Soldier's Home Irony

Soldiers are those who sacrifice their life to protect their country. They’re willing to fight for freedom to their country. They have to fight against enemy with their friends dying around them which is very painful and heart broken. After the confrontation is over, they get back to peace home where they can return to normal life. Unfortunately, others will not be lucky as them. Some soldiers could not easily put the war behind them. Ernest Hemingway who was a veteran in WW1 wrote the book called “Soldier’s Home”. He had experienced bloody war and seriously suffered by trauma of war. He portrayed himself as the main character, Krebs, to show how the veteran has hard time adjusting to home life than most soldiers that have returned home. In

“Soldier’s Home,” author’s purpose was to tell readers about adaption of veteran who has gone through life-changing events and to understand consciousness of expectation and reality.

His writing style was articulate and straightforward; fully display how Krebs suffered by traumatic war experience. In “Soldier’s Home,” Hemingway effectively used irony, symbolism and repetition to tell his readers the life, which detached from social relations, love and ambition.

First of all, irony was used to describe to the outcome of situation was different from than what has expected. This rhetorical device was used in the title. “Soldier’s Home” the author used irony to show difference between expectation and reality. When people see the word “home,” they normally expect it to be a warm, loving, nostalgic and care full place where you can be yourself and not having nightmares every now and then. When Krebs arrived home, he couldn’t put the past behind him and has difficulty adjusting to life of a normal person. Although his family were still the same as they were before he joined

the army, Krebs, having gone through more than people at that age should have and seen too many devastating events happen during war time, his perspective of things is life was no longer the same. His expectation of home and the actual reality were not only different but quite the opposite. Moreover, author used irony to show things did not turn out the way he expected. “At first Krebs, who had been at Belleau Wood, Soissons, the Champagne, St. Mihiel and in the Argonne did not want to talk about the war at all. Later he felt the need to talk but no one wanted to hear about it.” Krebs has gone through terrible war which made him feel a great depression and bad experiences from the war. He could not easily put the war behind him so he decided to keep everything himself and not to tell anyone about the war. He needed time to settle down himself. He was the latest one to return from the army, therefore no one was there to welcome him back. The author applied irony to describe Krebs’ indecision that Krebs didn’t want to talk to others. Afterwards, he needed someone to talk to in order to release his repressed emotions. Author’s purpose was to tell readers how veterans suffered when they came back to home.
Moreover, symbolism was used in the following line: “During this time, it was late summer, he was sleeping late in bed, getting up to walk down to the library to get a book, eating lunch at home, reading on the front porch until he became bored and then walking down through the town to spend the hottest hours of the day in the cool dark of the pool room. He loved to play pool.”(Holt) After veterans came back to home, most of them held in high esteem and successfully transited to civilian life. People should work hard to earn money and contributed to the society in order to become successful. People expect that veterans need to conform society’s expectation. On the other hand, Krebs becomes lethargic and irresponsibility when he has returned from the war. His daily routine is getting out of bed lately, eating lunch at home and spending leisure time all day long. People think Krebs supposes to work and He lives in an isolated life where he can do whatever he wants. Expectation of veteran’s life and actual reality are totally paradoxical. Author’s purpose is to show readers that he lacks of ambition of pursing his dream. Krebs’s action symbolizes disconnection from society.
Furthermore, author also uses repetition to continuously give details to further support to his point of view.

This device is used in the following lines: “He did not want them themselves really. They were too complicated He wanted a girl but he did not want to have to work to get her…He did not want to get into the intrigue and the politic. He did not want to have to do any courting.”(Holt) The word complicated is used to describe girls. Courting women seems to Krebs like too complicated because it might causes a lot of time and effort to make better relationship with them. He doesn’t want to take responsible for them. Author applies the words “did not” to keep emphasizing he doesn’t like to get involved in obligation. The reason why Krebs doesn’t want to work to get girls is because he is suffered from PTSD. “In World War One, they called it shell shock. Second time around, they called it battle fatigue. After ‘Nam, it was post-traumatic stress disorder.” (Jan Karon) The victims of PDST are unable to recover their confidence because of stress and flashback of the war. Krebs is one of victim of PTSD who is inability to truly recognize himself. They find out themselves unable to return to civilian life so they lose passion about everything. However, author’s purpose is to tell readers that veterans who struggle with PTSD are unable to connect and love

others.
In conclusion, Hemingway effectively used irony, symbolism and repetition to tell his readers the life, which detached from social relations, love and ambition. By reading “Soldier’s Home,” I feel sympathy to soldiers who have fight for freedom to their country. Author wants to tell readers that soldiers who have struggled with PTSD are emotionless and impacts of traumatic memory lead to a sense of inadequacy.