Undoubtedly, war can take a massive toll on one’s overall health. Although soldiers suffer horrific injuries during combat, their mind continues to take a beating behind the front lines. This concept is powerfully depicted in the novel Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, where the lives of two soldiers, Xavier and Elijah, are profoundly changed forever both mentally and physically as a result of their experiences in the World War I. As the story progresses, their friendship and well-being begins to drastically deteriorate. Boyden effectively illustrates how Xavier and Elijah’s experiences on the front lines render them unable to go back to who they once were before the war. To being with, Xavier is consumed by jealousy, guilt and depression as a consequence of the war. First, …show more content…
He complains about how “the others in our section are drawn to [Elijah] and his endless stories. I am forced by my poor English to sit back and watch it all happen, to see how he wins them over, while I become more invisible. A brown ghost.” (Boyden, 65) Xavier feels as though people overlook him while Elijah hogs all the attention with his enticing stories. He longs for his fellow soldiers to recognize him and his abilities as they do with Elijah, profoundly straining his relationship with his friend. In addition to his jealousy, Xavier is negatively impacted by feelings of guilt as a result of the war. When reflecting on his actions after killing Elijah, he laments, “When my friend comes to me, I want to say I’m sorry. But instead I try desperately to crawl back into the darkness.” (373) Xavier has a strong desire to apologize to his friend, feeling regretful for having to kill him. He is overwhelmed with guilt and sorrow as a result of the dreadful act he commits during the war. Furthermore, Xavier also experiences severe despondency after the war. Shortly after killing Elijah, Xavier loses his leg, leading to his