Even in the wake of WWII, the medical community (and society at large) had not yet adopted the verbiage to articulate serious mental conditions like PTSD, and they were reticent to diagnose men with depression or substance abuse issues. Hence, both the Salinger and Cheever stories attempt to hide the dysfunction of the protagonists behind the “ideal” façade of post-war middle-class suburban life. Using 2-3 of the symptoms of psychological/mental illness (or substance abuse) employed by the Salinger and Cheever stories, craft a contemporary character that’s internally conflicted, has possibly fallen from social grace, and perhaps has yet to fully realize/acknowledge their true self. The character can be loosely autobiographical, biographical, or entirely fictional.

create one cohesive piece of flash prose under 750 words. This must have a compressed-yet-fleshed-out plot with a beginning, middle (conflict to climax), and end.