Now It Can Be Told · Question
How does Now It Can Be Told develop the theme of Psychological Trauma?
Answer
Now It Can Be Told by Philip Gibbs develops Psychological Trauma across the chapters the companion marks for this theme.
Shell-shock, nightmares, and the lasting mental scars of combat are vividly depicted, showing how war breaks soldiers' minds and haunts them even in sleep or after returning home.
The narrator describes the searing effect of witnessing death daily, the agony of seeing wounded soldiers, and the hatred of those who remained callous to the suffering.
The narrator and other correspondents are haunted by what they have seen, unable to communicate the horror to those who have not experienced it, highlighting the lasting mental scars of war.
The narrator analyzes the fear and forced laughter of officers awaiting a close call of death, highlighting the psychological camouflage of the soul under bombardment.
Evidence in the book
- Part I: Observers and Commanders
The narrator describes the searing effect of witnessing death daily, the agony of seeing wounded soldiers, and the hatred of those who remained callous to the suffering.
- I
The narrator and other correspondents are haunted by what they have seen, unable to communicate the horror to those who have not experienced it, highlighting the lasting mental scars of war.
- What of England?
The narrator analyzes the fear and forced laughter of officers awaiting a close call of death, highlighting the psychological camouflage of the soul under bombardment.
- VII
The narrator describes the searing emotional toll of witnessing continuous death and the desire for peace at almost any price.
- XI
The soldier's actions are driven by the psychological deprivation of war, as the narrator reflects on the 'starved life' in the salient and the desperate longing for human connection.
- XII
The condemned soldier's admission that he 'couldn't stand shells' highlights the psychological toll of war, yet it is met with a death sentence rather than understanding.
- XIII
The chapter vividly illustrates the animal terror and loss of willpower caused by shellfire, highlighting the psychological toll of war on soldiers, even those who had previously shown bravery.
- XIV
The chapter vividly describes the physical and mental devastation of shell-shock, highlighting the destruction of nerve tissues and the horror that unbalances the mind.
