“Soldier’s Home”
Notes
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Krebs is a young man from Oklahoma who
enlisted in the Marines in 1917.
He returned home in 1919, but “much too late.”
He was welcomed back without any real
celebration because of it.
At first he doesn’t want to talk about the war, and
then when he does, no one wants to listen. He
begins to lie about things he did and things that
happened so that people would listen.
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He feels bad about lying.
Krebs lies are not overly exaggerated.
He feels as if he doesn’t fit in because the
war scared him. He only really feels
comfortable when he’s around other soldiers
who know what it’s like to be afraid.
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Krebs is a hero to his two younger sisters.
His mother loves him but doesn’t want to
hear about the war. His father is detached
and they don’t seem to have a good
relationship.
He doesn’t want a girlfriend because he
thinks dating is too complicated and he
thinks he’ll have to tell more lies.
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Krebs misses the French & German girls
because “there was not all this talking.”
Maybe because of the language barrier.
Also the French and German girls knew
more about the war than the Americans did.
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Krebs seems to be drifting through life. His
mother mentions a boy his age that has a job
and is engaged. Krebs can’t seem to relate.
His parents want him to find a job.
Krebs is so messed up and lost that he tells
his mother he doesn’t love her.
He apologizes and even though he makes
plans to find a job and please his family, he
is still confused and no better than before.