Day 25 – Research involving the protagonist’s friend – a man who can disassociate from the past, but cannot, for the time being, bring himself back into the real world except when there is a job that interests him (not all that often)
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The Exile in Suburbia: Deconstructing the Phenomenological Transformation of the Senseless War Veteran
Abstract
This paper examines the complex psychological and behavioural transformation of the so-called “normal man” who experiences a “senseless war,” tracing his journey from conventional societal integration to profound post-war dissociation and isolation. Utilising frameworks of Moral Injury (MI), Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and theories of functional survivability under extreme stress, this analysis details how the protagonist’s evolving awareness of the war’s meaninglessness precipitates a shift towards anti-authoritarianism, localised heroism, and a paradoxical cycle of valour and punishment. The paper posits that the necessary adaptations required for survival in the combat theatre—namely, functional disconnection—render the veteran incapable of reintegrating into the sterile predictability of suburban life, ultimately leading to disassociation and social hermitage.
1. Introduction: Defining Normalcy and the War Crucible
The figure of the returning veteran, particularly one scarred by conflicts perceived as strategically or morally ambiguous, serves as a critical case study in the interaction between individual psyche and state violence. The initial state of the protagonist—the “normal man”—represents a foundation of unchallenged social conformity, ready to accept the state-sanctioned narrative of the conflict. This normalcy acts as a tabula rasa upon which the trauma of war is inscribed.
This paper addresses the central question: How does an individual, subjected to the cognitive dissonance of participating in a morally bankrupt conflict, navigate extreme behavioural shifts (anti-authority, heroism, criminality), maintain functional capacity despite internal fragmentation, and ultimately fail to re-establish a foothold in civilian society?
This analysis proceeds through four phases: (1) The shattering of the initial narrative; (2) The functional paradox of wartime behaviour (heroism and defiance); (3) The mechanisms of sustained function; and (4) The failure of reintegration and subsequent dissociation. The core thesis is that the moral clarity and anti-institutional identity forged in the senseless war become antithetical to the shallow morality and conformity required for suburban existence, forcing the veteran into isolated exile.
2. The Shattering Narrative: From Conformity to Moral Injury
2.1. The Erosion of Initial Belief
The transition from a conflict perceived as necessary to one recognised as “senseless” is the critical inciting incident for the protagonist’s shift. Initially, the man is supported by the prevailing ideologies of duty, honour, and national interest. As the reality of the war unfolds—characterized by arbitrary violence, unclear objectives, and high costs for negligible gains—the foundational military narrative collapses.
This collapse initiates Moral Injury (MI), a concept extending beyond PTSD, defined by Shay (1994) as the violation of core moral beliefs by oneself or others in positions of legitimate authority. The protagonist witnesses or is forced to participate in acts that violate his deepest ethical standards, often under the direct order of the hierarchy he is supposed to respect.
2.2. The Emergence of Anti-Authority
The systemic realisation of the war’s senselessness directly implicates the military command structure as incompetent or malicious. The protagonist’s initial acceptance of authority transforms into deep-seated mistrust and outright rejection. This anti-authority stance is not merely insubordination; it is a profound moral judgment.
The soldier realises that survival and ethical action often require bypassing or actively resisting the institutional chain of command. This rejection serves as a psychological defence mechanism, creating an internal locus of control and moral clarity separate from the confusing and often criminal official mission. This anti-authoritarian identity becomes pathognomonic of his wartime experience.
3. The Paradox of Functional Disconnection: Heroism and the Stockade
3.1. Localised Heroism and Survival
Paradoxically, the individual’s profound disconnection from the large institutional mission often fuels intense, localised loyalty. Heroism in the senseless war is rarely motivated by national strategic goals; it is driven by the immediate, visceral need to protect the small unit (the “band of brothers”).
These acts of bravery, defined by extraordinary courage in the face of imminent danger (“incredible odds”), are sudden eruptions of moral action. There are instances where the protagonist’s self-efficacy and moral imperative align perfectly with the localised need for survival, temporarily overcoming the pervasive feeling of meaninglessness.
3.2. The Vicious Cycle: Valour, Defiance, and Punishment
The protagonist is trapped in a cognitive dissonance loop created by the institution:
- Valour: The soldier acts heroically, often defying orders to save lives or complete a necessary mission locally.
- Defiance: His heroism often involves clear insubordination or violation of regulation (driven by anti-authority).
- Punishment: The same institution that benefits from his skill immediately penalises him for his independence and defiance (e.g., “one minute in the stockade the next”).
This cycle reinforces the veteran’s identity as an outsider and validates his anti-authority belief. The stockade is not just punishment; it is institutional confirmation that the military values blind obedience over moral action or effectiveness. The individual learns that the only reliable moral compass is his internal system, further isolating him from the command structure.
3.3. Mechanisms of Sustained Function
Despite profound psychological fragmentation, the protagonist “still function[s] at a certain level.” This sustained capacity is explained by several survival mechanisms (Grossman, 1995):
- Compartmentalisation: The ability to mentally wall off the emotional and moral horror of the war while executing complex tasks (e.g., combat maneuvers).
- Dissociative Adaptation: Minor dissociation during key stress periods allows the body to act autonomously, often referred to as “autopilot.”
- Hyper-Vigilance: An intense, focus-driven awareness that ironically enhances combat performance but is destructive in peacetime.
These adaptations, crucial for physical survival, come at the cost of unified psychological integrity. The soldier survives by functionally disconnecting the self that acts from the self that feels.
4. The Exile in Suburbia: Dissociation and Alienation
4.1. The Incompatibility of Worlds
Returning home places the veteran in the “suburban setting,” a space characterised by material comfort, routine, and a pervasive societal pressure to perform “normalcy.” This environment is the psychological antithesis of the war zone.
The war-forged identity—defined by urgency, moral extremity, quick judgments, and anti-authoritarianism—is utterly incompatible with the expectations of quiet compliance and banal consumerism inherent to the suburb. He is fluent in the language of survival but mute in the language of small talk and routine.
4.2. Disassociation and Hermitage
The failure of reintegration manifests primarily as disassociation. The veteran has experienced a profound shattering of the ego, exacerbated by the required compartmentalisation during the war. Back home, where the extreme stimuli are absent, the mind struggles to unify the memories and the current environment.
Dissociation functions as a means of self-preservation:
- Emotional Numbing: The veteran restricts emotional engagement to avoid the overwhelming anxiety triggered by the banal nature of civilian life, which feels insignificant or ridiculous compared to the stakes of war.
- Depersonalization: He may feel detached from his own body or actions, observing his life from a distance.
- Isolation (Hermitage): The decision to become “almost a hermit” is a logical extension of his disassociation. He seeks to minimize external stimuli and interaction because the required emotional work to fake normalcy is too taxing. He withdraws to the only space where his authentic, morally injured self can exist without constant performance—a private, silent exile within his own home.
4.3. Existential Alienation
Beyond clinical dissociation, the veteran suffers from acute Existential Alienation. His realisation of the war’s meaninglessness stripped him of easy answers about human purpose and morality. He returns to a society that has retained its comfortable illusions, talking about trivial matters while he carries the burden of undeniable truths about human cruelty and bureaucratic indifference.
The suburban setting, therefore, does not offer peaceful refuge; it becomes a constant reminder of the profound gulf between his lived experience and the sanitised reality of home. His refusal to participate in the suburban performance is a silent, but profound, act of anti-authority against the collective delusion of peaceful Western life.
5. Conclusion
The journey of the “normal man” through a senseless war is a compelling illustration of psychological disintegration under extreme moral and physical duress. His eventual transformation into an anti-authoritarian hero, fluctuating between valour and punishment, is not random but a coherent moral response to institutional failure. The survival mechanisms developed—functional disconnection and profound compartmentalisation—ultimately doom his attempt at civilian life.
The final state of the veteran, the disassociative hermit in suburbia, is the tragic outcome of a man who achieved a terrifying moral clarity in chaos, yet finds that clarity disqualifying in peace. His isolation is not a sign of failure but a determined refusal to sacrifice the painful truths he earned for the hollow comfort of societal reintegration. Further research is necessary to explore effective therapeutic interventions that address Moral Injury and facilitate the reintegration of the wartime identity into a stable civilian self.
Thrills, Spills, and just a dash of Romance 