Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Dr. Manette

     
  (Miss Pross) -Sometimes, he gets up in the dead of the night, and will be heard, by us overhead there, walking up and down, walking up and down, in his room. Ladybird has learnt to know then that his mind is walking up and down, walking up and down, in his old prison. She hurries to him, and they go on together, walking up and down, walking up and down, until he is composed. But he never says a word of the true reason of his restlessness, to her, and she finds it best not to hint at it to him. In silence they go walking up and down together, walking up and down together, till her love and company have brought him to himself.” (pg.102)



     This passage explained so much to me about Dr. Manette along with the rest if the novel. He is not some strange old man who is just naturally confused and bewildered by everything changing around him, he is suffering from PTSD. The book hinted earlier that prison had changed him so much. This is the hard evidence. This is where I made the A-HA connection. He knew a monotonous life of prison for so long that he really doesn't know any other life. He cant function in the real world normally so at this time his mind doesn't know what to do and he reverts back to the prisoner's life he experienced for so long. It wasn't Alziemers, or one of the other common elderly disease that i saw in Manor Care. It was his prison experience that changed his life forever, and made him the anxious, untrusting man that he is showing himself  to be. A-HA! Finally I understand his character.

      My new understanding  also reveals Lucie's charactor well. She is very patient with her father, who has been gone for 18 years of her life. Even though she doesn't really know him, she has spent countless hours trying to rehabilitate her father in his time of need. This was an A-HA moment for me because it really showed how loving and thoughful Lucie is. It is one of the few times her true character comes out in the story so far and it really "clicked" when we found out she was helping her father every chance she got. I really got a feeling for who she is.