Soldier''S Home Essay

A Soldier''s Home: Elements of Fiction The short story, A Soldier''s Home by Ernest Hemingway, is mainly about a veteran of World War 2, who has recently returned home to Oklahoma after spending time in the Rhine. This veteran, Krebs, is characterized both directly and indirectly in the text of the story. There are direct statements about his character. There are also scenes that make the reader infer about the character of Krebs. He is a dynamic character, because of his change of attitude by the end of the story.

He is also a ound character, because he has many realistic traits, and resembles a real war veteran, after the trauma they have all faced in the past. Throughout the story, Krebs is often directly characterized as idle. It states that he often spends his day doing nothing more than Just hanging around. He doesn''t talk much, because no one listens. ''... it was late summer, he was sleeping late in bed... '' He sleeps in late on a daily basis, he mostly keeps to himself, and doesn''t do much.

The story directly tells readers that he likes to watch the women walk around, ut that he doesn''t need one, because that''s what the war taught him. It is clear that he has had a hard time adapting to regular life once again after the war. Another form of characterization present in the story is indirect characterization. Readers can infer that his independence was a trait Krebs learned in the war. It can also be inferred that Krebs longs to be listened too, as at first he tries to lie about the war.

Krebs seems to be a man of honest nature, as he is disgusted in himself after he tells untruthful stories from the war. By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. '' Nobody wanted to hear about the war anymore, so Krebs tried to lie to tell his stories, but he was Just too late. Still, no one listened, and he ''acquired the nausea in regard to experience that is the result of untruth. '' Also, although not directly stated, it is clear that the war has traumatized Krebs, as he worries about life.

This trauma can also be assumed from the scene where Krebs refuses to pray. It seems he once was able to pray regularly, ut know he has learned to be independent and not rely on anyone. He seems like he''s seen too much loss, and can no longer attach himself to anyone. He even tells his mother he doesnt love her, he says ''l dont love anybody. '' In the war he was also taught not to give in to his desires, which explains why he feels as if he doesn''t need a woman. Overall, the indirect characterization of Krebs shows that he is in lots of pain from the war.

A round character is one with many personality traits that seem to form a realistic person. Krebs is realistically characterized as a war veteran. He shows many traits, like being idle, unmotivated, and very distant. He is unsure of what his next move in life will be. He worries about things going well, and when they haven''t been going well for him recently. A dynamic character is one who go through change by the end of the story. Krebs is a dynamic character, because in the end, he decides to leave the house, and maybe look for a Job, and see his sister play in her softball game. He wanted his lite to go smoothly. '' He nas a greater nope tor his tuture. Through the characterization of the war veteran Krebs, readers see that he has learned to be independent from the war, but also that he still carries pain with him after all that he has seen. Hemingway used both direct and indirect characterization to show these traits. Krebs''s hope in the end makes him a dynamic character, because he changes from being completely idle, to thinking of looking for a Job. His realistic characterization makes him a round character. He realistically depicts a war veteran.