Theme and Characterization in 'Hostage' by Andrew Vachss

Theme and Characteriza/on in “Hostage” by Andrew Vachss

The main theme in this short story “Hostage” is Mental health. Walker tells in the story that he has

a lot of mental health disorders, and there is a quote when he reads about it “I went back there

one night and pulled my ?le. It made interesBng reading, Post-TraumaBc Stress Disorder (PTSD),

fundamental lack of empathy, blunted a?ect, addicted risk-taker” (Andrew, Hostage, page 23, line

23).

Walker’s past can show us how his mental health disorders has a?ected his job and life. He su?ers

from PTSD, and it seems he has been in Vietnam (from the killing ?oor in South-East Asia, Nam), it

seems that the violent war has traumaBzed him, and is the reason for his PTSD.

AUer that he decided to work as a cop, “It seemed like the natural thing to do.” (Andrew, Hostage,

page 23, line 7)

Firstly, he worked with NarcoBcs, but the ?rst week he killed a dealer in a gun?ght and got a

commendaBon.

Secondly, he came back and tells “I caught two guys coming out of a bodega, stocking masks over

their heads, one had a shotgun. I cut them both down. Turned out one was thirteen years old.”