I would love to hear anything else you think about Tom!
I find it really intriguing how the significance of World War II during his formative years is often understated and its impact on his later views and psychological development. This is not to suggest that we should overlook the other influences throughout his life, but I am very much so convinced that the war played a pivotal role in shaping his fear of death. ( I wonder, however, if this perspective might be influenced by more cultural and geographical factors. We in the United Kingdom, for instance, have a very distinctive approach on how we deal with the aftermath of wars. We tend to embed the memories of such conflicts deeply into our national consciousness. While I am not suggesting that other nations lack a serious regard for the war, I am wondering if it's plausible that the opinion on this more controversial view is depending on how a country impacted by the war decided to move on in the aftermath.) Anyways, I don't have too much time to write up a more thorough explanation of my opinions on this right now. Do let me know if you would want to know more as I'm very interested in this factor of his childhood and would love to talk more about it.