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Essay / A soldier's struggle with post-war society in Hemingway's 'Soldier's Home'
A major consequence of war is its ability to demolish traditional values and introduce drastic changes in the perception of the world among those who experience horror and devastation. which define war. For military personnel, assuming a normal life after the war is a form of torture because for such an individual, viewing society from an optimistic point of view is relatively difficult given that it is still on the brink of a war that threatens the peace that could prevail there. Hemmingway uses this story to remember his life after his participation in World War I. It was because of his wartime experience as an Italian army driver that he developed depression and suffered multiple injuries. When he returned home as a wounded soldier, he found it relatively difficult to balance the needs of society which did not seem to change with his new understanding of the world. The war had broadened his view of society and how the world worked, which was different from what his society understood. The challenges of a returning soldier's life and terminal illnesses led Hemingway to commit suicide in 1962. A soldier returning from war may find that his feelings and opinions are inconsistent with dominant traditional ways of life (Lynn, 1995). These are the dramatic situations that describe Ernest Hemmingway's short story, “Soldier's Home”. Through Hemmingway's story, the character of Harold Krebs appears as a tragic hero who opposes the traditional world represented by the characters represented as ordinary citizens. In revealing the character of Krebs, Hemmingway, in the story “Soldier’s Home,” employs a multitude of approaches. One aspect is the ability of Krebs' character to open up through his reactions, thoughts, and actions to his environment. This is evident from the beginning of the story where the reader is exposed to a series of monotonous reiterations that reflect a dull, mechanical, and relatively objective state of mind of Harold. This is evident in the use of multiple repetitions of phrases such as "There is a picture...", "He didn't want to...", "He loved...", it just wasn't worth it" (Hemmingway , 1925, pp. 1-3). Through these sentences, the reader discovers the emotional death and indifference that defines Krebs' state of mind and which is perhaps due to the horrible experiences he went through during the First World War. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay From Krebs' characterization and experiences, it is possible to argue that war was not the only source of his apathy. Indeed, in his community, there are signs of estrangement among people who wanted to hear embellished stories about the war that were far from the reality of his experience. The author states: “His town had heard too many stories of atrocities to be excited about the reality. Krebs discovered that to be listened to he had to lie, and after doing this twice, he too had a reaction against the war and against talking about it” (Hemmingway, 1925, p. 1). He rebels against the need to lie and reacts by withdrawing from the daily activities that define life in society. By engaging in activities such as sleeping in an unregulated manner, playing pool, and reading books without any productive results, Krebs appears as an individual explicitly opposed to the traditional norms of society through his actions and words. The last name of..