Analysis of Literary Devices in "Soldier's Home"
“Soldier’s Home" by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway “Soldier’s Home" is an outstanding short story that shows the tragic impact of war on the life of a young soldier who returns home. The story paints a vibrant picture of a soldier’s life after coming back from a shocking experience. Hemingway shows impacts of war on a soldier with the main character being Harold Krebs, who faces hostility in his hometown after his return from fighting in the war. The main character in the story is Kreb with the author making usage of repetition, characterization, and symbolism to bring out the message in the story.
Analysis of literary devices in “Soldier’s Home”
Hemingway contextualizes the story by giving it a concealed meaning by the use of symbolism. A symbolic element found in the story remains the book that talks about war, which Krebs is reading. At the same time, this happens to be the only thing that the ex-soldier finds fascinating after returning from war. The denotative connotation of the symbol is apparent. Krebs remains inactive after returning from war and spends a lot of time playing and reading different games (De, Baerdemaeker 60). The main theme of the story is the impracticality of a man who has been at war to reconnect with his entire family and his life. There is an emphasis in the book on the unending confusion that Krebs lives in and his incapability to readjust to the present environment. The ex-soldier tries desperately to claim his own place in his small town. Somehow, all the same, he is a soldier unable to face his experiences and gets uncomfortable by the lies and exaggerations on the front, which circulates in his community. This means the book on war that character Krebs focuses on with keen interest is symbolic in relation to his incapability to forget the war experiences and continue with his normal life (Magill and Charles, 3794). He finds it challenging to comprehend the whole situation from outside. This is because neither the book
Ernest Hemingway “Soldier’s Home" is an outstanding short story that shows the tragic impact of war on the life of a young soldier who returns home. The story paints a vibrant picture of a soldier’s life after coming back from a shocking experience. Hemingway shows impacts of war on a soldier with the main character being Harold Krebs, who faces hostility in his hometown after his return from fighting in the war. The main character in the story is Kreb with the author making usage of repetition, characterization, and symbolism to bring out the message in the story.
Analysis of literary devices in “Soldier’s Home”
Hemingway contextualizes the story by giving it a concealed meaning by the use of symbolism. A symbolic element found in the story remains the book that talks about war, which Krebs is reading. At the same time, this happens to be the only thing that the ex-soldier finds fascinating after returning from war. The denotative connotation of the symbol is apparent. Krebs remains inactive after returning from war and spends a lot of time playing and reading different games (De, Baerdemaeker 60). The main theme of the story is the impracticality of a man who has been at war to reconnect with his entire family and his life. There is an emphasis in the book on the unending confusion that Krebs lives in and his incapability to readjust to the present environment. The ex-soldier tries desperately to claim his own place in his small town. Somehow, all the same, he is a soldier unable to face his experiences and gets uncomfortable by the lies and exaggerations on the front, which circulates in his community. This means the book on war that character Krebs focuses on with keen interest is symbolic in relation to his incapability to forget the war experiences and continue with his normal life (Magill and Charles, 3794). He finds it challenging to comprehend the whole situation from outside. This is because neither the book
Cited: De, Baerdemaeker R. "Performative Patterns in Hemingway 's "soldier 's Home"." The Hemingway Review. 27.1 (2007): 55-73. Print. Hemingway, Ernest. Soldiers Home. English 1302 Blackboard Course. South Plains College. Spring:2010. Print. Magill, Frank and Charles, May. Masterplots II: Short Story Series. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, (2004). 3793-3795 Print. McKenna, J J, and D M. Raabe. "Using Temperament Theory to Understand Conflict in Hemingway 's "soldier 's Home"." Studies in Short Fiction. 34.2 (1997): 203-214. Print.