Our Country's Good Essay

The controversy over refugees has become an integral part of today’s political discussion, with widespread political conflicts leaving many groups desperate for a safe haven. Due to the violent nature of these conflicts, a large portion of refugees have experienced torture, and have had to cope with intense trauma. The convicts and officers in Timberlake Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good have very similar circumstances with modern day refugees, enduring constant persecution and violence. Consequently, both the play and “The Psychological Impact of Torture,” a review on the effects of torture on refugees, can provide a glimpse into how people react and cope under dehumanizing conditions. Many characters in Our Country’s Good endure immense cruelty, each reacting differently to their circumstances. Harry Brewer, a lowly officer, is a prime example of the effects of dehumanization. As a low-ranking cog in the penal colony machine, Harry faces his own form of torture: executing disobeying prisoners. His overwhelming guilt from
As a result, many scientists to seek to understand the psychological tolls that mental and physical trauma has on these individuals. An article published in the British Journal of Pain, titled “The Psychological Impact of Torture,” delves into this topic, describing the varying experiences that refugees have on their journeys and the effects that they have. Not only do many refugees encounter dehumanizing conditions at their own homes, they also face incredible amounts of stress due to the difficult process of transitioning and restarting their lives. Their suffering can be so intense that it results in “the destruction of all that gave their lives meaning” (Williams and van der Merwe, 103). Consequently, refugees often develop mental illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and, in some rare cases,