What Effect Have These Battles Had On Krebs In Soldier's Home '

Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel, and the Argonne were the sites of fierce and bloody fighting. What effect have these battles had on Krebs? Why do you think he won’t talk about them to the people at home? – Page 190

Soldier’s Home is a short story that shows the complexities of the human psyche very effectively by carefully leaving out certain details. It is an exploration into the contrast of what one can witness and go through and what one can recount. The soldier in this story is seemingly a simple soldier who does not care to talk about his war experience, but much more lies beneath the obvious.

Although the battles that Krebs took part in were never fully discussed in detail in this short story we are able to
get a good sense of what it was like to have been there by the behavior that Krebs displays. Krebs is very much a changed man after he returns home from the war. His entire perception of the world has shifted due to the war. Krebs has some trouble adjusting to life and accepting that the people he knew before he left have all changed and lead different lives now. If the story of Krebs had been told in modern times he would have been diagnosed with PTSD and undergone some type of clinical Army treatment. It is clear that he is depressed and somehow seems to have lost his zest for life since returning home from the war. The fact that Hemingway purposely leaves out details of the war adds to the mystique of what really happened. With no details we, as readers, are left to imagine what horrible acts Krebs committed or witnessed and how awful his memories must have to be to not talk about any of his experiences. He had adjusted to life in the military and now that he was back in America he was not as sure of him self as he was when he was at war. In some twisted way it seems as though Krebs led a better life at war. It is also apparent that Krebs feels somewhat like a loser in many ways. He is reluctant to talk to anyone about his experiences for many reasons. He was late to join the armed forces and late to return home. It was obvious to everyone that he had not been at war at the same time everyone else had. It is mentioned that by the time he returned home nobody was interested in welcoming him because it had already been done when the majority of the men had returned. Krebs seems to be left out in many parts of his life. At home we get the impression that he feels be-littled and is bothered by the fact that he has to beg to borrow the car while others his age have their own rides. Being a young man myself I can say with certainty that knowing your peers are leading normal productive lives and have moved on and prospered since returning home from the war and you haven’t would be quite depressing. Krebs likes to reflect back on a picture that was taken while at war. This picture is described as sub par and shows that even in his favorite moment to reflect back on his life is sill not great. It is made even more obvious that Krebs is displeased with his status in life when his mother tells him the good news of one of his friends who is having great success. It is described in perfect non-detail by the look on his face. Krebs has grown very un-satisfied with life and starts to lash out at his loved ones.

This is a story about how war changes men and how it ruins lives in many aspects we cannot even imagine. It is insightfully written by Hemingway and gives us great perspective by artfully neglecting detail. Krebs is a changed man after war and has trouble adjusting, he is depressed and has difficulty living up to what he thought his life would be.