OUTLINE
TEMPLATE
1.
Thesis: – Veterans of war are more likely to succumb to
psychological and mental health issues that can lead to suicide.
2.
Topic Sentence 1: –
Veterans, after the war, do not get
the proper help/treatment needed, and most suffer from PTSD and suicidal
thoughts.
Evidence: – “When
he came home, though, Henry was very different, and I’ll say this: the change
was no good…But he was quiet, so quiet, and never comfortable sitting still
anywhere but always up and moving around.”
Evidence: – “Once,
I was in the room watching TV with Henry and I heard his teeth click at
something. I looked over, and he’d bitten through his lip. Blood was going down
his chin.”
3.
Topic Sentence 2: – PTSD symptoms are generally grouped into four
categories and those are intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in
thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions
Evidence: – “There was still blood going down Henry’s chin, but he
didn’t notice it, and no one said anything even though every time he took a
bite of his bread his blood fell onto it until he was eating his own blood
mixed in with the food”.
Evidence: – “But
he was quiet, so quiet, and never comfortable sitting still anywhere but always
up and moving around”.
4.
TS: – The veterans’
mental health instability after the war affected the families and people around
them.
Evidence: – The brother stated, “I had been feeling down in the dumps about Henry
around this time”.
Evidence: – “I
knew I was not just feeling it myself; I knew I was feeling what Henry was
going through at that moment”.
5.
TS: – Many tragic events and scenes are present at
war, and having a professional will help you navigate through what is happening
in the mind and the real world.
Evidence: – “There were no Indian doctors on the reservation, and
my mom couldn’t come around to trusting the old man, Moses Pillager, because he
courted her long ago and was jealous of her husbands”.
Evidence: – “They don’t “fix them in those
places,” Mom said; “they just give them drugs.”
6.
TS: – Suicide can be a result of war trauma and is
probably the only quick fix/ solution most veterans of war think of to do.
Evidence: – “Got
to cool me off!” He suddenly shouts. Then he runs over to the river and
jumps in”.
Evidence: – “He
looks as though he will take this wrong at first. His face twists, then clears,
and he jumps up on his feet”.
7.
TS: – Families of war veterans should make it a
duty to get adequate care and resources that the veterans need.
Evidence: – Instead of being with Henry to
attend to him, “They
got to leaving him alone most of the time, and I didn’t blame them”.
Evidence: – “We wouldn’t get him there in the first place,”
I agreed, “so let’s just forget about it.”
Using this above outline template from the book ” The Red convertible” , rewrite this Essay below, citing the reference below.
HENRY MENTAL HEALTH
& CONSEQUENCES
The red convertible shows the relationships,
the love and bond between siblings (Lyman and Henry), the struggle for daily
existence, the experience of overcoming pain, and the ability to cope with loss
that was affected by change. Henry
after the war was likely to succumb to psychological and mental health issues
which inevitably led him to suicide.
Henry
before attending the army was an outgoing vibrant person. He loved doing
various activities with his brother Lyman, but most importantly loved doing
cross-country road trips. During his trips with his brother Lyman, he was at
peace, comfortable and free-minded. The car he shared with his brother, the red
convertible, was special to him. Henry played a key role in helping his brother
purchase the car. The solidarity and adventurous attitude he had with his
brother was something he loved. Before he left for the military, he told his
brother Lyman to take care of the car. The car was so important to Henry that
even after he came back and saw the condition of the car, he immediately began
to fix its damage. Lyman said “Mine was cash, a big bankroll from Joliet’s
insurance. Henry had two checks- a week’s extra pay for being laid off, and his
regular check from Jewel Bearing Plant”. This was during the conversation about
the car with the family members. He went further to express himself “we went in
that car, me and Henry. They took off driving all one whole summer…Henry was
asleep with arms thrown wide. Later, he woke up and we started driving again.”
After Henry came back home after military, he
no longer had the same interest or attitude as before, he changed. During the
time Henry was in the military he wrote letters to his family. He was able to
write a few until he stopped. Henry’s brother did not know if he was really
receiving these letters but either way, he still wrote to him. Lyman said “I
wrote back several times, even though I didn’t know if those letters would get
through. I kept him informed all about the car.” Looking at Henry, they noticed
that “There
was still blood going down Henry’s chin, but he didn’t notice it, and no one
said anything even though every time he took a bite of his bread his blood fell
onto it until he was eating his own blood mixed in with the food”.
Henry’s mental instability after the war not
only affected him but placed a burden on his family and people around him. When
Henry did come home his brother tried everything, he could help him become more
comfortable but the issue he was facing was more deeply rooted. Lyman even got
him a brand, one that had color instead of the usual black and white. He tried
to entertain Henry as much as he could but to no avail. Henry was always to
himself, whenever family came over, he was never normal nor was he nice to his
own family The brother stated, “He’d always had a joke, then, too, and how you
couldn’t get him to laugh, or when he did it was more the sound of a man
choking, a sound that stopped up the throats of other people around him. They
got to leaving him alone most of the time and didn’t blame them. It was a fact:
Henry was jumpy and mean.” but Lyman “I’d bought a color TV set for mom and the
rest of us while Henry was away. “Money still came very easy…I’d bought
color, because with black-and-white the pictures seem older and farther
away…He sat in front of it, watching it, and that was the only time he was
completely still.”
Many tragic events and scenes are present at war, and
having a professional will help you navigate through what is happening in the
mind and the real world. Henry’s family really wanted to assist him in getting
the proper help he needed, but they did not know where to start or what kind of
help he needed. His mother discussed them taking him to a hospital, but they
knew that they would not find a cure to the problem but instead worsen it and
keep him on drugs. Especially living on a reservation, they did not have many
resources/professionals available. She said, “There were no Indian doctors on the
reservation, and my mom couldn’t come around to trusting the old man, Moses
Pillager, because he courted her long ago and was jealous of her husbands”.
Henry’s mother did not want
to send her son to a place where he would be mistreated or taken advantage of.
I believe finances was also another factor to consider in this process. Even if
they had professionals or resources, I don’t think they would be financially
equipped to follow through. “They don’t “fix them in those
places,” Mom said; “they just give them drugs.” “We wouldn’t get
him there in the first place.” I agreed, so let’s just forget about it.”
Suicide can be a result of war trauma and is probably the
only quick fix/ solution most veterans of war think of to do. Unfortunately,
Henry’s trauma was not professionally treated and although he could have chosen
to live, I don’t think he understood fully what he was going through. Probably
at this point in the story Henry had already made up his mind regarding his
suicide and didn’t want to tell anyone or keep his family on edge. I think he
knew that just as his mental health was hurting him just as much as it was
hurting his family. Henry made the final
decision after giving his brother total ownership of the car. “Got to cool me off!” He suddenly
shouts. Then he runs over to the river and jumps in”.
Families of war veterans should make it a duty to get
adequate care and resources that the veterans need. There is more that should have been done for Henry and his family.
Most importantly the reservation on which they lived needed more adequate
resources and personnel to take care of such cases. Even Henrys mother and
brother was worried that the old doctor that worked on the plantation would
manipulate Henry to take revenge at his mom. It was very shocking to find out
that the reservation on which they resided did not have an Indian doctor, one
that could relate to them personally. “There are no Indian doctors on the
reservation, and my mom couldn’t come around to trusting the old man, Moses
Pillager, because he courted her long ago and was jealous of her husbands. He
might take revenge through her son.” The younger brother (Lyman) agreed to mom,
“We wouldn’t get him there in
the first place,” I agreed, “so let’s just forget about it.”
REFERENCE
Erdrich, Louise. “The Red Convertible.” Growing Up
Ethnic in America: Contemporary Fiction About Learning to be American. Ed.
Maria Mazziotti Gillan and Jennifer Gillan. New York: Penguin
Press,1999.103-114.
Erdrich,
L. (2009). The
red convertible
