Soldier's Home Analysis

Life perspectives are changed when put in traumatic situations. People who are fighting overseas have trouble adapting to their original home due to the violence and the activities that they were required to perform. The short story “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway gives a monotone view into the life a a veteran who has come home from Germany. The town, local school, and his home define the main character, Krebs, as a simplistic man. Upon arriving home from Germany, Krebs expected people to seek his stories from the war. When Krebs tries to explain what he saw, people would ignore him. The stories were true in his perspective, but they were not the same heroic stories that the other veterans brought with them. Krebs has a deep dislike

The local schools also define Krebs as a simplistic person. After returning from the war, Krebs views the girls from his school differently. Though they may be pretty with their bobbed hair and short skirts, but they live a life that is too complicated and too superficial for him. They have not seen the horrors of war yet spread over exaggerated stories like a disease. Krebs says that he does not need a girl. The only non complicated girls were the French and German girls he met during the war. The last group that defines Krebs’ character is his family. Krebs’ sister wishes for him to watch her play at her game. If he says no then the family would be upset, making his situation complicated. He would have to lie and go against his own virtue of simplicity. His father is noncommittal to his stories, therefore the least complicated. He does not lie and also leads a simplistic view in life. Krebs’ mother is complicated, in Krebs’ terms. She asks to listen to his stories yet does not listen. She also asks him is he loved her. The mother cried when Krebs says that he does not love