This essay portrays three incarcerated men. Capt. Alfred Dreyfus was imprisoned on Devil's Island; Dr. Viktor Frankel was in four different Nazi concentration camps; and Capt. Louis Zamperini in four different Japanese prisoner of war camps. They were all subjected to unprecedented hate, sadism, brutal and inhuman and unconscionable levels of extreme physical and emotional stress. Yet, these three demonstrated their resilience and overcame obstacles that confronted them daily and were able to give back to their fellow man. This is a brief look into their character.
Initially it can be stated that emotional and/or physical pain is in the eye of the beholder. For example, when describing pain to a health provider, one is asked to rate that on a scale of 1 to 10. Doctors prescribe pain medication based on one's complaint. If addicted, one goes to multiple providers for their meds. The number of pills can be limited but there is no objective way of discernment regarding pain or discomfort.
Years back, psychologically, an external stress index was created in an attempt to measure the stress levels of different life events. Numerical values were assigned to each episode. A few examples of the higher valued levels of stress: 1. Death of a spouse = 100 2. Divorce= 73 3. Marital separation = 65 4. Jail or imprisonment.= 63 and 5. Death of a close family member =63. Note, there was no measure for solitary confinement; being falsely accused of treason ; being publicly shamed; being a witness to family and other human beings murdered; being subjected to starvation; being physically beaten and sadistically treated as if you were a nonhuman;or being treated without any sense of morality, right, wrong, or reason.
Capt. Alfred Dreyfus, of Jewish ancestry, was born in Milhouse, France . In 1870, the Franco- Persian war occurred and the Dreyfus family moved to Switzerland because that part of France was annexed by Germany . After Alfred finished high school, the family moved to Paris. That war, Germany taking what was once France , led to Alfred's joining the French military. In spite of anti-Semitism, "Jews were not desired," Alfred was promoted and became part of the general staff that was, anti-semetic. Shortly thereafter, a French housekeeper found a torn up handwritten note of French military secrets in a wastebasket at the German Embassy.
Alfred was accused of being a traitor and at his closed court-martial, one member of the French staff testified that the handwritten note in question was written by Capt. Dreyfus. With that "evidence" the military tribunal found him guilty of treason. He was told that if he admitted the crime, he and his family would be exiled. Alfred denied the preposterous charges. That he would give war secrets to Germany, the country that made him and his family leave France, nonsense.
There was a ceremony to humiliate and publicly shame Capt. Dreyfus in front of the military and the public. Dreyfus had his rank insignia, buttons and braids cut from his uniform and his sword broken in two pieces.. Capt. Dreyfus responded to the age-old shaming attempt with dignity and self-respect. He looked straight ahead, not downward or shy away with a whimper. His pride did not allow him to lose face as he cried out, "I swear that I'm innocent, I remain worthy of serving in the Army, long live France. Long live the Army." These are not words of the traitor, but of a proud, patriotic, Jewish French military officer. France's motto of liberty, equality, and fraternity were absent along with honor of the military. He was exiled to Devil's Island in French Guiana from 1895 until 1899.
Alfred was given food and shelter in solitary confinement. During those years, he wrote letters, but was not allowed to receive any . He was cut off ,alone and isolated. Yet, he prevailed, he did not allow the sadistic abuse to put him in despair. During that period,on the home front, Emile Zola had published in a French newspaper, the lies, the betrayal and anti-Semitism related to that closed phony hearing by the French military. A second trial was held.Of course, he was found guilty. However, in order to save face for the military's mistake, he was given a pardon by the French president. However, if he had refused the pardon, he would've been sent back to Devil's Island. In Dreyfus's mind,he was still seen as a traitor to France and said at his release. "The government of the Republic is giving me back my freedom. It is nothing for me without my honor." He lived in house arrest until he was finally exonerated by a military commission in 1906. During that time, the actual French traitor told his story and it was published for all to see.
While in the military, Alfred served the Army for France from 1890 to 1918 and achieved the rank of Lieut. He participated at the battle of Verdun and the second battle of Aisne during World War I. Lieut. Dreyfus was promoted to officer of the Legion of Honour, and there is a statue of the Lieut. holding his broken sword at the exit of Notre Dame des Champs Metro Station . He passed at the age of 74.
Dr. Viktor Frankel was born in Vienna, Austria, and was educated as a neurologist and psychiatrist. He later also earned a PhD in philosophy. He founded a logotherapy school of psychotherapy that described a search for life's meaning as a central human motivational force. Dr. Frankel , in nine days,wrote a book originally titled "A Psychologist Experiences the Concentration Camp." This book was translated into English as "Man's Search for Meaning."
In 1942, nine months after his marriage, Dr. Frankel and his family were sent to the Theresienstadt Concentration camp, where his father died. In 1944, the family was transported to Auschwitz where his mother and brother were murdered in the gas chambers. His wife died later of typhus in another concentration camp. .He spent three years in four concentration camps and witnessed mechanized disgraceful mass beatings and killings of innocent men, women and children.
Briefly, he assisted many prisoners , with their psychological issues, during those terrible years despite the tragic losses he personally experienced. Viktor had to confront his own anxiety, despair, depression, and grief. His strong sense of self, identity and ego gratitude allowed him to be human despite the inhumanity all around him.
He founded Logotherapy. It’s based on paradoxical intentions ie. overcoming concessions and anxieties, distancing and humorous exaggeration; dereflection drawing the client's attention away from symptoms; and Socratic dialogue asking questions designed to help clients find and pursue self to find meaning in life. Self talk and challenging irrational ideas and illusions ; pursuing a future and future goals are significant for modifying negative emotions through verbalization. These patients , in the past , had successful careers and family, and in the present suffered severe trauma, starvation, and loss of loved ones. It was therefore important to focus on many things, and not dwell on the past. The task was to find and focus on positives while searching for meaning in order to make sense of the sadism in their surroundings.
In 1947 Viktor Frankel remarried and he had one daughter who became a child psychologist. It was later reported that after his death , he prayed every day and had memorized the words of daily Jewish prayers and Psalms. He died in 1997 in Vienna, age 92, of heart failure. His gratuitous life was characterized by responsibility ,staying intact , completeness, honesty, moral obligation, delight, psychological harmony ,psychological and ethical eros, sincerity, prudence, conscience, amiability and holiness . Other books he wrote include: The Doctor and the Soul, On the Theory and Therapy of Mental Disorders, Psychotherapy and Existentialism, The Will to Meaning, The Unheard Cried for Meaning, Viktor Frankel, Recollections and Autobiography ,Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning, Yes to Life in Spite of Everything. Dr. Frankel earned many decorations and awards as well. In 1995 he was Honorary Citizen of the City of Vienna and Great Gold-Medal with Star for Services to the Republic of Austria. Strength, resilience, achievement, and humanism define his character.
Louis Zamperini born in 1917, attended the University of Southern California and ran in the 5000 m race in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin finishing eighth while setting a new lap record in the process.. After the race, Hitler shook his hand and said, "you're the boy with the fast finish." He was commissioned into the United States Army Air Force as a lieutenant, rose to the rank of Capt. and served as a bombardier on a B 24 Liberator in the Pacific. He later received the distinguished flying Cross award. His plane crashed in the Pacific ,and after drifting at sea ,starving and fighting off sharks for 47 days with two other crewmates. They landed on the Japanese occupied Marshall Islands and were captured.
Capt. Louis was taken to four different prisoner of war camps in Japan where he was tortured , mistreated and severely beaten specially by Mutsuhiro Watanabe. This prison guard was called "the Bird '' and later included Gen. Douglas MacArthur's list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. Louis was also held in the same camp as Greg. "Pappy" Boynton . The major described the Italian recipes that Louis wrote to keep the prisoners' minds off the food and conditions. Once again the use of positive thinking helped alleviate emotional distress. Focusing and obsessing on the negative emotional reality becomes unproductive and contributes to anxiety, distress, depression, without future hope.
After returning home, this veteran, awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, experienced nightmares, thought about strangling his former captors and began drinking heavily, attempting to repress his POW experiences. He had symptoms associated with PTSD. His dreams and nightmares were an insight into the sadistic situation that he experienced. Thus, his dream symbolism were sophisticated defenses against taking those actions to reality. He was safe in his dream world. And when he mastered the symbolism of terror of his dream life, it set him free and was again to live with ego integrity . Fortunately, his wife Cynthia became a Born-Again Christian and encouraged him to attend a Billy Graham Crusade. He found meaning ,his religious experience also reinforced his ability to forgive his captors and when that happened, his sleep improved. He then began a career as a Christian evangelist . He visited many guards from his POW days and told them that he had forgiven them. Four days before his 81st birthday, Louis ran a leg in the Olympic torch relay for the Winter Olympics in Japan not far from the POW camp where he had been held. Louis sent " The Bird" letter stating that while he suffered great mistreatment, he forgave him. Louis never received a response and the bird died in 2003. In 2005, Capt. Louis returned to Germany to visit the Berlin Olympic stadium. In his 90s, he attended USC football games, appeared on Jay Leno's show and died of pneumonia in 2014 at the age of 97. Capt. Louis' character and resilience was illustrated by slaying his demons and giving to others. His character is associated with ego integrity.
In summary, these three humans experienced chronic stress with unimaginable levels of cortisol that not only endangered their being but also created traumatic memories and flashbacks pertaining to their inhumane nightmare. Despite these conditions, these men were able to integrate and unify their ego integrity within a strong sense of self. Because of ego integrity , they were able to adapt to the horrific sadistic dark side actions of their captors; they were able to accept the insecure, dependent, helpless reality of their situation because of their inner strength and fortitude. They were also able to defend their dignity of who they were, and not feel despair ,despite the consistent physical and emotional threats to their well-being. They didn't fear death as they had the inner resources of their character and personality .They had personal meaning to give back to make the world better.
Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact, said William James, philosopher and psychologist .
Reference
Beebe, John. Integrity in Depth.
Erikson, Erik H. Childhood and Society.
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