Toni Morrison narrates the main character in her novel by coming to the real source of his post-traumatic stress disorder (Ibarrola). Home is set in the aftermath of the Korean war (Brockes). Toni Morrison writes in the novel Home about a poor man named Frank Money. Frank is introduced as a man from the South who goes off to fight in the Korean War. He goes to fight in the Korean War to escape his countryside town. When Frank leaves to the war he leaves behind his sister Cee. Cee is left alone and must learn how to survive in the town without Frank her big brother being there. While Frank is away he receives news that Cee is in danger. Frank sets out to find Cee.
In chapter two of Home, Frank is in a mental hospital and must escape due to him receiving a letter that Cee is in trouble in their home town in Georgia. The note stated “Come fast. She be dead if you tarry” (Morrison 8). To escape the hospital, he first must plan on how he will get out of the high security hospital. As he’s planning the escape in his head everything he thinks about reminds him of things and it brings pain. This is where Toni Morrison first introduces that Frank has post-traumatic stress Disorder. Frank manages to get out of the mental hospital before sunrise. He runs barefoot in the freezing snow. Frank arrives at the AME Zion Church were a poor African American clergy helps him. As the man is helping Frank with food and shoes he cannot remember why he was put in a mental hospital. The man asks Fran “How’d you get there?” (Morrison 15) The only thing he can think of why he was placed there was because maybe he became violent. (Morrison 15)
In chapter seven of Home, Frank describes his childhood. Frank describes Lotus, Georgia as the worst place in the world and that it is worse than any battlefield (Morrison 103). Growing up Frank only had his sister and friends that kept him sane. His parents were helpless to care about anyone or anything. The town was filled with people that did not strive for anything and Frank wanted more. That’s why he joined the army. The army helped him get out and see the world but it took a toll on his sanity.
Frank continues his journey to Georgia to find Cee. While heading back home on the bus and train rides, Frank spends most of the time thinking about his violent flashbacks he had since serving in the Korean War. Frank’s flash backs are not as bad when Lily, his girlfriend is around. Frank states that Lily helped him gain control over his life and described that when she was around his flashbacks did not haunt his as bad. However, now that he has left Lily behind to find his sister he is not sure if he can keep his PTSD under control. “…his anxiety become unmanageable” (Morrison 14). He then resolves to drinking little to try and help his anxiety.
In chapter nine of Home, Frank reflects on him time in Korea. He states, “You can’t imagine it because you weren’t there” (Morrison 119) He goes on to say that no one can imagine the place or the war he fought in Korea. Frank explains that Korea’s cold weather is painful. He also states, “Battle is scary, yeah, but its alive” (Morrison 119) By this he means that he felt alive when he had to follow orders, covering buddies, and when killing the opponents in the Korean War. The soldiers were not required to think deep thoughts when doing these commands.
As Frank continues his journey to find Cee. He has a flash back of his friend Mike dying in his arms in Korea. He reflects on the words that Mike said before he passed “Don’t tell Mama” (Morrison 126). When Frank talked with Stuff about Mikes death he stated that Mike died saying, “Kill the fuckers” (Morrison 126). He did not think what Mike originally told him was manly enough. However, apart from Mike’s dying words his death shook Frank up badly. Before Mike’s death he just followed orders in the War, he never portrayed himself as being brave. Until Mike’s death, soon after Mike became reckless about his own life. But it was not his who suffered consequences from being reckless it was another friend of Franks. Stuff, his arm was blown off and he bled to death before the medics arrived.
At the end of the book Frank states “I have to say something to you right now. I have to tell you the whole truth” (Morrison 173). He then states he has been hiding from telling the truth because he is ashamed of what he did. “I shot the Korean girl in the Face” (Morrison 174). Frank goes on to state that the little girl touched him and he was aroused by it which he was horrified. He did not think and just shot the little girl in the face. He killed her because he feared his actions on his desire.
“Day and night, he held on to that suffering because it let him off the hook, kept the Korean child hidden. Now the hook was deep inside chest and nothing would dislodge it. The best he could home for was time to work it lose” (Morrison 176) By this, Frank has acknowledged that he shot the little Korean girl and he cannot run away from what he did. He also must learn how to deal with it slowly. Frank’s PTSD was bad at the begging of the book because he was holding in something that was tugging at his heart. When he came clean he felt a relief. But he knowns that he will slowly deal with his emotions regarding the little girl her killed.
