"If you are a victim of torture you never totally recover. You may cope with the physical damage, but the psychological damage stays with you forever.
In 1945 I returned to Edinburgh to a life of uncertainty, following three and half years of fear, interrogation and torture as a POW in the Far East. I had no self-worth, no trust in people, and lived in a world of my own. The privacy of the torture victim is more impregnable than any island fortress. People thought I was coping, but inside I was falling apart. I became impossible to live with; it was as if the sins my captors had sown in me were being harvested in my family. I also had intense hatred for the Japanese, and was always looking for ways and means to do them down. In my mind I often thought of my hateful interrogator. I wanted to drown him, cage him and beat him-as he had done to me. After my retirement in 1982, I started searching for information about what had happened in Siam. The need to know is powerful. In the course of my search I learned that Nagase Takashi - my interrogator and torturer - had offered to help others with information. I learned that he was still alive, active in charitable works, and that he had built a Buddhist temple. I was skeptical. I couldn't believe in the notion of Japanese repentance. I strongly suspected that if I were to meet him I'd put my hands round his neck and do him in. My turning point came in 1987 when I came across The Medical Foundation for Victims of Torture. For the first time I was able to unload the hate that had become my prison. Seeing the change in me, my wife wrote to Nagase. The letter he wrote back was full of compassion, and I think at that moment I lost whatever hard armour I had wrapped around me and began to think the unthinkable. The meeting took place in 1998 in Kanburi, Thailand. When we met Nagase greeted me with a formal bow. I took his hand and said in Japanese, "Good Morning Mr Nagase, how are you?" He was trembling and crying, and he said over and over again: "I am so sorry, so very sorry." I had come with no sympathy for this man, and yet Nagage, through his complete humility, turned this around. In the days that followed we spent a lot of time together, talking and laughing. It transpired that we had much in common. We promised to keep in touch and have remained friends ever since. After our meeting I felt I'd come to some kind of peace and resolution. Forgiveness is possible when someone is ready to accept forgiveness. Some time the hating has to stop."
In this article
How does the author's word choice (diction) contribute to the tone?
How did you respond to the author's "voice"?
How does the author draw the reader in and keep the reader engaged? Does the author convey his or her story with comedy, self-pity, or something else?
The author's word choice contributes to the tone by portraying a sense of raw emotion and vulnerability. Words like "uncertainty," "fear," "torture," "hate," and "harvested" evoke strong feelings and emphasize the lasting impact of the author's experiences. The use of phrases like "falling apart," "hateful interrogator," and "do him in" also convey the author's intense emotions and desire for revenge.
Personally, reading the author's "voice" evokes a mix of empathy and admiration. I feel empathy for the author's suffering and the long-lasting impact it had on his life. At the same time, I admire his courage to seek forgiveness and find peace, despite the immense pain he endured.
The author draws the reader in and keeps them engaged by sharing his personal journey and inner thoughts. The use of first-person narrative allows the reader to connect with the author on a deeper level. The author's honesty and vulnerability in sharing his hatred and desire for revenge is also compelling. The story is conveyed with a sense of rawness and authenticity, rather than comedy or self-pity, which adds to its impact.