Killing In Margaret Atwood's On Killing

What are the dynamics of killing and what makes a person kill or refuse to kill? The book “On Killing” addresses these questions and the increased rate of violent acts caused by society’s exposure to killing and the lasting psychological effects. The author conducted several interviews with service members who have killed as well as those who refused to kill during battle. Through these interviews, the author attempts to understand what gives an individual the ability or inability to kill. He also tries to comprehend how service members place themselves on ‘safe’ when returning from war. Hollywood depicts killing as an act of heroism or as a natural ability. Many Soldiers of war can tell you this is not the case. Not every person …show more content…
Even though the military has used Pavlovian conditioning effectively, the author explains that most individuals will have a lasting psychological trauma in which a person, who has not killed, will never fully understand. Today, the military has programs and services for individuals combating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The official PTSD program is a relatively new idea but the concept of helping Soldiers overcome mental anguish is not. In many wars, a ‘cool down period’ often occurred after the end of the fighting. The period could include a long march or a ride on a ship where men could talk amongst themselves about their experiences and mental guilt However, during the end of the Vietnam War, the cool down period did not occur. Soldiers flew home alone and within 24 hours they would be back in the United States. Upon the return of Soldiers, society shunned them for their actions in war. Officers of today’s armed forces need to understand the importance of the cool down period and support all PTSD programs to ensure we do not relive the tragedy of what happened to Vietnam era