Subjects:
In Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home," Harold's mother
shows selfishness in that she refuses to understand his
changing behavior. Her son, Harold Krebs, is a young man who
is returning home from his tour of duty in France. The
overwhelming shock of his experiences at war molds Harold
into a different man. Harold wants to talk about how the war
has affected him. He is unable to tell his mother the
unvarnished truth about his battles because of the time
period in which they live. His mother has no concept of what
really happens in a war and this is evident when she says "I
know the temptations you must have been exposed to. I know
how weak men are. I pray for you all day long." She prays
for Harold so that he will be strong and fight off the
temptations of women. This is sickening to Harold, because
the desire of a woman is a minor fault compared to the
horrifying events that occur in the outbreak of war. Harold
cannot explain to his mother how the war affected him. He
betrays symptoms of his discontent with his behavior
hoping that she will make some kind of logical relation.
. . .
them that she "would have done well to marry Mr. She protests that
the grandchildren "have been to Florida before, You ought to
take them somewhere else for a change so they would see
different parts of the world and be broad. His boss feels obligated to help, because Bartleby
does not have any family to speak of. Harold isolates himself from his family and his
community. The
grandmother reveals her selfishness in that she persistently
tries to change her son's mind about where they will be
vacationing. I couldn't answer to my conscience
if I did. He selfishly assumes that he can stay there
rent free. The
grandmother wants to go to Tennessee to "visit some of her
connections. " Her selfishness is present again when she lies
about her concern for her grandchildren.
Like the other two characters, Bartleby, in Melville's
"Bartleby, the Scrivener," also has a selfish nature. He works
diligently copying paper after paper. " His mothers
love for him is selfish because she refuses to acknowledge
the affect the war has on her son. He
does not speak much, but thoroughly does his work. The new landlords at the building
have Bartleby thrown in jail because he refuses to leave the
building. The grandmother
wants her way so badly that not only does she lie to her
son, but she tries to make him feel guilty and says, "I
wouldn't take my children in any direction with a criminal
like that aloose in it.
Essay's Topics
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