Soldiers+Home

Names- Gavin Atkinson, Kelsey Jurewicz, Liz Matthews

Summary: Harold Krebs is a marine who has just returned from fighting in Germany during WWI. He returns about a year and a half after WWI is over, and when he arrives at his home town in OK, his fellow townsfolk do not care to listen to his war stories and are done with treating returning soldiers as heroes. At first, Krebs does not want to talk to anyone about his war experiences, but by the time he is ready, no one is willing to listen. So, he resorts to lying and attributes heroism of other soldiers to himself. The war seems to have had a very negative effect on Krebs, he mostly sits on his porch and watches those around him. He seems lazy and lethargic, as he comments that he would like to have a girl, but doesn't want to take the steps necessary to get one. When he talks to his sister, his replies are very short and uninterested. When his sister asks if he loves her, he doesn't really give her a definite answer, and seems to only agree with her to stop the conversation. His mom tells him that he is allowed to take his father's car out on evenings and then talks to him about his need to find a steady job. He winds up telling his mother he does not love her, but when she breaks down in tears, he lies to her to make her stop, and sits in silence while she prays for him. He resolves to reluctantly go to Kansas City and get a job the next day, just to please his mother and get her off his case.

Analysis of Style: Main Point: The author's sparse style through his use of tone, syntax and dialogue is an effective way to portray the feelings and attitudes of the main character. -Hemingway uses short, blunt sentences to show the depressed and lethargic nature of Krebs. -It is mentioned in the story that Krebs did not want to come home from Germany after the war. The title is ironic, as it's ambiguity could mean that "the soldier is home" or "the home belongs to the soldier" when in reality he did not want to come home and does not feel at home. -The dialogue Krebs has with his mother and his sister shows how Krebs is irritable towards his family. He replies in a short, undecided manner and seems very disinterested in the conversation. -Hemingway also uses repeated phrases and simple sentences to show how Krebs just wants a simple lifestyle free from complications.

Psychoanalytical Analysis: -Based on the list of battles that Krebs was in (Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel and the Argonne) and how he had to see the aftermath for a year and a half after it was over, Krebs must have had to see and deal with a lot of horrifying and traumatizing images. -Because Krebs came home after the war was over for a good while, he was not welcomed and celebrated as a hero when he returned. This probably caused him to feel no sense of purpose in his life and left him feeling lethargic and lazy. -In order to get people to listen to him, Krebs invented stories about the war and lied to people. Still, the story describes how his made up stories were not as enticing and exciting as stories told previously. This could be another reason for Krebs' distant and bothered attitude. His lies begin to dominate him and it seems that he cannot stop lying. -Krebs describes how he wants to "get a girl" but he feels like it isn't worth it and it takes too much effort. He describes how his times in Germany were better than home because the girls couldn't communicate because of the language barrier. This explains and proves how Krebs does not want to put energy and effort into his relationships, even with his mother and sister. -The story describes how Krebs' father is "non-commital" and there is no interaction or dialogue with him in the story. Whenever he is mentioned, it is the mother that is talking to him about important issues in Krebs' life, not Krebs. This could have had a detrimental impact on Krebs' emotions and attitudes. -Krebs' attitudes mirror the symptoms of depression, probably due to the fact that he was not welcomed as a hero when he returned from war and was forced to lie to be heard.

THE END!



Main Point: The author's sparse style through his use of tone, syntax and dialogue is an effective way to portray the feelings and attitudes of the main character.