Soldiers Home Ernest Hemingway Analysis

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Soldier’s Home

Change is something that everyone will experience when going through life but sometimes events change you for the worse and your identity as you knew it is gone. Learning to establish the identity you desire is identity is something everyone should do. In the short story “Soldier 's home” written by Ernest Hemingway in 1925, Krebs a soldier in war has just returned home but his identity has changed and nothing feels the same anymore so he has to figure out what to do with himself.

The short story “Soldier 's home” is about Krebs who goes to war but afterwards when it is over he feels that everyone has expectations of him so he lies about how the war was and feels guilty about it. Furthermore Krebs has a desire to look …show more content…

Krebs the main character has a hard time adapting to society and a lot about him has changed. The military has learned him to not love anyone and he feels that doing anything that potentially has consequences is not worth the risk and that includes social interactions with girls which is demonstrated through the following quote. “When he was in town their appeal to him was not very strong. He did not like them when he saw them in the Greek 's ice cream parlour. He did not want them themselves really.” (P.3, line 34-36). The lost generation refers to the generation of young men who served in the first world war and that can be related to Krebs because he did serve in the war. Wandering without direction or goal is something that happens a lot to the lost generation and this most definitely is also an issue Krebs is dealing with himself. The feeling of being lost and not a part of society also stems from the military teaching Krebs that he should not love anyone not even his mother. “ 'Yes, Don 't you love your mother, dear boy? ' 'No, ' said Krebs.“ (p.8, line 5-6. Ernest Hemingway). The quote shows how the war and military has taught Krebs to not believe in love but in the society he currently lives in love is very crucial and therefore he feels lost