History GetAHoldOfYourselfMan / Literature

* {{God}} often sends His angels to give words of encouragement in Literature/TheBible, but on the top of the list of epic "Get A Hold Of Yourself"s from God ''Himself'' is when Elijah has a HeroicBSOD. Full text [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2019;&version=31; here]], but here's a sample:

* In "Literature/TheBrainStealersOfMars", Rod Blake starts laughing hysterically after encountering an alien disguised as Ted Penton. The real Ted Penton cracks him across the face to snap him out of it.

* Creator/RobertEHoward's Literature/ConanTheBarbarian:

* In ''Literature/WizardAndGlass'', Volume 4 of ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series, Cuthbert punches Roland to get him to focus on their mission instead of sneaking off with his girlfriend.

* In the ''Literature/SweetValleyHigh'' book, ''Nowhere To Run'', a toddler is choking. Her older sister cannot wrench her away from her hysterical stepmother and remembers reading that when someone is hysterical, the best thing to do is slap them... and she does. The woman's stunned reaction gives the girl enough time to get the baby away from her and perform the Heimlich, saving the child's life.
* ''Literature/TheyHosedThemOut'' by John 'Bede' Cusack. A DrJerk declares that an airman who's just had a very public breakdown from combat stress is [[DirtyCoward Lacking Moral Fibre]] and delivers a couple of ringing slaps to no effect. He desists on seeing the DeathGlare from the airman's compatriots. Later Bede encounters a more professional doctor who arranges for Bede to be 'held back for observation' so he can recover from a particularly bad mission (his pilot had pressed on with a faulty engine instead of returning to base for fear of being labelled LMF, only to be killed when a flak ship caught them flying too low). The doctor feels he's not doing enough for the war effort and considers resigning to become a pilot himself -- Bede tells him [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure he's doing just fine where he is]].
* In ''[[Literature/{{Twilight}} New Moon]]'', Alice offers to do this to Bella.
* In the ''Literature/WarriorCats'' book ''Path of Stars'', Clear Sky starts to panic and grieve when he thinks that his friends have all betrayed him and left his mate to die. It takes Wind Runner raking her claws across his ears and telling him to sit up and stop acting like a kit to make him realize that they actually have a plan to save her.

* In ''Literature/TheWiseMansFear'', Bast panics when he realizes Kvothe spoke to [[spoiler: the Cthaeh]]. The Chronicler snaps him out of it with a slap, which is the opposite of their usual interactions.

* ''Literature/PrudencePenderhaus'': After [[spoiler:Prudence knocks Mrs. Shooster out while helping Cassius escape from the basement]] in ''17 Marigold Lane'', Cassius is crying, and Prudence can't get him to move. Bonnie slaps him in the face and says, "Cut it out, Shooster." Cassius calmly replies, "It's not funny." Quoting ''Film/FrightNight'' calms him down enough to start walking.

* {{God}} often sends his angels to give words of encouragement in Literature/TheBible, but on the top of the list of epic "Get A Hold Of Yourself"s from God ''Himself'' is when Elijah has a HeroicBSOD. Full text [[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2019;&version=31; here]], but here's a sample:

* ''They Hosed Them Out'' by John 'Bede' Cusack. A DrJerk declares that an airman who's just had a very public breakdown from combat stress is [[DirtyCoward Lacking Moral Fibre]] and delivers a couple of ringing slaps to no effect. He desists on seeing the DeathGlare from the airman's compatriots. Later Bede encounters a more professional doctor who arranges for Bede to be 'held back for observation' so he can recover from a particularly bad mission (his pilot had pressed on with a faulty engine instead of returning to base for fear of being labelled LMF, only to be killed when a flak ship caught them flying too low). The doctor feels he's not doing enough for the war effort and considers resigning to become a pilot himself -- Bede tells him [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure he's doing just fine where he is]].

* Peeta Mellark from ''Literature/TheHungerGames''.

* ''Literature/HarryPotter'':
** Harry gets quite upset at the concept of being possessed by Voldemort during his PTSD phase in book 5, at least until Ginny reminds him quite sharply that [[spoiler:she's been there and done that]], and it's not at all like what's happening to him.
** In the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows last book]], Remus Lupin offered his service toward Harry Potter while at the same time, [[ParentalAbandonment leaving his wife and unborn son,]] believing that they will be better off without him. In response, Harry (who is an orphan, and had gone through miserable treatment from Dursleys), [[WhatTheHellHero calmly and viciously points out his cowardice]] and preference to [[DeathSeeker "die in glory"]] than become a good father. He's snapped, but it had the desirable effect: Remus returned to his wife afterwards.
* Happens at least once in ''[[Literature/DragonridersOfPern Dragonquest]]'', when F'lar thinks he's about to die.
* In ''Literature/BrothersOfTheSnake'', Priad has to smack his battle-brother Natus across the head to get his attention off the blasphemous text the heretics defaced the statue of the Emperor with.

* In the ''Literature/OldKingdom'' trilogy, Lirael has a dogbite-shaped scar on her leg from when her {{wangst}} was getting [[DrivenToSuicide way too out-of-control]] and the Disreputable Dog decided to intervene. After that point she learned her lesson and decided to just deal with the situation she was in without too much whining.
* Happens once in ''Literature/AllQuietOnTheWesternFront'', when a newbie in the trenches is getting hysterical to the point of trying to leave the bomb shelter. Everybody else in the shelter beats him up until he doesn't try to leave any more. The narrator tells us that it's not pleasant, but it's the only thing that helps.

* Creator/RobertEHoward's Literature/ConanTheBarbarian:
** In ''Literature/ThePoolOfTheBlackOne'', Conan shakes Sancha until she says she will help him rescue the prisoners; then he gives her an encouraging (and heavy) slap on the back.
** In ''Literature/TheSlitheringShadow'', he slaps Natala to demonstrate to her she's not dead.
* In ''Literature/WizardAndGlass'', volume four of ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series, Cuthbert punches Roland to get him to focus on their mission instead of sneaking off with his girlfriend.

* In "Literature/TheBrainStealersOfMars", Rod Blake starts laughing hysterically after encountering an alien disguised as Ted Penton. The real Ted Penton cracks him across the face to snap him out of it.
* In "Literature/WhoGoesThere", [=McReady=] slaps Kinner's face "with a methodical one-two, one-two action" when he bursts into hysterical laughter upon finding out the Thing is (apparently) dead.
* In the Literature/SweetValleyHigh book, ''Nowhere To Run'', a toddler is choking. Her older sister cannot wrench her away from her hysterical stepmother and remembers reading that when someone is hysterical, the best thing to do is slap them. . .and she does. The woman's stunned reaction gives the girl enough time to get the baby away from her and perform the Heimlich, saving the child's life.
* In ''Literature/TheWiseMansFear'', Bast panics when he realizes Kvothe spoke to [[spoiler: the Cthaeh]]. The Chronicler snaps him out of it with a slap, which is the opposite of their usual interactions.
* In Creator/AndreNorton's ''Literature/ForerunnerForay'', Ziantha loses control when in Turan's tomb and doing a read. [[SpacePirates Iuban]] subjects her to this, quite viciously.

* ''They Hosed Them Out'' by John 'Bede' Cusack. A DrJerk declares that an airman who's just had a very public breakdown from combat stress is [[DirtyCoward Lacking Moral Fibre]] and delivers a couple of ringing slaps to no effect. He desists on seeing the DeathGlare from the airman's compatriots. Later Bede encounters a more professional doctor who arranges for Bede to be 'held back for observation' so he can recover from a particularly bad mission (his pilot had pressed on with a faulty engine instead of returning to base for fear of being labelled LMF, only to be killed when a flak ship caught them flying too low). The doctor feels he's not doing enough for the war effort and considers resigning to become a pilot himself -- Bede tells him [[ReasonableAuthorityFigure he's doing just fine where he is]].
* ''Literature/TheCityAndTheDungeon'': Alex's sister slaps him when he's rambling how he'll never be able to ask out Alice Black. [[DamnYouMuscleMemory He nearly kills her before he stops himself]].
* In one of the later ''Literature/GarrettPI'' novels, Belinda starts to lose it when she witnesses a disturbing supernatural vision (implied to be of her murdered mother). Garrett snaps her out of it by wrapping his coat around her head, cutting off her view of the alarming sight and startling her back to her senses. (Garrett himself admits he has no idea how he came up with the idea, but he'd once seen a man bring his dog out of a seizure that way.)

* In ''Literature/TheOutside'', a woman suddenly spaces out during the Pride of Jai's evacuation. Yasira has to slap her to get her moving again.

** Nanny Ogg delivers a much-needed slap to Granny Weatherwax in ''Discworld/WyrdSisters'', less to calm her down and more to focus her rage. It's so powerful that it lifts ''both'' of them off their feet.
** Used repeatedly in ''Discworld/MakingMoney'' to interrupt Hubert Turvey's involuntary bouts of insane laughter. Igor slaps his cheek to do this, while the fastidious Mr. Bent pounds Hubert on the back.

* In one of the later ''Literature/GarrettPI'' novels, Belinda starts to lose it when she witnesses a disturbing supernatural vision (implied to be of her murdered mother). Garrett snaps her out of it by wrapping his coat around her head, cutting off her view of the alarming sight and startling her back to her senses. (Garrett himself admits he has no idea how he came up with the idea, but he'd once seen a man snap his dog out of a seizure that way.)

* In ''Literature/WizardAndGlass'', volume four of ''Franchise/TheDarkTower'' series, Cuthbert [[CrowningMomentofAwesome punches]] Roland to get him to focus on their mission instead of sneaking off with his girlfriend.

** Harry gets quite upset at the concept of being possessed by Voldemort during his teenage hormonal phase in book 5, at least until Ginny reminds him quite sharply that [[spoiler:she's been there and done that]], and it's not at all like what's happening to him.