise in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among American military members from Fort Carson Army base (Edge, 2010). Incidents of PTSD have risen dramatically in the military since the beginning of the Iraq war and military mental health policies and treatment procedures have adapted to manage this increase (Edge, 2010). In “The Wounded Platoon,” many military personnel discuss how PTSD, and other mental health struggles, have been inadequately treated (if at all) by military mental health services. Reasons and Perdue’s definition of a social problem allows us to see inadequate treatment of PTSD among returning United States military members as a social problem because it is a condition affecting a significant number of people in undesirable ways that can be remedied through collective action (Reasons & Perdue, 1981).
War has been a constant part of human history. It has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. These effects, however, are extremely detrimental. Soldiers must shoulder extreme stress on the battlefield. Those that cannot mentally overcome these challenges may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some resort to suicide to escape their insecurities. Soldiers, however, are not the only ones affected by wars; family members also experience mental hardships when their loved ones are sent to war. Timothy Findley accurately portrays the detrimental effects wars have on individuals in his masterpiece The Wars.
The life and events Louis Zamperini experienced are so incredible that one cannot help but feel the adrenaline, anger, and sorrow he must have felt. As Louis battles starvation and the constant torture of his captors, readers want nothing more than to rush to his aid in times of pain, cry with him in times of anguish, and cheer him on when all hope seems lost. While in Kwajalein, an island used to torture prisoners of war, readers travel alongside Louis, cheering him on as “the guards sought to deprive [Louis] of something that had sustained [him] even as all else had been lost: dignity” (Hillenbrand 212). One of the guards’ favorite humiliation tactics was forcing each of the 200 or so prisoners “to walk down the line striking [Louis] with his fist” (Hillenbrand 158); if the punch was not hard enough, both Louis and his men would be clubbed continually on the head. As readers become emotionally invested, the story becomes less about a stranger and more about a lifelong friend. The emotional connection readers develop for Louis makes the visual that much harder to endure, for every blow and hardship Louis faces makes readers feel as if they are helplessly watching a friend in need. Such enthrallment in a novel makes for such an excellent read and an overall outstanding non-fiction action
Whether engaging in European trench warfare or fighting through the jungles of Vietnam, a soldier must learn to cope with the incredible mental stress brought on by the ever-present threat of a grisly death. The physical stress introduced by poor nutrition, a harsh and hostile environment, and the cumulative physical effect of emotional trauma only serves to make a trying situation even more taxing. It is out of this violently stressful environment that the coping mechanisms that characterize wartime masculinity arise.
[2] Tian, Stan. "The Emotional Effects of War on Soldiers." Health Guidance - Free Health Articles. Web. 03 Apr. 2011. .
Seal, Karen H., Daniel Bertenthal, Christian R. Miner, Saunak Sen, and Charles Marmar. "Bringing the War Back Home: Mental Health Disorders Among 103 788 US Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan Seen at Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities." Archives of Internal Medicine 167.5 (2007): 476-82. Print.
In the biography Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand there was a character named Louis Zamperini. As a child, Louis was known as a troublemaker; however, with all the influence of his family, he ultimately became a success in life. This influence began with his brother Pete. Throughout Louis’ life, he made many bad choices, but after all of the help with his family, he made a huge turn around and now he is a success in his life. He has made such an impact on people’s lives, he taught people about the good from the bad.
Hundreds of thousands of United States veterans are not able to leave the horrors of war on the battlefield (“Forever at War: Veterans Everyday Battles with PTSD” 1). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the reason why these courageous military service members cannot live a normal life when they are discharged. One out of every five military service members on combat tours—about 300,000 so far—return home with symptoms of PTSD or major depression. According to the Rand Study, almost half of these cases go untreated because of the disgrace that the military and civil society attach to mental disorders (McGirk 1). The general population of the world has to admit that they have had a nightmare before. Imagine not being able to sleep one wink because every time you close your eyes you are forced to relive memories from the past that you are trying to bury deep. This is what happens to the unfortunate men and women who are struggling with PTSD. Veterans that are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder deserve the help they need.
War can be as damaging to the human body as it is to the mind. In Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, this idea that war causes psychological disorders is represented throughout the book through the main character, Paul Baumer. This book follows the lives of young soldiers in World War I. Together, these men create powerful bonds. They go through terrifying experiences that continue to strengthen their bonds, but also destroy their mental state. Through Paul’s eyes, Remarque shows the devastation that war has on the mind.
Take a man’s strength, damage his body; take a man’s mind, and damage his life. Louie Zamperini an Olympic all star, trained to shatter the 4min mile barrier, and drafted to fight in the prelude of war. Near the end of it, he had already resisted so much physical pain. However after the war Louie had many psychological struggles that were harder for him. If Louie tries to live his life ordinarily, without concern, then he will be consumed completely. In Unbroken, Laura Hillenbrand uses Louie’s experiences to show the theme, people have an intrinsic ability to heal from physical and psychological wounds that are suffered.
Doctors particularly struggled to understand mental illnesses, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and their connection to the Vietnam War. Additionally, although the Veterans Administration (VA), an organization created to help care for soldiers, did fund a substantial amount of research to uncover facts about mental illnesses, they initially failed to recognize the Vietnam War as a potential effect, and therefore did not offer treatment services (“VA Research”). When psychiatrist and Vietnam veteran John Talbot evaluated a veteran’s case, he concluded, “He was such a classic case of mental disability related to combat experience” (qtd. Scott 34). It rightfully astounded Talbot when he learned, “this [was] a guy who [had] been disallowed benefits by the VA” since they believed, “he did not have a combat related disorder” (34). Talbot’s patient did not stand alone in the fight to receive necessary care. Since The VA’s protocol claimed that if symptoms occurred a year or more after the war, the VA would not consider it their problem (Scott 36), many soldiers received limited to no aid and few had the finances to pay for private care Their inability to heal from mental wounds disrupted their lives and triggered
Some would say barriers to modern PTSD programs and treatment is in the poor availability of mental health service in contrast to the social stigma of PTSD being categorized as of a psychological impairment, which in turn renders both treatment and programs ineffective. According to Paula P. Schnurr, PhD, Executive Director of the VA National Center for PTSD extensive exertions to disrupted the dark cloud of PTSD treatment concerning Armed Forces Soldiers (2016). Seen as a debilitating mental health disorder PTSD victimized veterans have chosen to deal with the effects of this condition personally, rather than seeking professional help and being considered psychologically unstable. This view suggest that the ineffectiveness lies with veterans, however, there is another view stating the inefficiency of this persisting problem is due to poor availability of mental health services. Commonly known in the military PTSD community attempts have been made to enhanced avenues of suitable psychiatric support, while soldiers are being bombarded with obstacles to medical help for the condition. According to a Veteran Affairs (VA) assessment the greatest hindrance to treatment for veterans is an inadequacy of time slots for healthcare practitioners. Due to the imbalance of healthcare practitioners to the ever-growing veteran populous medical support can be prolonged of over 30 days