2. What is the central theme and the author's purpose in this text? How does the author develop and communicate this theme and purpose? Give specific evidence from the text to support your answer. (15
points)
There's a condition in combat that occurs when a soldier is completely stressed
out and is "on the verge of a nervous collapse." In World War I it was called "shell
shock." Simple, honest, direct language. Two syllables Shell shock. It almost
sounds like the guns themselves...
[Un World War II the same combat condition was called "battle fatigue." Four
syllables now takes a little longer to say. Doesn't seem to hurt as much
By the Korean War the very same condition was being called "operational
exhaustion " The phrase was up to eight syllables now and any last traces of
humanity had been completely squeezed out of it
Then we got into Vietnam and thanks to the deceptions surrounding that war
it's no surprise that the very same condition was referred to as "post-traumatic
stress disorder" Still eight syllables but we've added a hyphen, and the pain is
completely buried under jargon I'll bet if they had still been calling it "shell
shock "some of those Vietnam veterans might have received the attention they
needed