Summary Of Chickamauga By Ambrose Bierce

The short stories “Chickamauga” written by Ambrose Bierce and “The Covenant” written by Crystal Arbogast both show the effects that post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) has on someone. The effect war has on someone is very traumatic it can mentally and physically scar a person, but what can be harder is when your a child having to deal with someone who has been through war trying to live with it. PTSD effects family, sleeping patterns, causes small bursts of spaz attacks, and detachment issues. Throughout the stories, the main themes relate to helplessness, loss, and death. These three things share the characteristic that PTSD has on the psyche of a soldiers mind and how they no longer can handle being apart of society and so they seclude …show more content…
The covenant uses imagery and symbolism to vividly paint an image of a man who has been broken by his best friends death. When soldiers go to war they make promises to come back they take a photo of loved ones so they can look at what they're fighting for. These people, friends, and promises are the few things giving them hope in a gloomy place filled with death. The story covenant portrays this scene throughout the story, but only truly understand how deeply these promises mean after one has been kept by a friend, “The words rolled over in Eddie's head. Promises. The entire beach was filled with broken promises, yet Vince had managed to keep his. The cigarette slipped through his fingers into the sand.” (Arbogast 4.3) the imagery of Eddie staring over a beach holding a cigarette running the image of his best friend dying over and over trying to comprehend that he will never see him again. Now he has to bear with telling his sister. this feeling going through his mind anxiety, and sadness. He drops the cigarette symbolizing his brokenness and loss of hope. To him, everything just slipped through his fingers, now as his best friend’s body lays there adding to the already darkened red blood-soaked sand. Death is an everyday thing but when people are not prepared for it then that can become a traumatic event that will always playback thinking it could’ve been prevented. people dying on the battlefront and sounds of pain and agony all around losing hope and feeling helpless. This feeling is all but too common in war and it is all you see during and after it ends. “The glory of war was all around. Blood stained the sand, and the ongoing explosions of battle sounded in the distance. For now, though, the moans and crying of men filled the air.” (Arbogast 4.1) The screaming of pain, crying, and