"Complications" An analysis of "Soldier's Home"
In Ernest Hemingway's short story, "Soldier's Home", we are presented with the story of a young man returning from war. As the protagonist of Hemingway's short story, Krebs returns from WW I to the town and house in which he was raised as a boy. Though we are not given any narration of Krebs' experiences before or during the war, Hemingway leaves us symbols of both in the first four paragraphs of the story. One, a picture of Krebs before the war, with his fellow fraternity brothers at a Kansas Methodist college, where notably, "all of them [are] wearing exactly the same height and style collar" (136), obviously symbolizing conformity to Methodist / family values and expectations. The second from during the war, a picture of Krebs with, "two German girls and another corporal." (137). This picture is placed to let the mature audience ponder the likely possibilities it reflects. An assumption can easily be made that the two girls are, in all likelihood, prostitutes; an assumption that acquires greater validity and significance as the plot progresses. Yet a third and very important symbol Hemingway leaves us as foundation to build his story upon is the solitary note of Krebs, " [
Hemingway depicts these values gradually, asserting them through symbols, dialog and more interestingly, through the artful narration of Krebs' personal contemplations in contrast with understood standards of American society. Though to Krebs this is more than appeasing his mother's expectations, but rather his escape from his entire family's and town's imposed standards. Even further, Hemingway ties the entire package of standards and expectations to a mother's and son's love when Krebs' mother queries, "Don't you love your mother, dear boy?" (141). This is most obviously exampled where Hemingway narrates Krebs' perspectives regarding relationships, particularly as regards relationships with women. Krebs is as normal as can be for a young man returning from such a profound, life altering experience, and his family and society are no longer entirely normal to him any longer. The innocent, involved boy gladly conforming to his family's and society's expectations is transformed into a hardened and emotionally calloused man. Indeed, tying these both to their standards of God and religion, demanding that, "There can be no idle hands in His Kingdom [the Kingdom of God]. Hemingway renders Krebs, not as a malicious or contrary man trying to subvert his family's values, but simply a man who has been stripped of his presuppositions. " (140), and when she insists and reasserts these expectations summarily dismissing her as the embodiment of all his complications and consequences, "No, [I don't love you] I don't love anybody," (141). Krebs' family's and society's expectations themselves take on the life of his antagonist. Krebs is intimidated, like any young man is prone to be, by the prospects of courting and marriage; but unlike other young men not initiated into the alternatives, Krebs is profoundly aware of the dispensability of both. Though feeling no particular inspiration of love for his mother, nor indeed anyone, Krebs nevertheless does not want to hurt her.
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Acceptance Essays
