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Hopelessness In E. Cummings Soldier's Home

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Many people go to war with hopes of improving and protecting their lifestyle: some believe they can eradicate fear and terror. However, the emotional and psychological effects of war may go unacknowledged. Instead of trying to get rid of terror - they experience it. After facing the horrific nature of war, soldiers tend to have difficulty dealing with their intrusive thoughts or readjusting to civilian life. Their traumatic experience can lead to a sense of hopelessness. The poem “Next to of course God America I” and the short story “Soldier’s Home” extend on the theme of hopelessness. In E.E. Cummings’ 1926 “Next to of course God America I,” a speaker questions - in a mocking, satirical tone - the purpose and effects of war. While the speech contains extracts from the National Anthem and other patriotic songs, they are …show more content…

Krebs struggles to clear his mind and avoid complications when arriving home. Going through similar routines every day, with the same vision of home since before, he starts to lose hope with feelings of alienation from his family and community. Hemingway aims to reveal how lonely and pessimistic soldiers feel postwar. In paragraph four, Krebs’ community is too intrigued by “atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities.” Society creates the impression of being compelled to romanticize war rather than understand the reality of it all. It has become common for people to dismiss the reality of war. For this reason, Krebs shies away from society, with problems of revealing his intrusive thoughts to others. This social withdrawal expanded towards his family when his mother voices her worrisome throughout paragraph 65. Apparently, she was aware of the “temptations” that were exposed to Krebs, while his father believes Krebs lost his ambition. Evidently, the theme of hopelessness looms in the historical background of the

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