Not Logged in.
Book Jacket

All the Little Hopes


A Southern story of friendship forged by books and bees, in the murky shadows of...
Summary and Reviews
Excerpt
Reading Guide
Author Biography

In his drunken state Whiz Mayhew confesses that the Nazis didn't shoot him because they didn't think he was worth it. How did his community help him heal? Do we have better options today to help soldiers with PTSD?

Created: 07/20/21

Replies: 3

Posted Jul. 20, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

In his drunken state Whiz Mayhew confesses that the Nazis didn't shoot him because they didn't think he was worth it. How did his community help him heal? Do we have better options today to help soldiers with PTSD?

Whiz Mayhew comes home from the war with what we might now call PTSD, and his homecoming is difficult. In his drunken state he confesses that the Nazis didn't shoot him when given a chance because they didn't think he was worth it. What was he confessing in that statement? How did his community help him heal? Do we have better options today to help soldiers with PTSD?


Posted Jul. 31, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Gabi

Join Date: 02/22/21

Posts: 99

RE: In his drunken state Whiz Mayhew ...

Whiz’s confession speaks to his brokenness, his despair, and feelings of not being worthy as an individual.

There isn’t a lot about how the community helps Whiz heal in the book beyond the fact that they all came together to celebrate him home. When it became obvious at the party that Whiz needed room to heal, people seemingly gave him space. A key factor in his recovery and a turning point was the death of his friend, Lu’s brother, Wade. “By all accounts, I should be the dead man, but I’m not, and there has got to be a reason, don’t you think?” As Whiz reflects on this and realizes that his survival might have a purpose, he finds hope for a future…and with hope he moves forward.


Posted Aug. 01, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barb23703

Join Date: 10/04/15

Posts: 102

RE: In his drunken state Whiz Mayhew ...

It seems that all Whiz was given was space and time, and the support of family to reflect on the war and his own life. I had an uncle who returned from WW2 with PTSD, and given time, support and space, he never really recovered and was a recluse for most of his life - despite the attempts of family to care for him. Unfortunately, as with most mental illness issues, as a society we do not do a good job of helping the individual. It seems to me we can categorize, classify and contain and determine a one size fits all idea of therapy, but little is done on an individual level.


Posted Aug. 04, 2021 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bill and jackie

Join Date: 02/15/17

Posts: 16

RE: In his drunken state Whiz Mayhew ...

I think the story of Whiz Mayhew and PTSD is a weak side chapter in the novel. PTSD as we now call it was certainly evident in many WWII soldiers back in the forties, but Whiz's almost miraculous comeback is pretty farfetched. Yes he had an extremely supportive family, neighbor and community, but very few come out of that illness in so short a time. I'm not sure if today's support groups and psychiatric help are more effective because I don't personally know anyone. What we see on TV and read about however, tell us that it takes years of therapy plus the loving support of a family.


Reply

Please login to post a response.