Read Odysseus in America Online

Authors: Jonathan Shay

Odysseus in America

Also by Jonathan Shay

A
CHILLES IN
V
IETNAM

Combat Trauma and the Undoing of Character

Odysseus and the Sirens
1

SCRIBNER
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com

Copyright © 2002 by Jonathan Shay

Foreword copyright © 2002 by Senator Max Cleland and Senator John McCain

All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.

SCRIBNER
and design are trademarks of Macmillan Library Reference USA, Inc., used under license by Simon & Schuster, the publisher of this work.

For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales: 1-800-465-6798 or [email protected]

DESIGNED BY ERICH HOBBING

Text set in New Caledonia

Manufactured in the United States of America

3  5  7  9  10  8  6  4  2

The Library of Congress has cataloged the hardcover edition as follows:

Shay, Jonathan.

Odysseus in America: combat trauma and the trials of homecoming / Jonathan Shay; foreword by Max Cleland and John McCain.

p.  cm.

Includes bibliographical references (p.) and index.

1. War neuroses. 2. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975—Veterans—Mental health—United States. 3. Homer. Odyssey. 4. Post-traumatic stress disorder. 5. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975—Psychological aspects. 6. Veterans—Mental health—United States. 7. War—Psychological aspects. I. Title.

RC550.S533 2002

616.85′212—dc21  2002075817

ISBN 0-7432-1156-1

eISBN-13: 978-1-4391-2501-4
ISBN-13: 978-0-7432-1157-4

0-7432-1157-X(Pbk)

Permissions acknowledgments appear on page 331.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Preface

1. Introduction

PART I
U
NHEALED
W
OUNDS

2. Odysseus Among the Rich Civilians

3. Pirate Raid: Staying in Combat Mode

4. Lotus Land: The Flight from Pain

5. Cyclops: The Flight from Boredom

“L
AWLESS
B
RUTES”

C
UNNING

“A
ND
K
NOW
N
OT
M
E”—
L
OSS OF
I
DENTITY AND
B
OASTING

6. Odysseus Gets a Leg Up—and Falls on His Face: The Workplace

7. A Peaceful Harbor: No Safe Place

8. Witches, Goddesses, Queens, Wives—Dangerous Women

9. Among the Dead: Memory and Guilt

T
HE
D
EAD
(T
RY TO
) R
EPROACH THE
L
IVING

“I W
ON'T
F
ORGET A
T
HING”—
K
EEPING
F
AITH

Timmy

A
NYONE
C
LOSE
W
ILL
B
E
H
ARMED

I
RRETRIEVABLE
L
OSSES

10. What Was the Sirens' Song?: Truth As Deadly Addiction

T
HE
L
ANGUAGE OF
T
IMES
T
HAT
M
AKE A
W
ORLD

M
EMORY
U
NCONNECTED TO
C
OMMUNITY

T
OTAL
C
ERTAINTY
I
S
J
UST AS
D
AMAGING

11. Scylla and Charybdis: Dangers Up, Down, and Sideways

12. The Sun Gods' Beef: The Blame Game

W
HY
O
DYSSEUS'
A
DVENTURES
A
RE AN
I
RONIC
A
LLEGORY

13. Above the Whirlpool

G
UILT AND
G
OOD
C
HARACTER

14. Calypso: Odysseus the Sexaholic

15. Odysseus at Home

L
IES,
T
ESTS,
D
ISGUISES

S
LAUGHTER OF THE
I
NFAMOUS
S
UITORS

C
OLDNESS AND
C
RUELTY TO
N
EAREST AND
D
EAREST

T
RAUMA AND
O
DYSSEUS'
C
HARACTER

H
E
L
EAVES—
A
GAIN!

PART II
R
ESTORATION

16. Introduction

A
VERSION TO
R
ETURNING
V
ETERANS
I
S AN
O
LD
S
TORY

D
AMAGE TO
C
HARACTER—
I
NJURED
T
HUMOS

A
RISTOTLE
A
GAIN—
H
UMAN
I
S
P
OLITIKON
Z
ŌON

17. From the Clinic to the Wall

S
TAGES OF
R
ECOVERY

A T
RIP TO THE
W
ALL WITH
VIP

18. Lew Puller Ain't on the Wall

PART III
P
REVENTION

19. Introduction

20. Preventing Psychological and Moral Injury in Military Service

C
OHESION—
T
HE
H
UMAN
E
LEMENT IN
C
OMBAT

Why Does Cohesion Matter?

Cohesion, from the Point of View of Ethics …

Unit Associations—A Neglected Resource

T
RAINING

Training, from the Point of View of Ethics …

L
EADERSHIP

Leadership, from the Point of View of Ethics …

21. Odysseus As a Military Leader

T
HE
T
ROJAN
H
ORSE

S
UMMARY OF THE
C
HARGES
A
GAINST
C
APTAIN
O
DYSSEUS

A
CHILLES,
O
DYSSEUS, AND
A
GAMEMNON

22. Conclusion

T
HE
C
IRCLE OF
C
OMMUNALIZATION OF
T
RAUMA

P
URIFICATION
A
FTER
B
ATTLE

W
HAT
D
OES
I
T
M
EAN TO
“B
E
H
OME”?

T
RAUMA
S
TUDIES AND
O
THER
F
IELDS OF
K
NOWLEDGE

A N
EW
A
BOLITIONISM

S
EPTEMBER 11, 2001

Appendix I: A Pocket Guide to Homer's
Odyssey

P
ART
O
NE
(B
OOKS
1-4): A H
OME
W
ITHOUT
H
USBAND OR
F
ATHER

P
ART
T
WO
(B
OOKS
5-8): O
DYSSEUS
S
TARTS THE
L
AST
L
AP FOR
H
OME

P
ART
T
HREE
(B
OOKS
9-12): O
DYSSEUS
T
ELLS
H
IS
A
DVENTURES IN
W
ONDERLAND

P
ART
F
OUR
(B
OOKS
13-16): F
ATHER AND
S
ON
R
ETURN TO
I
THACA AND
A
RE
R
EUNITED

P
ART
F
IVE:
(
BOOKS
17-20): S
TRANGER AT
H
OME

Other books

A Christmas Romance by Betty Neels
A Man Named Dave by Dave Pelzer
Renegade Heart by Kay Ellis
Fatal Fixer-Upper by Jennie Bentley
The Red Collar by Jean Christophe Rufin, Adriana Hunter
Beg Me to Slay by Unknown
The Supremacy by White, Megan
Some Sweet Day by Bryan Woolley


readsbookonline.com Copyright 2016 - 2024