PTSD In Ann Michaels's 'Fugitive Pieces'

he effect of a horrific memory on a small fragile boy is clearly depicted in the book Fugitive Pieces by Ann Michaels. Furthermore, Jakob’s sister is used during his life to help him cope with the memories of the holocaust. He see’s her during his hallucinations because of his PTSD and is defiantly part of the reason why he is so traumatized. His nightmares continue from his childhood even into his adulthood. Because of the dramatic experiences Jakob has gone though he also becomes a writer of the future, in which he can help prevent such catastrophe’s from ever happening. Ben, the narrator of the second half of the book becomes the interpreter of Jakob’s writing, and is the one who helps make sense of what Jakob was trying to say.

When Jakob is rescued by Athos, he is found buried in the ground after narrowly escaping from the Nazi’s. He had just witnessed the death of his parents and has been running ever since. At this point Jakob is absolutely traumatized which affect him for the rest of his life. “In many ways, Jakob’s subsequent life after his trauma manifests the typical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms: fear of being left alone, nightmares, flashbacks, and being haunted by the

Jakobs PTSD really shows in the way that he sees the ghost of his sister Bella. He can recall certain specific details about her, which portray how he struggles in letting her go. Its the fear of the unknown of what happened to Bella that Jakob struggles with. She was taken away