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
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Copyright © 2002 by Jonathan Shay

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

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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.

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