Essay On PTSD In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can become a harrowing mental illness that serves as an obstacle to the future, causing its victims to relive their trauma time and time again. In the text “The Things they Carried” by Tim O’Brien, the passage “Speaking of Courage” follows Norman Bowker’s inability to speak of his trauma. During the Vietnam War, Norman was close to saving the life of his ally Kiowa and earning the prestigious Silver Star, a medal that symbolises the epitome of bravery and courage among soldiers. Because Norman was unable to save him, he lost both an ally in arms and the chance to attain such a prestigious award, with the guilt manifesting in the form of Norman’s PTSD. Norman’s alienation from society due to mental illness

As such, Norman’s quest for reconnection with society is shown to be hindered by obstacles such as isolation from loved ones, disconnection with civilian life, and disassociation with America’s patriotic imagery.

A key struggle veterans like Norman face is a hesitation to rely on loved ones emotionally during their quest for healing. Because Norman cannot come to terms with his experiences from the war and discuss them, he is then unable to come to terms with his disconnection from his loved ones, and instead fantasizes scenarios in which he engages with these people. For instance, Norman imagines scenarios where he tells stories of his experiences to Sally Kramer, his former high school girlfriend. Unlike Norman, Sally is married and has therefore moved on from her relationship with him, as she has been unaffected by the same horrors that have haunted Norman. Nevertheless, Norman wishes he could take a moment to impress her with his

How’d you do that?” to which he would dismiss nonchalantly and shrug off to “keep it light.” On the other hand, Norman also envisions Sally’s criticism upon learning about the truth behind his experiences, such as the violence of war and the vulgarity of Kiowa’s death. Because Sally finds something as minor as swearing to be crude, her prude nature has discouraged Norman from talking about his trauma, fearing that her sensitivity to violence may change the way she sees him. Furthermore, Norman says he would avoid asking Sally about her marriage or his inability in obtaining the Silver Star, fearing that this would project a sense of insecurity. Because Norman learned from their past relationship that Sally is quite prude and sensitive to violence, he wanted to avoid discussing the vulgarity of his experiences and instead reminisce on the light-hearted tone of their interactions, just like they were before his service. In contrast, Norman believes his father would be one of the few that understand him due to his common experience as a veteran of World War II. Norman would picture how he would discuss his progress towards the Silver Star with