Literary Analysis Ess@y Rough Draft

Surname

Jada Nelson

Introduction to LIT

Prof. Harrity

March 28, 2023

Ernest Hemingway, "Soldier's Home" (1925) Thematic Analysis

Literature uses language creatively to share the human experience and relationship with the environment supporting the effective presentation of literature's role in human experience. Literature effectively uses characters to depict individual, society, and community issues, resonating with real-world human experience and performance. For example, in Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" (1925), the author uses Krebs's experience and relationship with others after the war to depict fundamental human experience. In essence, the author uses the character to represent fundamental thematic concerns, including post-war and traumatic experiences, expression language, men's and women's relationships in society, lies, and society.

A motif of lying recurs in the shot society, presenting a notable presence in society and lies. The theme of lying appears several times throughout "Soldier's Home," which plays an essential role in the plot. While there are many indicators that the trauma of war has dramatically impacted Krebs and that his detachment, disaffection, and loss of a sense of self upon returning home stems from PTSD, the story more explicitly locates Krebs' issues as stemming from the fact that, upon returning home, to be listened to about all of his experiences in the war, he had to lie, and after he had twice, he had a reaction against the war and against talking about it too. While it may appear extreme to attribute such a loss of self to some essentially white lies, it is all the more reason to do so. Thus, lying and society are at the Centre of the short story's thematic presentation and articulation.

War and trauma are aspects of society that present personal, group, and community impacts. Similarly, "Soldier's Home" by Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a young soldier named Krebs who returns home after World War I. Though Hemingway does not explicitly narrate Krebs' emotions, the story's hard-boiled prose reflects Krebs' suppressed psyche: after the war, Krebs sleeps late, has little energy to talk to anyone, and wanders around his hometown. This disconnects between Krebs, and the people around him—his family, other soldiers, and the girls he watches from his porch—provides a critical window into how soldiers adjust, or fail to adjust, to life after war's traumatic experiences. In describing Krebs and his difficulties, the story implies that those struggles are a source of trauma as profound as any caused by the war. Therefore, war and traumatic experiences are central to the short story, presenting human actions and experiences.

Relationship between men and women is another critical aspect of human interaction and experience, depicting fundamental social collaboration and association. Consequently, Hemingway's portrayal of men and women conforms to what a modern reader might call rigid, sexist gender expectations. "Soldier's Home" is no different. While Krebs' inability to express his emotions can be attributed to war trauma, it also represents traditionally stoic masculinity that views emotional vulnerability as a weakness. On the other hand, the women in the story adhere to traditional notions of feminine emotionality. They also lack a sense of fleshed-out humanity—the town girls are nothing more than a "pattern" to Krebs, and the dialogue between Krebs' sister and mother does little to distinguish them as individuals. Thus, the short story depicts the fundamental impact of war on the relationship between men and women.

In conclusion, Ernest Hemingway, in "Soldier's Home" (1925), presents Krebs's experience and relationship with others after the war to depict fundamental human experience. The short story articulates themes such as post-war and traumatic experiences, language expression, men's and women's relationships, lies, and society. Thus, the short story employs creative language to share human behavior and experience, supporting relationships and human experiences.

Work Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “Soldier’s Home.” Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing (8th ed.). Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008. 165–170. Print