A Soldier’s House In Ernest Hemingway’s Soldier’s Home, a man named Krebs finally arrives home two years after World War I ended, only to find that everyone has moved on. The question this story brings up is what the reader makes of Krebs’ behavior. On one side of the debate, Krebs’ adamant dismissal of his mother accompanied by his disinterest to find work comes off as a childish and almost infantile disposition. In contrast to that, Krebs’ secretive nature and inability to move on from the war reveals a misunderstood veteran. Steven Trout mentioned in his article that the story was not “an account of its creator’s personal experiences, disguised as fiction, but as a reflection of post-World War I American veterans’ issues” (“Where Do We Go From Here?”).While the class decided Krebs’ behavior is childish, Krebs actually acts the way he does because he cannot reintegrate with his home and therefore cannot come home. To truly understand and therefore sympathize with Krebs, it is important to note the setting that this short story takes place in.
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Hemingway begins the story with Krebs stating “people seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after war was over” (1). The story is set after World War I and Krebs is faced with the realization that the world has moved on without him; they do not care anymore. This is a town that knows nothing of the horror of the war except for what soldiers have told them, thus isolating Krebs from the people he was fighting to protect. It could be said that Krebs is simply not trying to move forward as he “does not feel the energy or the courage to break into” the town and girls’ niches (Hemingway 2). The lack of motivation could actually be depression brought on from what he has seen in the war. Furthermore, due to the time period and his role as a soldier, the setting helps reveal Krebs’ inability to return home from the war. Another point needed to be addressed is Krebs’ character. Hemingway paints Krebs with difficulties of being heard: “Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it” (1). Krebs needs to talk about what he saw so that he can move on, but the townspeople will only listen to grandiose tales and Krebs learns to despise having to lie to be heard. Krebs wants to be able to relate to his community, but everyone thinks he should get over it, further ostracizing him. While some consider his desire to be understood, some consider him a liar to claim glory especially when Krebs “attributes to himself things other men had seen, done or heard of” (Hemingway 1). His lying is a result of trying to get people to attempt to understand him, not to claim others’ glory. Krebs’ character, while shaped with his lying, directly puts him in the role of the misunderstood veteran who wants to be able fit back into his hometown. The final point that must be considered is the detached tone Hemingway uses in the story. While Krebs is reading a book he states “he was really learning about the war. He had been a good soldier. That made a
Hemingway begins the story with Krebs stating “people seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after war was over” (1). The story is set after World War I and Krebs is faced with the realization that the world has moved on without him; they do not care anymore. This is a town that knows nothing of the horror of the war except for what soldiers have told them, thus isolating Krebs from the people he was fighting to protect. It could be said that Krebs is simply not trying to move forward as he “does not feel the energy or the courage to break into” the town and girls’ niches (Hemingway 2). The lack of motivation could actually be depression brought on from what he has seen in the war. Furthermore, due to the time period and his role as a soldier, the setting helps reveal Krebs’ inability to return home from the war. Another point needed to be addressed is Krebs’ character. Hemingway paints Krebs with difficulties of being heard: “Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it” (1). Krebs needs to talk about what he saw so that he can move on, but the townspeople will only listen to grandiose tales and Krebs learns to despise having to lie to be heard. Krebs wants to be able to relate to his community, but everyone thinks he should get over it, further ostracizing him. While some consider his desire to be understood, some consider him a liar to claim glory especially when Krebs “attributes to himself things other men had seen, done or heard of” (Hemingway 1). His lying is a result of trying to get people to attempt to understand him, not to claim others’ glory. Krebs’ character, while shaped with his lying, directly puts him in the role of the misunderstood veteran who wants to be able fit back into his hometown. The final point that must be considered is the detached tone Hemingway uses in the story. While Krebs is reading a book he states “he was really learning about the war. He had been a good soldier. That made a