Katherine Jarema

Professor Mitchell

ENG 131

18 October, 2016

Thank you for your service: The Alienation of a Veterans Return Home

Returning home from war is an extremely hard adjustment. It is a shift for not only the

war vet, but those around them, including family and possibly even strangers on the street.

George Saunders Home, a fictional piece, shines light on the real struggles faced by the ever-

anticipated return home. It is a telling of a man making his way back through society and trying

to readjust. The difficulties faced are all too familiar to that of a veteran. The Washington Post

and the movie Gran Torino only assist Home in showing its genuine nature. Home, although

a fictional piece, embodies the true life of veterans when returning home from war, playing out

the real-life situations when faced with family, strangers, and other vets alike.

Home by George Saunders, is centered around a veteran named Mikey. He has just

returned home from being oversees in the war. He comes back to his mom and her boyfriend

living in his childhood home, which they soon get evicted from. He then travels over to his

sisters house, to which he is not welcomed in, but he is presented with a maybe another day

and many questions about if he did it. A trip to an unknown store showcases the stereotypical

response that veterans are used to hearing. His ex-wifes house was next on Mikeys list. Her

new partner wouldnt even let him in to see his kids. Mikey ended up snapping when his sister

wouldnt let him hold her baby. The next trip to the store brought a different experience when the

two guys working were also vets. They all talked about where they had been and what they had
seen. Finally, reaching his ex-wifes house, his whole family was on the porch. However,

throughout the entire story, Mikey has outbursts of anger and it usually ends with him throwing

something, whether it be a person or a lemonade pitcher. It ends with the uncertainty of whether

Mikey did something to his family, or if he just wanted to do something but couldnt.

Veterans are far too familiar with the phrase thank you for your service and Mikey is

faced with that very same false gratitude. Mikeys first encounter is with the landlord. The first

thing that is said is I am grateful for your service. However, Mikey angered quickly when he

was told they were being evicted and he grabbed the landlord by the shirt and threw him on the

ground. This started out as a normal stranger encounter and turns into Mikeys rage getting the

best of him. The next situation occurs when Mikey is faced with the kids in the store. Again, the

line, thank you for your service is muttered and is followed by snarky and sarcastic comments

on Mikeys end. The sheriff is also one to offer up the cold and detached thank you for your

service. All of these encounters from strangers, although responded to differently from Mikey,

have the same lackluster. They are said without knowing what they are truly thanking him for.

Those phrases of gratitude only grows the gap between society and war. That phrase is

something that is said without intent of distancing, but furthers oneself from the truth

nonetheless. Thank you for your service tends to be such a truly thankless saying.

It tends to be hard for veterans to talk about their experiences with normal people in

society because they simply dont understand what they have been through. It is quoted that a

lot of vets find it easier to talk to each other, especially about their wartime experiences. When

Mikey reenters the store in which he was previously greeted with a thank you, he is instead

greeted by two young men, both of which served. They end up swapping stories about what they

saw and what happened to them. Mikeys tone was different when talking to them. He wasnt as
hesitant and was surprisingly open with these strangers. He felt comfortable talking about their

experiences because he knew that they all understood. It is a feeling that no one understands or

no one could understand. Connecting with other veterans is a way of dealing with past events in

their lives and moving forward.

Mikey becomes alienated and dismissed of his actions in his own home. Upon returning,

Mikey isnt faced with a warm welcome, but with a familiar household holding familiar people.

His mother treats him to food, but it seems as if she is trying to go about the day completely

normal. However, Mikey isnt used to the normal. She acts like everything goes right back to

where they left off, like nothing has changed. She is also quick to mention that he earned a Silver

Star and that he was a veteran when introducing him to others. She remains blind to the notion

that this only further separates Mikey from society and even herself. On the other end of the

spectrum, Mikeys sister is completely distant from him. She wont allow him to come inside,

she wont let him hold her baby, and she is dismissive and quizzical about what he has done. This

distance in only heightened when Mikey snaps and holds the lemonade pitcher like a baby, only

then to spike it on the ground. Mikey tries to go and see his kids, and he is even denied that.

Everything that was normal is now different for him. His mother is in denial, his wife doesnt

want him to see the kids, and his sister acts as if he is a completely different person now. These

situations are similar to those of returning soldiers. It is hard for them to reenter society and face

family after going through such a hard time. The situations of family discomfort and new tension

is all part of the new normal to those who have fought. Mikey is welcomed with alienation from

most, if not all, of his family

The Washington Post article titled After the Wars: A Legacy of Pain and Pride, written

by Rajiv Chandrasekaren, goes into great detail about the lives of those who have served. There
are real-life accounts and studies brought in to support the main ideas that are brought up. One of

the biggest things mentioned is the difficulty transitioning back into society. A study conducted

mentioned that 45 percent [of veterans] have relationship problems with their spouse or

partner. The article brings up the changing of relationships when returning. This shows the

reactions and experiences that Mikey was faced with when confronting his family are all

accurate and probable scenarios in which someone is welcomed home. Likewise, the movie

Gran Torino, holds many accuracies when discussing familial transitioning. It takes a different

approach and focuses on an older man, but his/and his familys reactions still hold truth. He is a

war vet that is on edge. He is cynical and doesnt want to talk to anyone about what happened or

even just talk about anything at all. His family also alienates him and only seem to be around

when he doesnt want them there. They end up treating him differently after he went through life

altering events. Those who have been through hard times tend to distance themselves and

become selective on who they want to talk to.

Saunderss Home depicts a very accurate telling of real life situations faced by many

returning veterans today. A returning war hero deserves more than just the thank you for your

service that they inevitably receive. He discussed the complex matters of familial and

relationship dynamics and how they shift after someone has gone to war. Veterans deserve the

same family that they left behind. They need the support that they undeniably dont end up

receiving from anyone other than fellow servicemen.

 Works Cited

Chandrasekaren, Rajiv. "After the Wars: A Legacy of Pain and Pride The Washington Post, 29

Mar. 2014. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2014/03/29/a-legacy-of-pride-

and-pain/

Gran Torino. Clint Eastwood, Warner Bros, 2008.

Saunders, George. "Home." The New Yorker, 13 June 2011.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/06/13/home-george-saunders