Post-traumatic Stress Disorder: A Critical Study of Red Birds

Abstract

This study explores the absurdities of war which not only kills but its consequences extend far beyond deaths in a battle. It adversely affects and impairs one physically, emotionally and mentally, and more importantly it leaves a scar on the heart and mind of people. In the past decade, up to two millions of those who are killed in armed conflicts are children, creating extensive emotional and psychological stress in those children. Post-traumatic Stress Order (PTSD) is one of the psychiatric disorders which were faced by those children. War affects the creative development of a child and that result in behavioral transitions; issues which are explored in this study with reference to the scholarly work of Muhammad Hanif’s (2018) Red Birds. The study is qualitative in nature and employs Defense Mechanism theory of Sigmund Freud and Anna Freud (Cherry, 2022). From Psychodynamic perspective, the textual data is explained by drawing on the interpretation and dialogues among the characters. The findings of the study are that war traumatize people, creates economic and social issues, propagates negative feelings towards own land, and destroys life and people etc. It was also concluded that the overall psychosocial functions and psychiatric disorders are the results of war that lead to traumatized life, affecting the innovative social activities and creative economic techniques and skills.