Hemingway's Home Vs Soldiers Home

War is hell! Anyone who has ever experienced it will say they are not the same as before they left. There are many situations a person is put in where they are forced to make an instant life or death decision, either to save themselves or the lives of their fellow soldiers. The emotional scars of what is witnessed can last a lifetime and affect all aspects of a returning soldier’s life, to include family relationships and bonds with friendships and courtships. In Hemingway’s short story, “Soldiers Home”, and the subsequent Robert Young film adaptation of the same title, we see just such an emotionally scarred soldier returning home from the battlefields of WWI and how he interacts in his relationships back home. To read Hemingway’s short story

Krebs is then shown heading to town and Hemingway makes no reference to Harold’s journey into town as seen in the film. On this journey, Harold runs into some old acquaintances. One such person is an injured classmate who, also, has returned from the war. The film introduces this classmate as a new character named, Bill Kenner. This new wounded warrior exhibits many of the same characteristics as Krebs. One stark difference between these two characters is that Kenner drinks and parties to rid his memory of the war. He and Krebs become good friends and Kenner convinces Harold to attend a dance at the YMCA. Kenner also mentions that there will be many former veterans in attendance. While attending this dance, not mentioned in the original work, Krebs encounters the sister of another classmate, named Rose Simpson, that, initially teaches him to dance, but later, rejects his advances. He tries to “make out” with her, but she does not want to take it that far. This particular encounter with Krebs display of impatience is referenced in the story with him stating, “He would have liked to have a girl but he did not want to have to spend a long time getting her” (167). Young uses this scene to show that Krebs is still a young man filled with emotion and desire, although, he does not openly display it. In the film, the two men are

Young uses the father’s physical presence to visual depict the disconnect Krebs has with those around him. For the brief time Krebs’ father appears, he is portrayed as the typical early 20th century husband and father by exhibiting by his impatience with matters of any substance or relating to business. Krebs’ mother is portrayed as the devoted mother, wife and religious leader of the home. She always sees the positive in all things and tries to instill this in her son. She reminds him that it is time for him to seek a job and anything he does would be respectful and, again, he remains emotionless and pessimistic. This seems to be in contrast to his upbringing because this lack of emotion confuses his mother. Harold’s mother makes reference to holding him close to her heart, indicating the bond she had with her son before he became hardened by the