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Trauma Response In Tadeusz Borowski's This Way For The Gas

777 Words4 Pages

Surviving such a horrific environment requires that the narrator of This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen rely on either the fight, flight, or freeze trauma response. He is unable to fight such a substantial threat or flee such a well-guarded camp. His only hope is to freeze, detaching from his current situation. This detachment, also common in society today, creates an emotional barricade between himself and the horrors of the camp. Tadeusz Borowski uses the narrator’s unemotional tone and descriptions to illustrate the freeze trauma response. The withdrawn and emotionless writing style, utilized by Borowski, reflects his sense of detachment from the surrounding horrors. While the narrator’s testimony is utterly disturbing, his tone …show more content…

He allows his mind to escape, while his body performs the tasks necessary for his survival. The narrator’s mind perceives the task of cleaning out the cattle cars like any other job. Comparing the systematic slaughter of thousands to a well-run business allows him an escape from reality. The S.S. soldiers represent the typical boss figures. The well-dressed men are precise, composed, and authoritative. Through this fantasy, he sees his role as necessary and, therefore, less monstrous. This escape into fantasy is common for victims of trauma caught within the freeze response. It is not uncommon for a child to develop an imaginary friend. However, victims of childhood abuse often find themselves spending copious amounts of time in their own fantasy world. Children in abusive homes do not typically have the option to act on the fight or flight trauma responses. Therefore, they utilize the freeze response, and their brains enter a fantasy world as a way of detaching from their circumstances. Some children have difficulty letting go of these fantasies and accepting reality. Many victims remain plagued by this issue long after the initial physical or emotional abuse

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