The Caretaker: A Novel

The Korean War is rooted in the aftermath of World War II, when the Korean peninsula was split into two nations as a way to appease the interests of both the United States and the Soviet Union: North Korea became communist controlled, aligning itself with the Soviet Union, and South Korea became an American ally. Troops were initially stationed in each country but withdrawn in 1949. On June 25, 1950, the conflict began when North Korea launched an attack on South Korea in an attempt at reunification. The United States became involved in the conflict after a call to do so from the United Nations. Defending South Korea was considered vital to prevent the spread of communism. The Soviet Union was aided by its ally China, while the United States was supported by a United Nations coalition including countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Greece, and Belgium. American and British soldiers fought alongside the South Koreans. A stalemate was reached a year later in July 1951, and the Soviet Union declared that it would sign an armistice. However, the official end would not come for two more years due to disputes over prisoners of war. The fighting ended when an armistice was signed on July 27,1953, but since there was no peace treaty, the Korean conflict remains technically ongoing. The nation remains divided, with the war serving only to strengthen the division within the nation and solidify it as a more permanent one. Historically, the war is regarded as a notable “proxy war” during the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union (“Korean War.” National Army Museum).

The war impacted United States citizens in several ways, but it most notably impacted those from rural communities. The war was financed by an increase on taxes, the cost of which impacted America’s working class. As the war carried on, there was an increased demand on agriculture to provide food to feed service people abroad. Financially, this was beneficial for farmers since they could increase crop production. High food prices, however, impacted US citizens. By the same token, combat required the recruitment of young soldiers: the United States instituted a draft through which more than 1.5 million men between the ages of 18 and 35 were forced to enter the war. That meant a decreased labor force across the United States, including the agricultural community. Much of rural America was supportive of the war efforts, as anti-communist sentiment was generally high among this sector of the nation. Yet some rural citizens harbored a belief against US involvement in foreign affairs. Thus, tensions often developed within rural communities (“The Korean War and Rural America.” The Greatest Generation, 19 July 2022). The events of The Caretaker illustrate many of these historical trends, as protagonist Jacob is among those drafted into the war, leaving his parents with no one to take over the running of their family business.

The war heightened the nation’s concerns about global communist influence, paving the way for increased anxiety surrounding what would be known as the Cold War and paving the way for US involvement in future foreign conflicts such as the Vietnam War. Importantly, however, the patriotic fervor generated by the success of World War II just a few years earlier meant that war service was regarded as honorable and admirable, and veterans were lauded for their service. The Korean War would prove to be the end of an era, as the Vietnam War would bring about a sea change in perception of military involvement and action.