Hemingway Soldier's Home Analysis
“Soldier's Home” by Ernest Hemingway tells the tale of Harold Krebs and his journey through the war and his return home. The short story details the multiple stages of his adventure, including the call to war, leaving his home, becoming involved, and most importantly his disappointment with his return home. Hemingway shows that places change people. A culture shock can shape a person in a certain way that makes them disappointed with their reality at home. Krebs is disappointed, depressed, and all together uncooperative at home after the war.The common phrase “you can't return home” is spelled out clearly by Hemingway with Krebs’ arrival to his home town. Krebs’ story can easily be broken into several key sections. The first is the calling
…show more content…
He spends his days doing nothing productive. He doesn’t want a girl because “He did not want any consequences”(167). Hemingway uses that sentence twice adding “ever again,”(167) the second time for emphasis. This shows how tired and unwilling Krebs truly is. Krebs was a “good soldier” (168). This means that he followed orders and didn't make his own choices. He had someone in charge of him, making his life easy. When he returns home he lacks someone to command his actions. Even when his family tries to excite him with things like his little sister’s indoor baseball game and his dad finally offering for Krebs to drive the family car, Krebs is clearly apathetic. He replies with “Is that all?” (170) when his mother offers her worries to him, and “No,” (170) when she asks if he loves her. He’s even unwilling to pray with his mother after he had hurt her feelings so much. War left Krebs careless. Hemingway shows the reader a realistic perspective of a returning soldier in “Soldier’s Home”. He tells the tale of a man who goes to war, experiences a whole new culture, and returns home. Harold Krebs may be physically home, but he’s mentally stuck in Germany. He still needs someone to command him and to make complicated decisions for him. Krebs journey left a gap in him, one that needed to be filled by other places or experiences.Home isn’t going to be enough for him
He spends his days doing nothing productive. He doesn’t want a girl because “He did not want any consequences”(167). Hemingway uses that sentence twice adding “ever again,”(167) the second time for emphasis. This shows how tired and unwilling Krebs truly is. Krebs was a “good soldier” (168). This means that he followed orders and didn't make his own choices. He had someone in charge of him, making his life easy. When he returns home he lacks someone to command his actions. Even when his family tries to excite him with things like his little sister’s indoor baseball game and his dad finally offering for Krebs to drive the family car, Krebs is clearly apathetic. He replies with “Is that all?” (170) when his mother offers her worries to him, and “No,” (170) when she asks if he loves her. He’s even unwilling to pray with his mother after he had hurt her feelings so much. War left Krebs careless. Hemingway shows the reader a realistic perspective of a returning soldier in “Soldier’s Home”. He tells the tale of a man who goes to war, experiences a whole new culture, and returns home. Harold Krebs may be physically home, but he’s mentally stuck in Germany. He still needs someone to command him and to make complicated decisions for him. Krebs journey left a gap in him, one that needed to be filled by other places or experiences.Home isn’t going to be enough for him