War Quote by Alice McDermott
““Mike Shea became a medic during the war and was now married, working for Pfizer. To this day he can’t look at her straight. To this day she can’t quite convince herself that the sin was as grave as it seemed. (She thought, in fact, of telling the priest as he whispered his furious admonitions that she weighed barely a hundred pounds and was as thin as a boy and if he would adjust his imagination accordingly and see the buds of her breasts and her flat stomach and the bony points of her hips, he would understand that even buck naked, her body was not made for mortal sin.) She can””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides, 1993
A wartime medic struggles with guilt and lingering trauma, affecting his marriage and self‑perception.
In simple terms: War trauma haunts love and self‑image.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge and seek healing for past wounds.
Themes
guilt
trauma
marriage
self‑image
Mood
sorrowful
reflective
Type
literary
psychological
When to use this quote
- therapy
- marital counseling
- support groups
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
psychological conflict
war aftermath
moral injury
Questions to Reflect On
- How does unresolved guilt shape daily life?
- What steps can help break the cycle of self‑denial?
A Different Perspective
Healing may be slow and require confronting painful memories.
![“What are you?' he [Nanapush] said to Damien, who was deep in a meditation over his [chess] bishop's trajectory. 'A priest' said Father Damien 'A man priest or a woman priest?'... ...'I am a priest', she whispered, hoarsely, fierce. 'Why' said Nanapush kindly, as though Father Damien hadn't…” quote by Louise Erdrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c1e/louise-erdrich-1271_catholicism_what-are-you-he-nanapush-said-to-damien_1207099.jpg)
