The Red Convertible--Analysis

Returning Home: The Lasting Effects Casualties of war continue to happen long after the individuals time in combat has come to an end. To the public’s eye, veterans returning home must be overwhelmed with joy to be out of danger and put back into the world they once knew. But are they? Veterans returning home from combat experience are faced with the difficult task of coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its side effects, because of their experiences in combat. In Lousie Erdrich’s, “The Red Convertible” and Wilfred Owen’s, “Dulce et Decorum Est” we can see how and why a returning veteran, such as Henry, would have trouble readapting to his former environment and handling the symptoms of PTSD. First, in order for us to see what Henry was suffering from, we must first analyze what post-traumatic stress disorder actually is, and how it can affect both the combatants, and their families. PTSD can best be described as war-related anxiety. The residual effects of the war experience for ex-soldiers are manifested in a variation of behaviors (Brown 372). These behaviors faced by returning veterans can vary widely in each individual case. Some constant behaviors or symptoms in many cases are, “reexperiencing the traumatic event; numbing of responsiveness to, or reduced involvement with, the external world; and a variety of autonomic, dysphoric, or cognitive symptoms”(Brown 372). These behaviors do not necessarily show themselves immediately when a veteran returns home from war. They can be delayed for a
Jenkins 2 number of months before they are known to the family or friends. If they are delayed for at least six months then they are categorized as, “delayed post-traumatic stress disorder or delayed stress response” (Brown 372). Nevertheless, whether delayed or immediately recognized, this disorder can severely effect the veterans experience adjusting back to the life of a civilian. Delayed stress response can be displayed through intrusive

Cited: Brown, Patti Coleen. “Legacies of a War: Treatment Considerations with Vietnam Veterans and Their Families.” Social Work 29.4 (1984): 372-379. Web. 12 Apr 2010 Erdrich, Louise. “The Red Convertible.” Literature and the Writing Process. Eds. Susan Day, Robert Funk, and Elizabeth McMahan. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2007. 438-440 Hendrix, Charles C., and Lisa M. Anelli. “Impact of Vietnam War Service On Veterans’ Perceptions of Family Life.” Family Relations 42.1 (1993): 87-92. Web. 12 Apr 2010 Owen, Wilfred. “Dulce et Decorum Est.” Literature and the Writing Process. Eds. Susan Day, Robert Funk, and Elizabeth McMahan. New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc., 2007. 709