"Soldier's Home" is a short story written by Ernest Hemingway where a young man called Krebs is displayed as the protagonist. He is shown to be struggling as he has just returned back from the First World War. While at the war Krebs was exposed to both death and destruction in some of the most gruesome battles took place. The story shows Krebs parents trying to get him back to his normal everyday activities (Bernardo). Nevertheless, his perception of the world has been altered as part of him being away at war for a long period of time. Hemingway throughout the story shows Krebs as being lost and also shows him to be a human being, who has lost a lot. It is shown that Krebs has lost the ability to feel love. This is highlighted by Hemingway when Krebs is unable to lie to his mother, when she asks him whether or not he loves her anymore (Hemingway). This lost feeling of love is also further highlighted by Hemingway when he states in his story "Krebs looked at the bacon hardening on his plate. This hardening of bacon symbolizes how Krebs's heart has a also hardened after he had returned from the war. From this Kreb's realized they he had stay away from the ones he previously loved, to feel the love again.
Krebs initially graduated from college and joined the marines in the year 1917, and he was not able to return until the year 1919 (Sparknotes). This long time frame of two years has been used by the author to show Krebs being parted away from everything he loved. Time is significant topic focused on by the author when he focuses on the years that Krebs was at the war. Often times people mention that time heals everything, nevertheless when Krebs returns from the war, he does not feel the need or the urgency to go back to the people and things he used love. Therefore the aspect of time has been used an irony throughout the span of this story. As mentioned previously, Krebs was at the war for two long years.