Analysis Of George Saunders 'Where Soldiers Come From'

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them", said JFK on Veteran’s Day, 1961. Morals like this one are meant to help us be better, but end up in the crosshairs of criticism by the two following works. “Home” by George Saunders concerns a scarred war veteran, Mikey, who now lives around people who try to project how moral they are in contrast to him despite their inability to hold to those morals. “Where Soldiers Come From” by Heather Courtney is a documentary that follows 3 guys looking for fulfillment through joining the National Guard and touring Afghanistan, but end up coming home feeling damaged, unfulfilled, and isolated from their community. Comparing these

To start off, the veterans feel a sense of disconnect from their families as a result of the war. “Home” depicts Mikey feeling unloved and neglected by his mother and Harris to the point where he threatens arson upon their house, planning to “at least make the first motions of torching the place, to get their attention, to make them act their age” (Saunders, 11). When Dom is relieved of duty in “Where Soldiers Come From”, he states how his family treats him in a very different way post-war but “not in a “you just got back from college” sort of way” (Courtney), instead a way where they act uncomfortable around him. For both examples, it is shown how their interactions with family have changed for the worse after their war experiences, hindering their ability to rebuild meaningful connections with family. Continuing on, the works depict veterans having difficulty with their love lives post-war. Mikey’s attempts to reconnect with his wife and kids in “Home” proved futile as Evan had complete control over his family, with Mikey being forced to revisit them at another time rather than when he needed the closure from being able to see his family. Dom and his girlfriend are strained in “Where Soldiers Come From” due to Dom’s inability to fully love her from his brain injury after the war, taking the element of love out of their romantic relationship. As is shown, both examples show relationships that have lost meaning due to the veteran’s inability to express love to those who they must, creating a void of love in the once-loving relationships. To add another point, the veterans themselves become hateful towards various groups of people, closing more doors to meaningful relationships. “Home” has Mikey developing vengeful feeling towards his higher-class peers due to their exclusion of him, deeming them “the sorriest bunch of bastards the world has ever known” (Saunders, 25). “Where Soldiers Come From” has