Symbolism In Another Country

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Recommended: Figurative language in a literary work

In the short story, “In Another Country” by Hemingway, the narrator is isolated from society after he returns from the war. The first sign of this is in the title itself. Figuratively, the narrator feels foreign to this world because of how detached he is from the rest of society. The narrator is not only an outcast to society, but also to the soldiers as he says, “The three with the medals were like hunting-hawks; and I was not a hawk, although I might seem a hawk to those who had never hunted” (). A hunting-hawk symbolizes bravery in this story and the narrator says he is not a hawk. He only received the medal for being an American, obviously isolating him from the other three. The narrator is lost in this new world after he returns home …show more content…

The town feels like the war has been over for awhile now because when it seemed like they would win, their thoughts of war slowed down and completely stopped when it ended. On the other hand, the war is always on the soldiers’ minds even after it ended. This showed how civilians are distanced from the soldiers. Before the war, Krebs was not allowed to drive his dad’s car. After the war, his mom told him that he could drive it to try to encourage him to get up and enjoy life. This did not change him which confused his parents. During this time, people did not understand the dramatic effects of war on men. Krebs was trying to decide whether to lie to people or not. He decided to tell his mom the truth when he said he didn’t love her. He then said, “I don’t love anybody” (). This shows how detached he has become from society. However, he resorted back to lying when she became upset with him. If Krebs did not truly love his mother, it seems improbable that he will love another woman. His parents want him to work and be ambitious but he doesn’t know what to do. He is very lost in this new world. Through the lies, and continued thoughts of war, Krebs is shown to be apart of the lost

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