The Psychological Impact of War on Youth

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The War to End All Wars War is an inevitable struggle that humanity constantly faces. It is best described by the words of Bertrand Russell, an English philosopher; “War does not determine who is right - only who is left.” There are many consequences of war, such as economic, developmental and security: however an important one is humanitarian, more specifically, the psychological effect that war and violence impacts on the population. In most literature, the protagonist in a war event is often depicted as an older individual, one who is in their adult years, and their journey through the event. Nevertheless in Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief both of the protagonists are both considerably younger than …show more content…

Where Uhtred loses his father who “did not much like children.” (Cornwell 8), Liesel constantly faces abandonment, one being by her mother. Liesel’s mother abandons Liesel for her safety, as her mother is a communist, and Liesel feels “A gang of tears trudged from her eyes and she held on and refused to go inside.” (Zusak p. 28) However, before her mother was compelled to leave for her daughter’s own safety, Liesel’s first trauma is revealed: her brother’s death, which is where anxiety begins to form. At her brother’s funeral, Liesel steals her first book, The Gravediggers Handbook. Zusack asserts that “it didn’t really matter what the book was about. It was what it meant that was more important” (Ibid 45). This statement is true, Liesel does not steal this book merely because of its content or narrative, but instead in an attempt to fill some of the void which was left by her brother. Uhtred, however, loses his mentor and father figure, Earl Ragnar. Both protagonists can relate feeling a sense of abandonment at very early stages of their lives, where “If the child has been directly exposed to war-related trauma, has lost a caregiving figure… therapy may provide a corrective emotional experience for the child and demonstrate that trust and closeness do not inevitably lead to pain.” (Leavitt and Fox 62). These traumatic events can lead to psychological trauma most likely being PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress …show more content…

Anxiety is classified as a nervous disorder categorized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, usually with compulsive behavior or panic attacks. Uhtred is shown at many times with compulsive behavior many times towards the Danes: “’All winter, boy, our traders have been in Mercia...’ Kill the traders, I thought. Why did I think that way? I liked Ragnar. I liked him much more than I had liked my father. I should, by rights, be dead… he called me a Dane, and I liked the Danes, yet even at that time I knew I was not a Dane.” Uhtred does not know why he has these thoughts, it could be a basic act of patriotism towards his homeland, but the author asserts that he does not know why he thinks like that. Given the fact that he recently witnessed his father’s death at the hands of the Danes, this could be an early sign of anxiety in

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