Slaughter house 5
Jack Gunderson
English 121
Formal Slaughter House Five Paper
Distress
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is an affliction from which many war veterans suffer while trying to maintain their normal daily lives. Although anyone can get post-traumatic stress disorder, it is most common among war veterans because of the extremely distressing and gruesome events that they endure while serving active duty in wartime. In the novel Slaughterhouse Five, the author, Kurt Vonnegut, depicts the main character Billy Pilgrim with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after fighting in World War II. Although he is never officially diagnosed, it seems impossible to deny that Billy suffers from PTSD. The foremost theme of the novel is the immense impact that war has on its participants and the lingering effects of that experience after they return from combat. A shockingly large number of soldiers suffer from PTSD after serving their country in a war time capacity. The Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD estimates that 1 in 20 of the nation's 2.5 million surviving World War II vets suffers from the disorder. Some of the symptoms experienced from post-traumatic stress disorder include troubling thoughts, flashback episodes, dreams, vivid illusions, hallucinations and disturbing recollections.
Witnessing a traumatic event can be devastating, and the impact of that experience can result in the destruction of one’s peace of mind. Billy’s intense experiences throughout the war have a profound effect on his mental state. After escaping the fire bombing of Dresden, Billy experiences several signs of post-traumatic stress disorder including erratic sleep patterns and irrepressible sobbing. Because of his extreme anxiety, he checks himself into a mental hospital for veterans in the hopes of calming his mind and helping himself return to normalcy. Inside the hospital, the horrifying effects of war on one’s mental state is obvious, and it is very
English 121
Formal Slaughter House Five Paper
Distress
Post-traumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is an affliction from which many war veterans suffer while trying to maintain their normal daily lives. Although anyone can get post-traumatic stress disorder, it is most common among war veterans because of the extremely distressing and gruesome events that they endure while serving active duty in wartime. In the novel Slaughterhouse Five, the author, Kurt Vonnegut, depicts the main character Billy Pilgrim with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder after fighting in World War II. Although he is never officially diagnosed, it seems impossible to deny that Billy suffers from PTSD. The foremost theme of the novel is the immense impact that war has on its participants and the lingering effects of that experience after they return from combat. A shockingly large number of soldiers suffer from PTSD after serving their country in a war time capacity. The Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD estimates that 1 in 20 of the nation's 2.5 million surviving World War II vets suffers from the disorder. Some of the symptoms experienced from post-traumatic stress disorder include troubling thoughts, flashback episodes, dreams, vivid illusions, hallucinations and disturbing recollections.
Witnessing a traumatic event can be devastating, and the impact of that experience can result in the destruction of one’s peace of mind. Billy’s intense experiences throughout the war have a profound effect on his mental state. After escaping the fire bombing of Dresden, Billy experiences several signs of post-traumatic stress disorder including erratic sleep patterns and irrepressible sobbing. Because of his extreme anxiety, he checks himself into a mental hospital for veterans in the hopes of calming his mind and helping himself return to normalcy. Inside the hospital, the horrifying effects of war on one’s mental state is obvious, and it is very