Krebs as well as Hemingway, a World War I veteran, is forced to lie about his involvement in the war just to be heard. Hemingway fell into this norm of lying about war experience, which eventually made him sick of disgust: the deception he practiced at home uncomfortably remind him of the lies he and others have been forced to tell in order to sensationalize for home consumption the dull reality of war (Mayers, 55). .
In this story the conflict has to do with Harold's demarcation of who he has become. He recognizes he has changed and this change is played out dramatically against the background of a town, where nothing else has changed except the fact that the young girls has grown up (124). From his early childhood only value he believes in is telling the truth. Lying makes Krebs feel lost within himself and when lying he experiences nausea (122). However, he forced by the society to lie about military experience in order to be listened to, because this town has heard too many atrocity stories to be thrilled by actualities (122). It seems clear the people of the town are more into war fantasies rather than hearing the truth about it. That is the reason Krebs develops a bitter sense towards the war and distaste for everything that has happened to him (122). As pointed out by Defalco, "He is forced to tell lies about his war experience in order to gain the approval of his associates" (140). Similar point of view is presented by Petrarca, who observes that "Krebs is not able to tell any real war stories, not even for cathartic purposes, since the home town people have been so used to hearing hyperbole that anything merely true is destined to a poor reception. If he wishes to gain anyone's attention, he too must be forced to lie" (665).
Harold Krebs returned from the war with an inability to love and determined to avoid complications which include lying. But his life is getting complicated already, when he was welcomed by the society people to be listened to at all he had to lie.
