In addition to physical injuries, many surviving soldiers of WWI suffered from psychological injuries caused by brutal combat and grotesque living conditions. By the end of the novel, the narrator of Generals Die in Bed exhibits commonly observed symptoms of what was then called “shell-shock” and which is now referred to as PTSD. The novel thus explores the psychological impact of combat, tracing the narrator’s journey from an idealistic recruit into a traumatized veteran.

Initially, the narrator has a very idealistic idea of combat, eagerly imagining himself as a hero. As he stands watch before the first battle, he “conjure[s] up a picture of an imaginary action. I see myself getting the Lewis gun in position. I see it spurting darts of flame into the night. I hear the roar of battle. I feel elated” (11). By the end of the battle, thoroughly terrified by the realities of combat, he weeps. His mental state then continues to decline throughout the rest of the novel. It is not only the actual battles that cause stress but also the waiting for battles to begin. The narrator and the men of his unit exist in a hypervigilant state, knowing that within a short time, many of them will be dead.