Ernest Hemingway Soldier's Home Essay

“Soldier's Home” is a short story by Ernest Hemingway that shows the post-war effects on a person and how they try to adjust back into their lives as it was before they left. Ernest Hemingway was born in Oak Park, Illinois on July 21, 1899. After finishing high school Hemingway volunteered as an ambulance driver in World War I. While serving he was wounded on an Italian war front. After the war he took his first hand experiences and wrote them into several of his books. At the age of 62 Hemingway became terminally ill with cancer and choose to commit suicide. Harold Krebs had been enlisted as a Marine and was sent overseas to help fight, when he came home his presence was shrugged off. Krebs arrived later than all of the other soldiers and now lives a secluded life where he would rather not get involved with anyone or anything. Krebs parents push that he get a girlfriend and a job but he always declines the prompt and would rather keep his life simple and not be involved. Throughout this story the setting remains the same but you get a general understanding of what it was like overseas. As you read the story you may find yourself responding in your head to some of the events as you read. For example, “By the time Krebs returned to his hometown in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late. The men in town who had been drafted had all be welcomed elaborately on their return. There had been a great deal of hysteria. Now the reaction had set in. People seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war was over” (165). Being that Krebs served his country and put himself before everyone else, I think that he deserves a large celebration even if he did come back late. Being shipped off to another country is one thing but making it back home to the United States is something that I don’t think should be looked past. Krebs went through some drastic changes in his life from where he had been living to what he had done from day to day. If I were Krebs I would feel upset and unappreciated for serving our country and returning home to find that no one really cared what I had done. Although Krebs never says or does anything to show that he may have wanted some regition, he may have felt it but just kept it to himself instead. Another thing you may have a strong opinion about is the way his parents push and prod for him to settle down and begin his future. “Your father is worried, too,” his mother went on. “He thinks you have lost your ambition, that you haven’t got a definite aim in life. Charley Simmons, who is just your age, has a good job and is going to be married. The boys are all settling down; they’re all determined to get somewhere; you can see that boys like Charley …show more content…
“He did not want any consequences ever again. He wanted to live alone without consequences” (166). As I read though this story I felt as if his mom was pushy and and wanted him to be more than he already is. I get what Krebs is probably feeling. He just wants to be alone and not have to deal with anyone so he doesn’t have any trouble to be involved with. Instead his mom continues to push for him to get a job and a girlfriend and he just blows it off. If I were Krebs I would probably address the situation and tell my parents that I would no longer like to be pushed around and that I am trying to deal with things on my own. Kerbs’ living situations, surroundings, and environments have all changed from living overseas to returning back to his hometown. Although there is no longer a physcial war going on and that he is a fighting in, he is involved in his own war. He’s trying to find himself and what he wants amidst what his parents think he needs. I think if we could all take away one thing, it would be that war has lasting effects on someone and pushing that person to do things probably isn’t the most effective way to reach