We are Craiglockhart's success stories. Look at us. We don't remember, we don't feel, we don't think - at least beyond the confines of what's needed to do the job. By any proper civilized standard (but what does that mean now?) we are objects of horror. But our nerves are completely steady. And we are still alive.
Interpretation
The quote reflects on the resilience of individuals who endure trauma, highlighting a struggle for normalcy amidst horror.
In this quote, Pat Barker portrays the psychological toll of war on soldiers, emphasizing the disconnection they experience from their own emotions and thoughts. Despite facing horrific circumstances and being deemed 'objects of horror' by civilized standards, they maintain a sense of steadiness and survival, underlining the extraordinary courage required to endure such experiences.
In practice
This quote could be used in a discussion about the psychological effects of war on soldiers.
Sometimes, in the trenches, you get the sense of something, ancient. One trench we held, it had skulls in the side, embedded, like mushrooms. It was actually easier to believe they were men from Marlborough's army, than to think they'd been alive a year ago. It was as if all the other wars had distilled themselves into this war, and that made it something you almost can't challenge. It's like a very deep voice, saying; 'Run along, little man, be glad you've survived
I've got the guts to die. What I want to know is, have you got the guts to live?
I feel safe even in the midst of my enemies; for the truth is powerful and will prevail.
Mozambique is having an economic resurgence but still four out of 10 people there have HIV or AIDS...There's astounding conditions but what I was left with...was the power of the human spirit there and the fact these people have been through so much and they were still dancing in the streets
To fight for voting rights is to fight for human rights.
Our freedom is also incomplete, dear compatriots, as long as we are denied our security by criminals who prey on our communities, who rob our businesses and undermine our economy, who ply their destructive trade in drugs in our schools, and who do violence against our women and children.
There is no need to give in to the compromise that totalitarian regimes always count on.
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