Below is an excerpt from “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway (1925).
This prompt is a variation on a previous AP prompt:
“In many texts a character has a misconception of himself or his world. Destroying or perpetuating this illusion contributes to a central theme of the text.” Using the excerpt below, explain how this statement applies, and write a response in which you consider the following:
(1) What the character’s illusion is and how it differs from reality as presented in the text.
(2) How the destruction or perpetuation of the illusion develops a theme of the text.
This excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" follows the life of a solider after the war and his struggle to find meaning in his life after the war. Krebs' allusion begins immediately after returning home: "By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over" (10-11). He had expected to receive a warm welcome home when he returned after the war. However, he arrived much later than the other soldiers and by the time he arrived the parties were over and the stories had all been told.
ReplyDeleteKrebs had one illusion: that he had been a great soldier and that people wanted to hear his story and welcome him home. His dream of being recognized for his service dies upon his arrival home. While he initially shut people out of his life, "later he felt the need to talk but nobody wanted to hear about it" (18-19). He arrived with the assumption that when he was ready to talk, members of his community would be there to have the discussions with him. However, he quickly finds that this is not the case. He turns to making up stories about war, but soon discovers that nobody will listen to those either.
The contrast between his allusion and reality is seen most dramatically at the end of the passage: "he fell into the easy pose of the old solider among other solders: that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time" (40-41). Prior to this point in the passage, it was difficult to tell if the illusion existed because of Krebs' inability to adapt or because his community refused to listen. This passage reveals that the problem runs much deeper. Although Krebs had had dreams of being a young and courageous war hero, he says that he was constantly frightened. He could not devote himself being the soldier that he knew he wanted to be. In this instance, Krebs has the allusion that people will appreciate him for his service and devotion to the country. However, when people do not initially listen or welcome him home, he begins to blame them for his feelings of emptiness. At the end of the passage, however, he comes to the self-realization that the reason for his own unhappiness was not a problem with those around him, but with himself. His constant fright prohibited him from being, what he believe to be, a great soldier. This is the difference between his allusion and reality.
The struggle that Krebs faced is important in the development of the theme. Hemingway shows readers the struggles that soldiers face when returning home from war. After the novelty of returning solders wore off, nobody in the towns wanted to welcome the soldiers home. This resulted in phycological damage for the soldiers. In their time of recovery, they needed people to talk to about what they had experienced. However, when nobody was there for the soldiers, they began to doubt their worth and importance as a soldier. Hemingway paints this struggle for readers in order persuade them to reconsider their treatment of soldiers after war. He argues that more society must work to accept soldiers back into their communities and work to make the transition between war and regular living easier.
Ryan M. 2
The excerpt from Ernest Hemingway describes a man named Krebbs who is caught up in the idea of being a soldier instead of the actuality that came along with the war. He is made to conjure up lies about the war in order to get people to listen to him; stories that atrocious, but are not the reality of the war Krebbs went through. This is Krebbs illusion and causes readers to rely less on the truth of his words because what he tells others is not the truth. The reality of the war is that it was not as atrocious as Krebbs stories made it out to be: “His lies were quite unimportant lies and consisted in attributing in himself things other men had seen.” He took the stories from other soldiers and used them to gain attention for the war from others surrounding him. Krebbs is never forced to confront the reality of the world, but is instead consumed with his lies: “Krebbs acquired the nausea in regard to experience that is the result of untruth… he fell into the easy pose of the old soldier.” Krebbs has taken the role of a soldier who has actually lived through the harsh realities that others have. This disillusionment of Krebbs character in regards to reality causes the text to take on an air of unreliability. Krebbs’ voice cannot be trusted since he has conformed to the role of the soldier, and seeing as there are no other characters in the excerpt, a mysterious air is held. Ernest Hemingway uses this mysteriousness and unreliability to show the harsh effects that war brought on to the soldiers involved. When nobody wanted to listen to their stories because they were too brutal or not brutal enough, they succumbed to making a lie out of their life. This forced the American soldier into a world that not even he was familiar with, therefore commenting on the PTSD that soldiers face after coming back from a war.
ReplyDelete-Bolger, J. 2
Krebs, like many people in real life, finds himself living in expectations. As a soldier who has just played a role in helping his country to win World War I, Krebs expects great reward and recognition. However, as the text explains, the glory and gifts he expects to receive while and after his service are only illusions. This dillusionment first becomes clear in the second paragraph: “ Krebs and the corporal look too big for their uniforms. The German girls are not beautiful” (7-8). Here, Hemingway shows imperfection of a situation, and with it, irony. The typical image of a soldier who wins a war is that beautiful girls surround him. This is not case here. Krebs and the corporal themselves are also in no state of attraction, as they cannot fit into their uniforms.
ReplyDeleteThe image of war that Krebs expects in his life life only withers even more when he arrives home. When he arrives home, no one seems to appreciate his return. The image of a soldier coming home to many anxious people, so that the soldier can tells his stories of war withers away before Krebs eyes, just like his image of fighting in the war. Krebs even tries to add sensationalism to his stories to attract listeners, but he fails. At the very end of the passage, after Krebs’ mundane experience during the war, and after his unnoticed return after the war, Hemingway writes, “In this way he lost everything” (41). Krebs life is a lie according to what he expects. The illusion that a soldier becomes a better man throughout and after war is completely destroyed. Through Krebs, Hemingway is able to show the reality of war on a man. After war, he does not gain admiration. He loses his sense of life.
Srivastava R, 2
Through Krebs, we are able to see the main illusion of the piece. This illusion is that there is almost a “cookie cutter” form of a solider. This form Krebs believed in heavily, and influenced his thoughts and action upon entering the war at the beginning of the piece. Right from the beginning of the excerpt it states, “There is a picture which shows him among his fraternity brothers, all of them wearing exactly the same height and style collar,” (1-3). This picture demonstrates Krebs’ vision for the military, everyone wearing the same exact uniform. His thoughts of the “cookie cutter” military member continued when he initially came home from the military. He was hoping for a large recognition and celebration for his achievements. He believed that every military member received this when they came home. It was all part of the process. This was the opposite reaction that he received, stating, “Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it,” (18-19). Krebs became depressed with the idea that no one would listen to him, so he turned to making up stories. Although he had good intentions, this idea did not work, as the other people would not listen.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of the excerpt demonstrates the importance of the soldier to the surrounding people in society. Through the surrounding people, it is seen the importance of the soldier, and the importance of the people around the soldier. Hemingway’s passage demonstrates not only how soldiers are important, but how the people around them are critical to their success and the legacy they leave.
Wasylko, G 7/8
Within the excerpt from Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” the soldier who is known as Krebs has his illusions dashed. He returned home with the expectation that he would be warmly welcomed and everyone would want to hear about his experiences. However, the time had passed for warm welcomes and for soldiers’ stories to be told. He goes on to explain that while no one wanted to listen to the truth, he got them to listen to the ridiculous lies that he was able to cook up. Once again this crushes his illusion of him being able to tell his tale. One other place where he has his illusions are destroyed his when he thinks that going to war will make him a better man. Towards the end of the excerpt he portrays that it is not so when he admits that “he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time.” (lines 40-41). Once again he was crushed when he remembered that going to war does not automatically make someone a hero, they are still exposed to negative emotions such as fear.
ReplyDeleteBunting, A 2nd
In this passage taken from Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier Home” the main character, Krebs, creates a false illusion in his mind of the life of a soldier. In the beginning of the passage, it seems as if Krebs is so caught up in being a soldier and having that mighty title that he doesn’t actually realize all of the awful things soldiers go through in actuality. This illusion of greatness is created in the first paragraph when Hemingway writes about a, “picture that shows him among his fraternity brothers, all of them wearing exactly the same height and style” (2-3). In this description of an old picture of his, being a soldier does not seem so bad. Krebs is with old friends that he has known for a while from college, and they are alike and are even lucky enough to be able to take pictures. He even has a picture with his Rhine and two German girls… or so he says. These falsely described pictures are very soon learned to be an illusion of what it actually means to be a soldier.
ReplyDeleteWhen Krebs returns home, he expects to be valiantly welcomed back and applauded for all he has done; however, the reality of it all sets in when he arrives home and the exact opposite happens: “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over… There had been a great deal of hysteria. Now the reaction had set in” (10-14). Krebs had come home so much later than all of the other soldiers and by the time he got back, nobody wanted to glorify the soldiers any further. After so long of welcoming the soldiers home, all that had resulted was pain, horror, and psychological destruction due to the horrid stories that they had to tell. It is said that Krebs, “acquaintances, who had heard detailed accounts of German woman found chained to machine guns in the Argonne Forest and who could not comprehend… any German machine gunners who were not chained, were not thrilled by his stories” (31-35). He had made up so many lies about what he really went through, that hearing the truth actually made him nauseas.
This illusion and false reality that is created and then diminished throughout the passage allows Hemingway to develop a major theme through Krebs. The theme that seems to be developed throughout is that the exaggeration of the truth can never lead to positive outcomes. Krebs had to lie about his stories as a soldier so that he did not have to face reality, but these lies only further damaged himself and the people around him. In doing this, Hemingway is commenting that no matter how big or small the situation, lying and exaggerating the truth will only result in destruction. When Krebs lied about his experiences, he felt physically nauseas, and in the end it is stated that, “he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time. In this way he lost everything” (40-41). Through the apprehension of what he really went through as a soldier, Krebs lost everything; he loses reality, he loses his sense of life, and he loses himself.
Shaniuk, B 7/8
In the excerpt from “ Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemmingway, the expectation that Krebs has on returning home does not hold high to what he hopes. His illusion of a warm welcome home and being seen as a hero is crushed from the start right when he set foot on his home soil: “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late” (Lines 10-11). He was ready to be seen as a hero and welcomed by the town having them all look up to him and thank him for his service. Instead, he was welcomed with a cold shoulder from the townspeople, who think its much too ridiculous that he came home from the war so late. They do not even bother giving him any recognition.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the passage Krebs is confused on the fact that no one wants to hear his stories and experiences because it is “old news” to everyone he comes in contact with. Eventually he starts to lie about his experiences just to have someone listen to him and talk with him: “Hi s town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities. Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it” (Lines 19-22). He starts to hit a state of confused sense of self, he doesn’t know how to react and talk about a major part of his life for years. He loses himself when he comes home and doesn’t know where to go next. He starts to feel physically sick about the thought of losing everything and knowing that he will never be full again. “… that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time. In this way he lost everything” (Lines 40-41). He comes to the realization that he has lost everything that he known before and after the war, withering away as a lost solider.
S. Güt 7/8
In this excerpt of “Solder’s Home,” Ernest Hemingway tells the story of a war hero dissatisfied with the underwhelming enthusiasm of his return home. Hemingway writes, “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over” (10-11). His illusion was that war would be glorious, something worth celebrating – that upon his return he would be lifted up onto shoulders and praised for his bravery. What he encounters instead is an apathetic hometown tired of the same war stories. What was new and exciting to Krebs proved old news to everyone else. In being unable to share his experiences, Krebs loses touch with his identity and pride as a soldier.
ReplyDeleteThe destruction of his illusion is captured most powerfully in the description, “There is a picture which shows him on the Rhine with two German girls and another corporal. Krebs and the corporal look too big for their uniforms. The German girls are not beautiful. The Rhine does not show in the picture” (6-9). Without explicitly stating Krebs’s expectations of war, Hemingway still succeeds in disproving them. Krebs believed war would be glorious; the reality is that he barely fills his uniform.
Even though war was not what he expected, Krebs still feels the need to share his stories with the people of his hometown. To garner their interest, he resorts to lying and exaggerating. By perpetuating lies, Krebs diminishes the reality of his experiences. This develops a theme within the text because it suggests that we must never rely on others to validate our own experiences. Krebs “lost everything” by trying to impress others and being dishonest about his time in the war.
Keller N 7/8
In Ernest Hemmingway's "Soldier's Home", Krebs is an ex-soldier who says he "came back much too late" (line 11). The other soldiers were congratulated on their return and told all their stories about the war. People around them grew bored and desensitized to the stories, so when Krebs came home, nobody wanted to listen. He came up with an illusion so that people would hear what he wanted to say. He lied about the things he did while at war to shock and bring back some interest in himself. He grew disgusted by his lying but couldn't seem to stop. Even with the added flair and lies, people still didn't really care for Krebs's stories.
ReplyDeleteAfter the war, Krebs didn't want to talk about his experiences. When he finally did, nobody would listen to his boring tales. By lying, he gathered some interest, but made himself even more closed off. By lying and exaggerating, Krebs removed himself from what he actually went through. This is unhealthy for people struggling to deal with their issue and Krebs, however, Krebs only did it so that he could talk about something to do with the war. In doing this, "he lost everything" (line 41) because of his constant facade of a false soldier. He erased his truthful identity through his lies of a better soldier. This made Krebs believe that what he did himself was unsatisfactory and uninteresting.
- S. Bahr, 7/8*
This excerpt from “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway depicts the life of a soldier named Krebs after his return from the war. Originally, he has an illusion that, being a soldier, he will be (for lack of a better word) glorified upon coming home from the war. However, his illusion is shattered when he returns to a city that is already bored with soldiers and war stories: “His town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities” (19-20). The news that no one wanted to listen to his stories (once he was ready to tell them, that is) devastated him, and caused his outlook on the war to change rapidly. Additionally, he attempted to embellish his stories by lying and pulling facts from other soldiers that he had known, yet these lies did not achieve their purpose and still no one wanted to listen. Because he was never able to relieve his experiences and no interest was generated by his stories, Krebs’ view of the war changed. Hemingway states that, “A distaste for everything that had happened to him in the war set in because of the lies he had told” (22-23).
ReplyDeleteThe destruction of this illusion developed a central theme in the novel because it shows that the views of society had corrupted Krebs’ own personal experience: “…he fell into the easy pose of the old soldier among other soldiers: that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time” (39-41). Due to society’s perception of the war, Krebs felt obligated to take the “easy pose” and say that war was awful and terrible, even though his experience was not, and “in this way, he lost everything” (41). He lost all of the good war experiences that he had had, along with the bad ones, and was delegated to the status of a stereotypical veteran of war.
-Dushek, K 2˚
Krebs’ delusion is that he is a hero in the war, when he didn’t really do anything above and beyond. The town is also living in a fantasy world; they maintain the notion that the war never happened.
ReplyDeleteKrebs did go to war, but while he was there, he didn’t really do anything special. He had fought, yes, but he “had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else” (lines 25-27). He took credit for what he had seen and heard other people do in order to make up for his late homecoming, to rationalize it in the eyes of the townspeople and to himself. The problem was, by this time, no one was even interested in the war or what he had to say. That ship had sailed; they wanted not just new and interesting stories, but to bury the old of what their loved ones had to go through. The town is living in the illusion that the war never happened in order to protect themselves from that truth. Krebs is doing the same thing. He wishes he could be a hero, not really in anyone else’s eyes but definitely in his own: “he fell into the easy pose of an old solider among old solider: that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened the whole time. In that way he lost everything” (lines 39-41). He keeps the lie going to hold on to some of his dignity after being scorned by everyone he loved, to convince himself that he is important, and that there was a reason he went to war. Though, like his scorning for defending what he believed in, he knows there is no sensible reason for war.
Maslach, K 2
Within Hemingway’s expert titled, “Soldiers Home” the illusion is the idea of simple (and deserved recognition and acknowledgement from the people of the town. As a war hero and soldier he returns home expecting warm and respected welcome yet, “the greeting of heroes was over” (10-11). Also he had intended to tell actual stories of the war yet the falsified stories were also illusions that concealed the truth. The truth about the actual events of the war. Comparing to reality, the soldier knows that the myth of the German woman tied to the guns and trees was false yet they would not accept the reality, they wanted the fantastic fibs.
ReplyDeleteThe illusions in the text apply to the theme about the soldiers return home and how it is not often appreciated. We see Krebs who fought valiantly in the war and survived WW1 yet is ignored simply because the stories and celebrations were already told and commenced. Another theme is the idea of illusions itself and how as a society we tend to twist and bend the truth for the sake of entertainment purposes; very similar to how the media portrays things.
Turnea, D 2nd period
Throughout the text of this Hemingway piece, we see reality and the character’s perception of reality differ. For example, the first bit of the text talks about his photo in front of the Rhine, and how despite its initial appearance, it is not the slightest bit glamorous or prestigious. The text claims “The Rhine does not show in the picture” and that “The German girls are not beautiful,” showing the disconnect between the character’s illusion and the reality that he actually exists within. Many of the things that the character perceives to be are in fact not, and the previous example is just one of many.
ReplyDeleteBoth the perpetuation and the destruction of illusion are themes in this text. Until nearly the end of this excerpt, the character lives in illusion. He steals stories from fellow soldiers in attempt to sound important or valiant. At the end of the piece the “In this way he lost everything” is representative of the illusion being shattered and in turn, his life being negatively impacted by said breaking of the illusion.
Crow 7/8
Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" describes a solider’s life after World War I and his illusion that he would be honored by his countrymen when he returned home. Krebs soon realized that his arrival would be met with indifference: "Now the reaction had set in. People seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war was over" (lines 14-15). Krebs desired and expected a hero’s welcome, as his fellow soldiers had received. Instead his arrival was not even acknowledged by the people in his hometown of Oklahoma.
ReplyDeleteKrebs wanted to share his stories from the war with other people and he had initially believed that the people in his hometown wanted to know what he has been through. However this illusion it too shattered by the harsh reality: no one cared anymore. He saw that, “His town had hear too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities” (lines 19-21). No one wanted to know anything about the war that was not extremely violent or shockingly horrific. This caused Krebs to feel unappreciated and lonely because he had no one who cared to hear his stories. He began to think that he had wasted and risked his life for people who would not even give him the time of day.
The isolation that Krebs faced when he returned home drives the development of the theme. Through Krebs’s illusion, Hemingway shows readers the pain and isolation that soldiers face after a war. Soldiers have no one to talk to and those who do listen only want an over dramatic, unrealistic depiction of what had occurred in the war. They began to feel as though there service had no significance to their countrymen. Hemingway attempts to make readers realize that they should respect those who served for their country.
Judele C, 2nd
In Hemingway's "Soldiers Home", the soldier exists in a reality which his illusion is trying to exist, and failing. As the soldier returns home, everyone has already gotten over the post war excitement and celebrating. No more parades and parties. He has come too late. Due to this, the soldier feels cut off from society, and that no one cares what he went through. In turn, the soldier creates illusions of war to get that attention. Unfortunately, the people who he tries to talk to about the war, even with his lies, don't care. Hemingway describes this saying, "even his lies were not sensational at the pool room"(30-31). This causes him to feel alone, like he has no one to turn to in order to get out his feelings and the truth. He loses a way to cope with all of his fears from the war. Hemingway is making societal commentary on how hard it is for soldiers to return home and try to get back to reality and lead a normal life.
ReplyDeleteIn the passage from Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldiers Home” a soldier’s return from combat is followed by the text. The passage identifies Kreb’s false perceptions of home by creating a setting in which, “By the time Krebs returned to his hometown in Oklahoma the greeting of soldiers was over. He came back much too late” (Hemmingway 10-11). This line addresses the false notion Krebs had in thinking he would be idolized and praised for his service—while reality held in store for him a hollow welcome. Society had become bloated with war stories and evils, so when Krebs returned, “no one wanted to hear about it” (Hemingway 18-19). Following the realization that he would not be showered in thankfulness and recognition, the reader can notice a serious dissatisfaction in Krebs. So potent is this feeling that Krebs gives up on telling his story and fabricates one that will be more captivating; a story that will get for Krebs the welcome he expected: “his lies were quite unimportant lies an consisted in attributing things to himself things other men had seen, done, or heard of” (Hemingway 28-29). The passage as a whole addresses this cause and effect situation in the case of Krebs return from war. This theme of dissatisfaction in return ultimately is commenting on society’s abandonment of war-weary “heroes” as they return from fighting for the same society that abandons them.
ReplyDeleteBruggeman J, 7/8th
In Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home,” the misconception of a character is found when Krebs returns home from the war to find that things are not how he envisioned they would be. Hemingway wrote, “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greetings of heroes was over,” (11). By the time Krebs returned home, people were no longer interested in the work he had done at war because the people of the town had already heard all of the war stories, whether the stories be good or bad. Kreb’s misconception was that he expected to find celebration and a huge welcoming upon his return home, but in reality, no one truly cared that he had come back. Krebs was just another normal individual to everyone by the time he had returned.
ReplyDeleteThere are many cases in which Krebs felt the rejection from others. Constantly, he tried to tell his war stories, but every time, he found that people were not interested in the stories. Soon enough, the war stories became haunting and daunting to Krebs, “all of the times that had been able to make him feel cool and clear inside himself when he thought of them; the times so long back when he had done the one thing, the only thing for a man to do, easily and naturally, when he might have done something else, now lost their cool, valuable quality and then were lost themselves,” (23-27). The loss of significance of the war stories shows the decline of the importance of war to Krebs. Krebs is slowly losing the person that he thought he was during the war and the person he thought be would be after the war. With the loss of war stories, it is evident that Krebs is unhappy with his situation after returning home.
By the end of the excerpt, Krebs has a large realization that he is not who he thought he was during or after the war. Hemingway wrote, “…and when he occasionally met another man who had really been a soldier and they talked a few minutes in the dressing room at a dance he fell into the easy pose of the old soldier among other soldiers: that he had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time. In this way he lost everything,” (37-41). The ending of the excerpt is very dramatic because it shows the contrast of Krebs’ illusion with reality. In reality, Krebs really was not the brave soldier that he believed he was. Krebs was actually a coward and not a war hero.
The overall theme of the excerpt that Hemingway conveys to the reader is the struggle that soldiers face upon their return home from war. Soldiers come home expecting to be treated differently by others because of their service to their country, but most often than not, most people disregard soldiers. Soldiers are not given the proper respect that they deserve upon their journey home. Hemingway makes this commentary for people to rethink how they interact with soldiers that come home. If people praised the work of soldiers upon their return home, there may be an increase in those who decide to serve their country. Also, soldiers would suffer less from PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other various conditions after returning home because they would know that they have others they can talk to.
The excerpt from Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" describes the life of a soldier after returning home and the struggle he faces as he tries to find meaning in life. The character Krebs, returns home expecting a warm welcome, expecting people to line up to here his stories when in fact, he is shown the opposite. An excerpt from the passage says, “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over” (10-11)
ReplyDeleteThis illusion is destroyed for him when the people believe the lies that he tells them. He steals stories about other soldiers to seem brave and valiant. This is a theme throughout the text until the end when his illusion is destroyed. I think that the most powerful line in this excerpt is “In this way he lost everything” (41). It shows how the soldier was trapped in this illusion and only realized the truth at the end and how greatly it affected him.
- Gall A, 2nd
In this excerpt from Hemmingway’s “Soldier’s Home”, the main character has an illusion that he will be praised for his actions at war, but when his return home is later than all others, he has an unnoticed return. The “greeting of hero’s was over,” and he did not seem to understand why he was not being welcomed home as the others had (11).
ReplyDeleteThe illusion failing in this piece shows the characters mood. This shows the theme of the text because he believes he will be praised, but is sadly mistaken. This gives off the feelings of pride in that character and makes readers wonder as to why he believes this illusion when it is clear nobody is being welcomed any longer.
In the excerpt "Soldier's Home" by Ernest Hemingway, the illusion of the main character Krebs is to return home and be received warmly by the people of his hometown. However as the passage explains: "By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late" (lines 10-11). By the time he returned home the people were over the excitement of having back the soldiers and thus were uninterested and even a little annoyed at Krebs' return. The image or the illusion that Krebs had was different than the reality and this in turn caused him to start lying. Krebs wanted to tell people of the events that he lived through while at war but no one wanted to listen. The destruction of his illusion caused him to start lying and make up stories about war in hopes that people would begin to listen: "Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and talking about it" (lines 20-22). His stories were not sincere or true and that made him not even want to talk about it anymore. I have not read this book but I'm assuming that these lies are the central theme of the book and that as the rest of the book unfolds it will al be centered on his fictional stories.
ReplyDeleteGalvan. E 2nd
Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” features Krebs whose service to the country is overlooked by the masses. He seems disappointed that the picture on the Rhine does not reflect his expectation of war: of bravery and glory. His individuality is lost as the soldiers have already proved their reputation long before Krebs returns home. Kreb’s illusion of glamor war acts as an attention grabber and a facade for his own lack of compassion towards the war. Krebs loses himself in these lies, as seen in line 41, and therefore does not have closure to the reality he faces overseas. His lies destroy him even more than the lack of acceptance of those he initially came home to as seen in the line: “Krebs acquired the nausea in regard in experience that is the result of untruth or exaggeration” (36-37)
ReplyDelete-Grabowski, H. 7/8
Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home" features a soldier, Krebs, whose service is disregarded by those to which he sacrificed for. His illusion is apparent immediately in the piece in lines 10-11,"By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over". In this passage, one sees that Krebs yearns for the attention and glory that soldiers used to receive upon returning home. He wishes for the gratitude he has earned through his sacrifice and service, but it is quickly apparent that he shall not receive it. The picture on the Rhine also serves to fit this illusion; Krebs view himself as a hero, one to be revered and worshiped. He describes himself as being too big for the uniform as though he deserves more respect than the uniform does. He is better than it and has earned more.
ReplyDeleteThe destruction of this illusion is that it provides the justification for Krebs' lies. His lies rot him from the inside out and discredit any "glory" he would "deserve" in the first place. This destruction allows for the development of the theme that the glamorization of war is an abhorrent practice that ruins the service soldiers' provide. War is not a glamorous action, nor should it be portrayed that way.
Harris, S 2*
Ernest Hemingway describes the actions of a solider that has returned home from World War One in "Soliders Home". In the text the solider who paints himself to be an incredible hero is shocked to come home to a world were the reality is everyone has gotten past the war. This is seen when Hemingway writes " By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over" (10-11). The solider expected to come home from war and be praised for his actions however is return is an uneventful experience. He has returned home from the war far too late to be celebrated like the rest. The solider Krebs was delusional in the idea that he had an illusion of himself in which he was the hero and people would crowd to listen to his stories. However, this idea is quickly shot down as Hemingway tells us that all the stories had already been told. People were not interested in hearing a story from him they had already heard from another solider. So instead he begins to try to create a story in which people will listen to. Hemingway writes "Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it"(20-22). It was better for him to be listened to than to tell the truth. In the end all he really wanted was for someone to appreciate him and marvel in his heroism. In the end though this is what brings him to his fault Hemingway says in the final line of the poem "In this way he lost everything". By having to lie to get the attention that he yearned he was no longer himself. He did not truly earn what he wanted. Hemingway is showing us that if we live our lives as an illusion order to gain the respect of others we are going to fail. It is impossible to force people to love you no matter what lies to tell. The best way to live your life is by going about it honestly. It also allows the reader to understand the psychological dangers of not having a person to talk to. Sansone A 2nd
ReplyDeleteIn life we have certain expectations for how situations will come and go. Some of these expectations, however, are simple illusions of the mind--ideas of grandeur that will never come to pass. In this passage, the man character Krebs demonstrates the idea of these illusions coming to their own destruction.
ReplyDeleteKrebs is shown in the text to be a soldier returning home from war. He comes home expecting a welcome from family and friends who want to hear his stories of war heroes and victims, however, "no one wanted to hear about it" (18-19) once he decided to tell. At this point, Krebs decides to tell lies about the war he took part in, hoping to fulfill his previous illusions of being the perfect soldier. However, even this eventually crashed down around him, giving him a "distaste for everything that had happened to him in the war" (22) as a result. Even through these lies, which were actually only accounts of what the other soldiers had seen, Krebs could not find his expectations met. Even when he spoke with other soldiers of the realities of war, the only thing he was reminded of was the truth: fear, and nothing more.
Avery A, 2nd
It seems to me that Krebs is going through some sort of post-traumatic stress disorder. The “illusion” he is living in is the post-war lifestyle. People around him want to forget about it; they want to move on with their lives. But, Krebs only wants to relive it, for he cannot get it off his mind. All Krebs wants to talk about it the war, for in his head, he is still in it. So, since no one wants to hear about it, he is left to “lie” in order for people to listen to him. My interpretation of the said lying is casual talk. A quote that jumped out to me was the following: “people seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war being over” (14-15). This quote jumped out because it’s a prime example to the disorder that Krebs it going through. The war has taken up his whole life, and he is struggling to move on. This is how it is for soldiers who suffer from this illness; they cannot leave the war zone.
ReplyDeleteKrebs’ illusion was shattered when he realized he was alone in this situation, that he was the only one stuck. The passage says a lot about the perceptions people have, for everyone’s is different. The mind is so complex, and no one can know what is going on in there unless it is told to them. Krebs is living in the perception of war, and is struggling to adjust back to normal life. Others, however, cannot see this, which is why PTSD is such a dangerous disorder.
Reva 7/8
The character Hemingway alluded to had hardships in war. He alluded to the fact that he faced unbearable things and the he would be honored for such things as all men before him had been, yet he returned home to an unamused audience. He hadn’t returned with the group of others who faced praise for their heroism and things of that nature. So he felt as though what he had done hadn’t mattered much because he was lacking recognition. In order to gain this recognition he had to tell gut wrenching stories about the war that he made up himself to get a rise out of others, and to get them to show their gratitude. In the final sentence, when Hemingway states, “he lost everything,” he is referring to the soldier’s drive and livelihood, as the war has stolen any thoughts from his head but the war himself to the point where the only stories he tells are related to such a topic. The destruction of the illusion helps to develop this theme because what he sees to be the reality of war compares to the actual reality of war, where it is a dangerous matter that could later result in no praise for the ultimate price they put forward everyday, and his sense of excitement and drive was stolen from him with the war, described by his unwelcome homecoming. His grim reality was that of the war, not the happy things, only the sad.
ReplyDeleteMewhinney M, 2
In this excerpt from “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway the illusion created is that a soldier, Krebs, believes that the return home from war will be glorified. He romanticized the idea, believing that people would welcome him back with open arms intent on hearing all of his stories. The destruction of this illusion is the reality. When he comes home he does not want to speak of the war. When he did finally stat talking about it people had no interest in the stories that they have already heard, and he told lies to get some attention. No one cared about what he has to say, and felt no sympathy towards him. Thus closing himself off even more to the horrific experience that he had, unlike how he originally thought it would end in glory.
ReplyDeleteLoDolce, A 7/8
In the passage, Krebs is led to believe rhat his coming home from war would be a great deal. That is the illusion of the piece; that his homecoming would be with welcome and with weakness. He believed that he would be revered and people would be anxious to hear his stories of war. However, this was not the case. Nobody took interstellar in his stories so he began to make them up. And even then little interest was expressed.
ReplyDeleteThe reality that Krebs got was that nobody was interested in the war anymore. That most of the troops were home already and all celebration was over. His pain ran deeper than what was surfaced when he found himself amongst other soldiers without a sense of unity, but of fright. He had no way to voice his internal struggles due to the lack of compassion from his community.
With the destruction of Krebs's illusion, a theme appears of glamorization. That the community of which Krebs is apart of is more interested in heroic acts of patriotism and not the grit and pain of war is a concept that hurts Krebs greatly. That is the point being portrayed.
Ernest Hemmingways "Soldiers Home" paints the picture of the solder o\who returns home and is greeted by the entire town, thankful for his sacrifice and service and eager to listen to his stories. Instead he found the town unwelcoming, wondering why he had stayed long past the others had. No one wanted to listen o the actual stories, but instead the made up ones, wanting to relive the false stories others had told. "The greeting of heros was over"(10-11) shows how quickly the focus of the masses shifted and no longer viewed him as a hero, something he dreamed that he was. Krebs found that people did listen, when he told the tales that they wanted to hear, and not the ones that he wanted to tell. they wanted to hear the stories of the terrible women, and not the truth of the docile ones he'd met and taken a picture with. He found the stories he told to be unsatisfying, making him sick. It showed that conforming to what someone else want s is never what you strive for. The illusion was never as fulfilling as the real deal, and brought to attention to the notion that satisfaction is found from what we seek within.
ReplyDeleteSupina R 2
Within the excerpt from “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway, Krebs left his home in Kansas and enlisted to become a marine. He has the illusion that he will be praised and rewarded upon his return to the United States. The war seems less gruesome in his mind as he expects a warm welcome from those at home. In reality, people did not really care that he had been away after the war. In the excerpt it describes, “The men from the town who had been drafted had all been welcomed elaborately on their return… People seemed to think it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting back so late, years after the war was over,” (11-15). The respect he thought he would be given starts to shatter as soon as he returns. There are no awards waiting for him. Krebs also has an illusion making him believe that the war was not as atrocious as it truly was. Hemingway writes, “Krebs found that to be listened to at all he had to lie, and after he had done this twice he, too, had a reaction against the war and against talking about it” (20-22). Because he received no praise after being a marine, any sort of glory from the war started to fade away. People did not want to hear anymore war stories and were uninterested whenever Krebs wanted to talk. As time progressed after returning home, he could only think negatively about the war he seemed to act so coolly about previously. He would lie and act as if he was in the heart of the war, but this only made him sick of himself. His illusion of grandeur was destroyed by the truth of what happened to other soldiers and the lies from his own mouth.
ReplyDeleteHornung, A. 7/8
ReplyDeleteKrebs's illusion was to come home from war and be praised by people of society. He expected to be a worshipped "hero," and for everyone to be intrigued by the stories he brought home with him. But this was not the case. He came home and the reality was that everyone had lost interest in any stories of war. The only way Krebs could spark an interested listener was to tell them something they've never heard before; he had to lie. This destruction of illusion is a theme throughout the entire passage. It can be seen in the clothes Krebs wears: he fits in more, so to speak, with the boys of the fraternity than he does with the group he fights with in war. It can also be seen in Krebs's lies: he feels cool and clear (line 24) when telling them to someone, but felt the nausea (36) afterwards. In this distorted illusion, Krebs loses himself and who he truly is in what he thinks reality wants him to be.
K Brav 7/8
Overall, this piece is rather sad. It focuses on a young college student going into war, and then coming home (years later) and not being acknowledged as the hero. The disillusionment in this piece is shown through the structure and diction of Hemingway. Specifically in the second paragraph of the work and other parts as well, Hemingway uses short, blunt sentences to make the piece feel awkward and uncomfortable. For instance, he writes: “The German girls are not beautiful. The Rhine does not show in the background” (8-9). In terms of just structure, this makes the piece feel jagged and makes the reader see a type of negative layer to the subject of the work. However, context wise, this is the very premise of disillusionment. Hemingway contrasts the picture, showing uniformity, happiness and friendship, with the reality that the girls were ugly, the men were fat and one cannot see “the Rhine” or the triumph. Overall, this symbolizes how in the minds of those in the picture they were in the top; they saved and fought for our country. But in the mind of the onlooker, they were just average people.
ReplyDeleteThis is continued throughout the contrasting structure of the third and fourth paragraphs. Hemingway contrasts the “hysteria and excitement” of the town or society when they first came home versus when Krebs, the subject, came home. He writes: “…it was rather ridiculous for Krebs to be getting home so late” (15). Hemingway uses this to symbolize society’s attitudes towards our heroes. First excited and full of patriot moral, they later think it is preposterous that he even shows up so late. Thus, we get to the disillusionment quality of “lying” and how Krebs heightens his stories, considering society had heard “too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actuality” (19).
Hemingway’s overall purpose for the use of disillusionment is to not only show the pathetic side of his character, but to show the indifference, ignorance and hypocrisy of the society in which we live in. Through their actions (the dishonoring of a war hero, the blindness in terms of the picture and now the lies Krebs has to tell to receive attention, Hemingway is commenting on the very fiber of society’s being. Through his work, he shows how we live for the superficiality and supremacy of war, only when it is fresh, and convenient for us. The overall theme that comes from this being that we are people of arrogance, and we alter our lives, our views just so we can feel alive, just like Krebs.
Megan Lear 2nd Period
PART ONE: I am sorry, I did it again. I will try to make it shorter next week!
ReplyDeleteIn the passage from Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home”, the life of a man named Krebs takes on the job of creating the misconception or illusion of the piece. The excerpt starts with the life of Krebs before the war, explaining that he was just like everybody else that was his age, as he could be seen in a “picture which shows him among his fraternity brothers, all of them wearing exactly the same height and style collar” (lines2-3). This shows that he was just another clone of the ages. The illusion that would become his life had not started yet, and he was just like everyone else. However, it was after he returned from war that the illusion was born. Krebs who had been involved in a bloody war had “returned to his home town in Oklahoma [and by then] the greeting of heroes was over” (lines 10-11). The long awaited welcome home that Krebs had been waiting for was already over by the time he returned home. This was the start of his illusion. When he came home and had no one to greet him, he began to fall into the illusion’s grasp. He began to have a misconception about the world that he had returned to. Krebs had returned from war and at first “did not want to talk about the war at all” (lines 17-18). The war was still a shock to him that it had happened, that it was over. He had to come to terms with things himself before sharing, but eventually he “felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it” (lines 18-19). He had this misconception that when he was ready to get the burden of his memories of war off his chest by sharing with others, they would listen. However, no one actually wanted to listen to his stories, so Krebs fell farther under the illusion and believed that if he could regale others in exciting, yet horrific stories of war, such as “German women found chained to machine guns in the Argonne forest” (lines 32-33), then others would listen to him, and give him the recognition that a soldier like him deserves. The reality, though, was that no one wanted to listen to his lies either; in fact, they were “less than thrilled by his stories” (line 35). Krebs had also created an illusion of himself as he “attribute[d] to himself things other men had seen, done, or heard” (lines 28-29). He had disillusioned himself into believing that he was a great soldier who had done things that he had not as the things he had actually done “lost their cool, valuable quality, and then were lost themselves” (line 27). He had created a new him in the eyes of others just so he could have someone to talk to about the war. So he did not have to live with what he went through all by himself. Readers can see the reality combatting and contrasting with the illusion when Krebs falls into the company of other men who had been soldiers. The real him that is not made to seem great by all the boastful tales had “been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time” (line 40). The reality is that Krebs in war had been scared. He had been frightened by warfare. He was not this misconception of a great, fearless, heroic soldier that he tried to make others see him as. That was not the reality. The reality is only shown when in the face of those who know what the war was truly like. Those who also know the suffering that silence on the subject can bring, and through meeting these fellow soldiers, readers can see the destroying of the illusion, as it states “in this way he lost everything” (line 41). When forced into a situation where he remembers the fear, he is put in a situation that strips the illusion off of him, and he becomes the reality. The fearful soldier who saw too much, but was unable to share, thanks to the fact that no one cared enough to listen.
PART TWO: Again, I am sorry. The seems to be a pretty regular thing now.
ReplyDeleteThis idea shows the theme of the passage as Hemingway depicts the struggles of retuning soldiers. As the story is perhaps almost ironically names “Soldier’s Home”, Krebs returns almost to a completely foreign land. The home he returned to did not really want much to do with him. This show the theme that Hemingway was trying to depict as the struggle of returning soldiers. Soldiers see so much and experience so many horrible situations in war that they almost cannot cope with their own minds and memories. The excerpt is showing the desperation of soldiers as they try to find the comfort they need. They need someone to just listen to what they have to say. This does not happen though because in most cases people have “heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities” (line 19-20). Hemingway tries to get across the point of the importance for soldiers to have something to return to, but when forced to go through the transition from the battlefield to regular life by themselves, soldiers have to find other ways to cope with their own fears and unending nightmares. By showing this struggle that causes illusions like Krebs’s illusion to form, Hemingway argues and stresses the importance of people working to help soldiers transition into society instead of leaving them to figure it out themselves or fall under misconceptions while trying.
~C. Lenhoff 2nd period
In Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” a soldier, Krebs, has the expectation that he will be greeted by patriotic and excited Americans upon his return. Like many soldiers during WWI, he is under the impression that the people “back home” are still animated about the war. His illusion is as such; when Krebs arrives back home his expectations are shattered. Instead of patriotism, Krebs experiences a lukewarm and skeptical welcome. Hemingway says, “He came back much too late. The men from the town who had been drafted had all been welcomed elaborately on their return” This shows the lack of interest and understanding of the war that Americans had during WWI. They were truly left in the dark about the events that their own men had partaken in. After this, instead of telling realistic war stories, Krebs finds himself creating elaborate lies to interest people. The soldier soon realizes that no one wants to hear about the war and they are indifferent towards him and his experiences. Hemingway creates a soldier that bolsters his honor based on a lie to mask the truth about war and destruction in general. He shows that people who have not experienced something would rather hear an exciting glamorized version (in terms of a war) than the truth. Krebs illusion only ends when he comes in contact with another soldier. Both soldiers realize the only thing to highlight about the war was their fear and isolation. Fear, created through the mere experiences of it. Isolation, created through the inability to share their thoughts, feelings, and the general truth. Through this a theme of self-preservation is seen. An individual would rather tell lies to others and themselves, rather than facing the truth and the implications that it has left and will leave.
ReplyDeleteAguinaga, C 7/8*
Ernest Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home” tells the all too familiar tale of a soldier’s return from World War I. WWI was such a devastating war that all morale on all fronts was lost. Those at home bid their soldiers good luck as they left, but as they began to realize the true effects of war, they began to lose hope. Krebs, the soldier on which the excerpt focuses, comes home later than most of the other soldiers in his town, where “the greeting of heroes was over,” (11).
ReplyDeleteBecause of the tremendous physical and psychological drain the war had on many soldiers, Krebs had trouble adjusting back to his normal life. He wanted others to hear his stories and to understand, or at least get a glimpse at, his experiences. Nobody wanted to listen because “his town had heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities,” (19). Since he was unable to spark the interests of others about his time overseas, he began to lie. His disillusion
stems from his belief that war was something that could be celebrated. He anticipated people praising him for his heroism, yet he found none and resulted to petty lies. This piece centers on the theme of the expectations versus the realities of the war. This war changed everything that had been previously known about combat: from how it was fought to how soldiers were treated. Krebs finds himself stuck in the middle of this ever-changing world of war and he struggles to allow his voice to be heard in it.
-Kett J 2
Krebs’ illusion is that he had fought in World War I, when in actuality; he had been too scared to fight. Subtle hints are given throughout the text to show that he had not really been in the war. Towards the beginning of the passage, Hemingway explains a picture of Krebs from the war on the “Rhine”, but in the end he states, “The Rhine does not show in the picture” (8-9). This picture is supposed to act as proof that Krebs had participated in the war but, the Rhine, which would be the ultimate form of proof, is absent. Also, when he creates his stories and lies he pulls bits and pieces from other stories he has heard (28-30). He is trying to make sure that he sounds interesting and convincing, and in order to do that he has to work with the only information he has, which is from the soldier who were actually there. The end of the passage states that after talking with soldiers who had actually served, Krebs “had been badly, sickeningly frightened all the time. In this way he lost everything” (40-41). Based on this, readers can infer that he was too afraid to go to war so when he says he lost everything, it shows that he lost his dignity. He turned into a coward and a liar. This contributes to a possible theme of the passage. Once he admits his fear and that it affected him, his illusion is destroyed. He feels like he has let himself down because he had convinced himself to believe his own lie. The possible theme is that people need to be confident in their decisions instead of trying to please the world. If people try to live a fake life to please others, they may lose themselves in the process, which they will find to be much worse than disappointing the world that will never care enough to know them personally anyway.
ReplyDeleteWoods, L 2
I think we all have illusions and images that we try to maintain, particularly in defense of threats to that image. He had this romanticized and ideal picture of what it would be like to get home from war. He thought that he would get a heroes welcome and that everyone would be eager to hear his stories. Such was not the case though, and in response to this, and in order to defend his own sense of self, the returning soldier made things up in order to keep people interested. This only exemplified his feelings of resentment for his time at war. This goes hand in hand with the glorified idea that he had at war that was also betrayed by his actual experiences.
ReplyDelete- A. Graf 2*
The character’s illusion in this excerpt from “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway is of the grandeur of his welcoming home from war. Krebs expected a large, grand welcome home from World War I and instead was greeted with a less than enthusiastic reception. In lines 10-11 it says “By the time Krebs returned to his home town in Oklahoma the greeting of heroes was over. He came back much too late.” Krebs had missed the welcome he expected, after the first waves of soldiers came home, people grew war weary. It took a long time for Krebs to want to talk about the war, and when he finally did, no one cared. To get people’s attention Krebs had to lie about his experiences, making him feel even hollower after the war. Krebs feels sick every time he lied about his experiences, and the passage ends with “In this way he lost everything.” (line 41). The destruction of the illusion Krebs held about the honor he would receive from war develops of a theme of defying glorification of war. The true effects of war on soldiers is shown through the destruction of the glorification of war, and reveals the horrors of war.
ReplyDeleteFlorek, E. 7/8
The character’s illusion is that he will be greeted with a warm welcome and praise by his hometown when he arrives back from war. He had said, “The men from the town who had been drafted had all been welcomed elaborately in their return.” However, when he arrives the welcome is undervalued and no one seemed to care that he came home so many years after the war. The destruction of his illusion shows that even though he seems to be an honorable person, the lack of appreciation for what he does or what he has created in his mind makes him a liar, “untruth and exaggeration.”
ReplyDeleteRamsumair 7/8
The character of Krebs in this story is a young veteran of world war 1 who came home too late to see the great soldier’s welcome that many of his comrades experienced. No one wanted to hear him talk about the war because he told it for how it was and not the fantastic details that other men told. Eventually he so needed the therapy of talking about it that he started to make up stories or to fabricate experiences so that people would listen. Krebs’ illusion is that he will find peace in telling lies. In reality, he needs to come to terms with what he actually experienced and talking about what he knew was fantastic and falsified was not going to pacify any part of his subconscious in unrest.
ReplyDeleteThe theme of the text, which appears to be the lies and the impact of the soldier, is perpetuated by the illusion that Krebs holds. Because he thinks that he must lie to be heard, he exposes the truth about talking about the war. Krebs didn’t talk about it, therefore he couldn’t talk about it. He buried it too deep and when he was finally among company that would understand, he could not bring out the truth. He “acquired a nausea in regard to experience that is the result of untruth or exaggeration” (36-37). He ruined his ability to to feel his experiences by changing them and lying about them rather than submitting to them.
A. Jankovsky 7-8
My last post got deleted so...second try..
ReplyDeleteThe character of Krebs has a large misconception of himself as a person. When he returns home from war he is expected a grand invitation back into the life he once had with so many people being so grateful for what he had done and all this central attention on him. Instead he was scoffed at for not returning home at the same time as all the other soldiers. Krebs had to exaggerate and lie to get the attention he felt he deserved, in turn losing himself in the process.
Krebs lied about what happened to the point of feeling sick with "nausea" (36). All because he knew inside of him it was not right to be lying about what actually happened. Krebs had been, "badly, sickeningly frightened all the time (40). That is who Krebs was and the misconception of himself is what made him lose sight of who he actually was.
Westphal 2nd