“Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway is about a Methodist College student that goes to war from Kansas. When Krebs comes back from war, he starts a life of lying and deceit that he finds difficult to escape. Krebs continues lying about the past and his present in Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home.” Hemingway conveys Krebs’ inability to embrace the truth of the past and the present through plot in the exposition, conflict, and climax. The protagonist in “Soldier’s Home,” Harold Krebs, begins lying in the exposition about his experiences in war. The first sentence of the short story says, “Krebs went to the war from a methodist college in Kansas.” Ernest Hemingway depicts Krebs as a religious person because he specifically mentions Krebs going to a methodist college, but later on in the short story readers find that Krebs lies about his faith. When Krebs returns from the war he discovers, “That to be listened to at all he had to lie….” At this point in the exposition Krebs begins his treacherous journey into the world of lying and deceit. Krebs continues by saying, “ His …show more content…
The conflict begins with Krebs’ sister asking, “‘Do you love me?’ ‘Uh, huh’ ‘Will you love me always?’ ‘Sure.’” In this quote Krebs’ sister assures that Harold still loves her, despite Harold not going to her softball game. However, Krebs later says, “I don’t love anybody.” Krebs then proves that he lied to his sister about loving her. Furthermore, Krebs lies, once again, to his mother, “‘God has work for everyone… No idle hands in his kingdom’...’I’m not in his kingdom.’” Earlier in the story Hemingway mentions that Krebs went to a methodist college. Because of this, readers believe that Harold is a religious person; however, when Harold says “I’m not in his kingdom,” readers believe the opposite. The conflict of “Soldier’s Home” supplies an abundant amount of evidence that Harold cannot embrace the truth of his past or
This Newberry award nominated book, written by Irene Hunt, tells the story of the “home life” of her grandfather, Jethro, during the Civil War. Not only does it give a sense of what it is like to be in the war but also it really tells you exactly what the men leave behind. Jethro is forced to make hard decisions, and face many hardships a boy his age shouldn't have to undergo. This is an admirable historical fiction book that leaves it up to the reader to decide if being at home was the superior choice or if being a soldier in the war was.
A photo of Krebs during World War I shows him with a corporal and two German girls on the Rhine River. One's first thought of this picture may be of a lighthearted sightseeing trip on leave from the front. However, in the photograph, Krebs and the other corporal are described as "too big for their uniforms," the German girls as "not beautiful," and the Rhine does not even appear in the photograph (154). This is how Ernest Hemingway begins "Soldier's Home," the story of a young war veteran named Harold Krebs who has recently returned home. Everything that Krebs says and does is to make his life as smooth and have as few complications as possible, more than likely a stark contrast to his life in Europe.
Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" depicts a young man in his early twenties after his return from World War I. The young man, Krebs, has arrived home too late. Thus, he doesn't receive the adulation of the town as the others did. This first loss was the beginning of a long inward journey for Krebs. His unwillingness, then inability, to discuss his part in the war with others immediately had an effect on Krebs. He was unable to get some form of closure, something which he direly needed. Due to the extravagant stories foretold by others, Krebs was forced to lie in order to fit in.
Beginning with an introduction of the “all American boy,” Hemingway launches the short story “Soldier’s Home” with a simplistic, yet through depiction of the protagonist Harold Krebs. Attending a Methodist college in Kansas based with a strong religious foundation, Krebs seemed to be one who had his life all figured out. Nonetheless, this all changes when Krebs makes a conscious decision to enlist in the Marines during the occurrence of World War I. Based off of Ernest Hemingway’s famous works, it is very typical of him to initiate his short stories with a contrasting theme---in this case war and religion. One of the Ten Commandments of the Bible is “thou shall not murder.” However, regardless of whether it is believed that war is justifiable
Hemingway, Ernest. "Soldier's Home." The Bedford Introduction to Literature, 6th Edition. Ed. Michael Meyer. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. 2002. 152-57.
Harold Krebs in Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home,” returns from World War I to a society that he no longer feels a part of and receives no welcome for his heroic deeds. He resents being home which is largely due to the fact, that during the war he led a very simple lifestyle and upon returning home is thrust back into a complicated domestic life. He tries to seek refuge by withdrawing from society and engages himself in individual activities.
...She does not act like the other girls, most of the time yet, she does want Krebs to fit into to a role -- her beau -- and fulfil obligations -- going to her indoor baseball game. Those two attributes together cause Krebs to be fonder of his sister than anyone else and at the same time push her away. Krebs even pushes away his mother because she tries to diligently to convince him to conform. Thus causing Krebs’s to say he does not love her, the ultimate form of rejection a child can do to a parent. Due to guilt Krebs does agree to conform but struggles with his decision. Ernest Hemingway’s character Harold Krebs tries to reject conforming to society but in the end he realizes that he can not escape it and grapple with reality.
Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” is about a young U.S. Marine who goes by the name of Krebs. He returns home from WWI to find that nothing in his hometown has changed. Krebs parents never acknowledge him for his sacrificed and dedication to serve in the war. He suffers from post-war trauma and depression. While trying to tell his family and friends about his war stories he realizes that no one wants to listen to anymore war stories. Krebs must make up lies so that people will listen, only to dig himself into a deeper hole of more lies. Ernest Hemingway uses symbolism, irony, and setting to present a them about the challenges veterans face when reentering civilian life.
The novel "Soldier's Home" manifests that in order for life to go smoothly with no complications there are solutions with taking the easy path. One way this work proves this point is through a theme. Theme is a central message through the literary work. In the story, Hemingway mentioned, "Vaguely he wanted a girl, but he did not want to work to get her" stating how Krebs wanted to get a girlfriend (Hemingway 2). Also as Krebs discussed with his mother about what he was going to do with his life, Krebs actions were to get a job to please her. He comprehended that getting the job k...
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
O’Brien, Tim. “How To Tell a True War Story.” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford St. Martins, 2003. p. 420-429.
Hemingway deals with the effects of war on the male desire for women in many of his novels and short stories, notably in his novel, The Sun Also Rises. In this novel, the main character Jake, is impotent because of an injury received in World War I. Jakes situation is reminiscent of our main character Krebs. Both characters have been damaged by World War I; the only difference is Jake’s issue is physical, while Krebs issue is mental. Krebs inwardly cannot handle female companionship. Although Krebs still enjoys watching girls from his porch and he “vaguely wanted a girl but did not want to have to work to get her” (167). Krebs found courting “not worth it” (168). The girls symbolize what World War I stripped from our main character, a desire that is natural for men, the desire for women.
The story, A Soldiers Home, is about a man in conflict with the past and present events in his life. The young man’s name is Harold Krebs. He recently returned from World War 1 to find everything almost exactly the same as when he left. He moved back into his parents house, where he found the same car sitting in the same drive way. He also found the girls looking the same, except now they all had short hair. When he returned to his home town in Oklahoma the hysteria of the soldiers coming home was all over. The other soldiers had come home years before Krebs had so everyone was over the excitement. When he first returned home he didn’t want to talk about the war at all. Then, when he suddenly felt the urge and need to talk about it no one wanted to hear about it. When he returned all of the other soldiers had found their place in the community, but Harold needed more time to find his place. In the mean time he plays pool, “practiced on his clarinet, strolled down town, read, and went to bed.”(Hemingway, 186) When his mother pressures him to get out and get a girlfriend and job, he te...
The setting in this story is a small town in rural Oklahoma in the late hot summer. Harold Krebs is part of a loving family with a good moral up bringing and high standards. The family is middle class. Krebs, at the time of his enlistment is a student at a Methodist college in Kansas and goes off to war. Krebs, as most young men in the twenties did not volunteer for military service. He Left for Germany and his part of the war, as was the expectations of the time for all men coming of age.
The story has different elements that make it a story, that make it whole. Setting is one of those elements. The book defines setting as “the context in which the action of the story occurs” (131). After reading “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemmingway, setting played a very important part to this story. A different setting could possibly change the outcome or the mood of the story and here are some reasons why.