Javier 1

Elpidio Javier
English 113B
Professor Ditch
13 March 2015
Overcoming Trauma
Being faced with a traumatic event is very drastic as it affects a person
psychologically or externally. Its attached to those whom are exposed wherever they go,
whether being alone or surrounded with people around you. Finding ways to conquer traumatic
events can help increase positivity, and decrease distress from themselves. In spite of the
Germans taking over Guernsey Island during World War II, the Guernsey Literary and Potato
Peel Pie Society book club finds ways to escape from the war by creating friendship and sharing
these values with one another, which give them the strength to overcome oppression.
People are affected drastically when they are faced with traumatizing events. In the
Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, the people of Guernsey have a hard time living
because of the Germans taking their food and making everything scarce. Being unable to have
something to eat is very traumatizing as it can lead to many situations such as internal problems,
illness, or death. Marie Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows states, Everyone was sickly from so
little nourishment and bleak from wondering if it would ever end (Pg. 64). Ann Shaffer and
Barrows explains about food becoming harder to obtain during the war and hoping that it would
come to an end because of the Germans taking all of it, making people suffer and getting sick
form little nourishment. In the article, Relief Crisis Unfolds as Iraq War Progresses, Kapp and
Clare states, But it warned that most of the population would run out of food in less than 6
weeks and said the cost of covering basic needs would run to US$1 billion. The quote explains

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about war happening in Iraq and supplies are lessening more and more where people soon suffer
and end in getting sick or being decease. Kapp and Clare also claim in the article, We
understand we have an obligation to put food and medicine in place so the Iraqi people can live a
normal life and have hope. Unable to be supplied with food is very traumatizing as it causes
many problems within an individual such as pain, anorexia, or an eating disorder. In relation to
the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, having no supplies can lead to many situations
and can cause many effects or symptoms.
The forming of the book club helped overcome their trauma from the war. Ann Shaffer
and Barrows states, Other Islanders asked to join us, and our evenings together became bright,
lively times- we could almost forget, now and then, the darkness outside (Pg. 51). During the
war, disaster takes place among cities and everyone living through it becomes too traumatized
and less likely to show happiness in themselves. As Amelia Maugery creates the Guernsey
Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, members start to form and, with everyone sharing there same
interests on books, friendships are made within people, and it would help them forget about the
situations theyre going through. With disasters, Germans taking over by force, and the war
happening, all of those categories become forgetful to the members of the book club because of
the happiness they find and sharing mutual interests in books with one another. In The
Secondhand Bookseller by Marina Nemat, Nemat states, Three days later I had read The Lion,
the Witch, and the Wardrobe twice and had fallen in love with it. I wanted more (Pg. 2). In this
article the protagonist, Marina Nemat, explains about her childhood and the passion she has with
readings books. Unfortunately, due to her family being poor and not having enough money to
buy a book, Nemat seeks to find ways to grasp a hold of any book she can with her intent to not
give up. Books give a helping hand to Nemat as it helps her get over the hard times she faces of

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living a poor lifestyle and not being able to afford anything except for little food. She becomes
determined to get a hold of as many books as she can to read because it helps her overcome and
forget what shes going through in her life. This comes into relation with the novel because
books are what help everyone get through the problems they are all facing, such as the people of
Guernsey having to go through the calamities of war and also in the article where Nemat finds a
way to escape reality by being exposed to books.
Friendships and families helped one another in the story get through the distress they
face. Ann Shaffer and Barrows states, True reason for Juliets regained spirits was her friendship
with Sophie Stark and the Stark family (Pg. 46). Due to Juliets parents dying in a motor
accident at a young age, trying to stay stable becomes hard for Juliet. She goes to live with her
uncle but because of her parents death and her uncle not having time to pay attention to her due
to his studies, Juliet runs away twice. After finding Juliet he second time, Simon Simpless and
Juliets uncle both agree and send her to a boarding school in which she comes across a friend
she makes named Sophie Stark. Because of the friendship of Sophie and the Stark family, they
helped Juliet overcome the problems she was going through and gave a helping hand for Juliet to
bring herself back on her feet and to help keep the negative out of her mind. In the video,
Caines Arcade by Nirvan Mullick, is a documentary explaining about a 9-year-old boy who
built a cardboard arcade in his fathers used auto parts store hoping to have customers who
would like to play. Although he doesnt get any customers to play in his arcade, Nirvan is
exposed to the arcade while in search for an auto part in his fathers shop. Nirvan becomes
interested in Caines hard working and determination and plans an event to help him have a lot of
customers for his arcade. With Nirvan and Caines friendship, both of them gave a helping hand
to each other as Nirvan became inspired by the 9 year old and made his dreams come true by

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giving him customers to play his arcade that he built. Within the book club, all the members
made friendships towards one another and shared mutual interests. The documentary connects to
friendships because with the help of Nirvan Mullick, it helped Caine be known worldwide and
have his dream come true, which was to have customers for his arcade. Shaffer and Barrows
states, We read books, talked books, argued over books, and became dearer and dearer to one
another (Pg. 51). This quotes explains the people in the book club all having a bond towards
each other. In the beginning, many of the members just knew who others were or didnt know
them all well, but as time passes friendships are made because of the books they would discuss.
Books helped the people of Guernsey still have hope in spite of what was going bad upon
them. In the book, it says, We clung to books and to our friends: they reminded us that we had
another part to us (Pg. 64). At this time, as the people of Guernsey are living through the
German takeover, everyone of Guernsey are hoping that theyll leave the island. Unfortunately, it
stretches on and on that made supplies become scarce. The people of Guernsey would start to get
sickly due to there island being taken over and keep them wondering if it will ever end. But even
with all the outcomes that has happen to the people, the people of the book club still have hope
as they hold on to the friends they made with one another and the books they have obtain to read
and share. Nemat states, I have this much money. Doesnt matter what book, as long as its
good. In the article, Nemat has a passion towards reading books as it helps her get through
whats happening externally, which is living a poor lifestyle and not being able to afford what she
wants. In the beginning she asks her mom if she can get her a book but the mom says she can
only once a month due to her family not having enough money to afford other things besides
food. As she crosses paths at a bookstore, she tries her best to get a hold of any book to read
because of the love she has for reading. Ann Shaffer and Barrows states, We began to meet for

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the sake of the Commandment at first, and then for our own pleasure (Pg. 50.) As Amelia,
Elizabeth, and other friends stay past curfew, everyone decides to leave to their homes and hope
that they wont get caught by the Germans. Unfortunately, the group gets caught and are
questioned why are they out past curfew, having Elizabeth and friends think they will be going to
the jail. Elizabeth saves everyone by telling them about a book club that they were supposedly in
at that time and in a shocking turn around the Germans take Elizabeths word. Elizabeth and the
rest go to the Commandment to create to the book club officially, in which grants them to meet
during the evenings without getting in trouble. As time passes, the members only get to together
just because they are forced to because of the Commandment, but as they begin to get to know
each other and read many books to share and have discussions about, the club and the books
become a pleasure for them, making them escape whats happening in their island. The books
help the members avoid the events happening in Guernsey and overcome it by being with each
other and sharing what they all like.
When a person comes across something that traumatizes them drastically, it can
affect them in many ways. It tends to lead to psychological causes, disorders, or anything
unpleasant to a person because the traumatizing event becomes stuck in their head for a long
time period, in which only the person themselves can get away from the event. As Guernsey
comes across many traumatizing events such as food supplies lessening and their island being
controlled by the Germans, the people find ways to uplift the horrific events they are all going
through by forming a book club, making friendships and having families around each other to
escape the terror they face, and being able to have books to read and share, helping the members
forget about the causes happening.

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