A study in contrasts: Inscriptions of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in two works of fiction

Issue title: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Work

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Maxwell, Marilyn

Affiliations: North Shore Hebrew Academy High School, 400 North Service Road, Great Neck, NY 11020, USA. Tel.: +1 516 455 3178; E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: Objective: This study investigates the depiction of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in two works of fiction, The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, and Ordinary People, by Judith Guest. Participants: In each text, the character struggling to mount a defense against the symptoms of PTSD is a child who must confront not only a single, precipitous event but also deleterious, ancillary conditions that threaten to impede the recovery process. Methods: This is a study in contrast that utilizes a comparative case analysis of two fictional characters. Results: One child reconstructs an integrated self while the other deteriorates mentally and emotionally. Conclusions: These results suggest factors such as social supports, economic status, race and aesthetic self-image may play critical roles in a child's resiliency to the symptoms of PTSD.

Keywords: Occupation, trauma, adolescence, self-image, resilience

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2011-1101

Journal: Work, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 19-32, 2011