Theme Of PTSD In John Knowles 'A Separate Peace'

“An estimated 8% of Americans − 24.4 million people − have PTSD at any given time. That is equal to the total population of Texas” (PTSD United 1). Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has existed since the dawn of time, but only in the past 50 years has it been recognized as an actual problem. However, even now, it is still not always acknowledged as a legitimate condition. As a result, it is not always properly treated. People get PTSD after experiencing a traumatic event, such as war. Those who suffer from PTSD, especially those returning from the war, sometimes feel like they are alone in the world. Because of this, veterans have a higher rate of suicides, which makes it even more important that they receive the help they need. The treatment of those with PTSD is shown in A Separate Peace by John Knowles with the character Elwin “Leper” Lepellier. Some connections that can be found between A

In A Separate Peace, Leper says to Gene “…I saw right away it wasn’t a broom, it was a man’s leg which had been cut off ” (Knowles 150). This quote is further proof of the severity of Leper’s PTSD. During Leper’s stay at the Reception Center, Leper had hallucinations, which he actually believed happened. This is a common symptom among other PTSD sufferers. The reason they suffer from hallucinations may be because they cannot shake the trauma they have suffered. Matt Skenazy recalls a phone call with a friend who told him “… he couldn’t read because he kept imagining his house was being mortared” (Skenazy 1). People with PTSD often have hallucinations because they cannot stop imagining themselves in war. They keep reliving the traumatic event. In this case, Brian kept picturing himself in the Iraq war. What the sufferers from PTSD have gone through forever stays with them. Ultimately, a common theme among the sources is people with PTSD suffer from