Hemingway's 'Soldier's Home': Characters, Themes, and Plot Analysis

Harold Krebs

Main character; WWI soldier who returns home feeling emotionally empty

Helen Krebs

Krebs's younger sister who looks up to him

Where is Krebs from?

Oklahoma

When does Krebs return home?

Summer of 1919

Why is Krebs's return different from other soldiers?

He comes home late

Why are people not interested in Krebs's stories?

Tired of atrocity stories

What does Krebs do to get attention?

Lie

Why does Krebs stop lying?

Gets tired of it

What does Krebs spend most of his time doing?

Sitting on porch watching people

How does Krebs feel inside?

Empty

What did Krebs do before the war?

Attended Methodist college in Kansas

What branch of military was Krebs in?

Marines

Where did Krebs serve?

Germany

What does Krebs like to do at home?

Read and play pool

What instrument does Krebs practice?

Clarinet

How do his sisters view him?

As a hero

What job does Krebs's father have?

Real estate business

Where does Krebs's father work?

Office in bank building

What pattern does Krebs notice about girls?

Dutch collars

What does Krebs want from life?

Simple, no complications

What did the army teach Krebs about life?

Don't need a girlfriend

What is Krebs's attitude toward girls?

Interested but avoids effort

Why does Krebs avoid relationships?

Too complicated

What does Krebs read in the morning?

Kansas City Star

What does Krebs eat for breakfast?

Eggs, bacon, buckwheat cakes

What does Krebs's mother want him to do?

Get a job

What shocking thing does Krebs say to his mother?

He doesn't love her

What does Krebs say about love?

"I can't love anybody"

What does Krebs decide at the end?

Leave home

Where does Krebs plan to go?

Kansas City

Why is Krebs going there?

Get a job