"wound" plural
Please read this: "He is an extraordinary genius who could turn the world upside down. However, he is also a violent troublemaker with a distressing past. He can't get over his wound and spends his days in a state of torpor, working at MIT as a janitor."

In the last sentences, why should "wound" be "wounds"? Should "wound" be always plural when it means a lasting bad effect on someone's mind or feelings caused by a very upsetting experience? Thanks!

Question

"wound" plural
Please read this: "He is an extraordinary genius who could turn the world upside down. However, he is also a violent troublemaker with a distressing past. He can't get over his wound and spends his days in a state of torpor, working at MIT as a janitor."

In the last sentences, why should "wound" be "wounds"? Should "wound" be always plural when it means a lasting bad effect on someone's mind or feelings caused by a very upsetting experience? Thanks!

Answer

Using the word "wound" instead of "wounds" here implies that this man has a singular, specific wound that is disturbing him.  If it were more than one wound, the writer might have used "wounds".

Answer

From the context provided, it sounds like this man has a troubled past - so we would expect that he has had a series, perhaps a whole childhood of bad experiences that have left their mark on him.  Each one of these negative experiences would constitute a wound - hence the use of the plural.