“…he did not want them themselves really. They were too complicated…” A Psychoanalytic Deconstruction of Ernest Hemingway’s "Soldier's Home" Anonymous College

In Ernest Hemingway's narrative "Soldier's Home", Krebs finds it difficult to get involved in girls and to get back to normal civilian life after returning from the war. The occurrences at the war devastates Krebs psychologically to the degree that he is no longer ambitious in life. His parents are worried about him; they try to push him so that he can get married, get a job and lead a normal life like his peers. Krebs lies to his mother so as to please her. Psychologically, Krebs wants to repress the memories of the war. A psychoanalytic deconstruction of Ernest Hemingway, "Soldier's Home" calls attention to the psychological traumas that soldiers go through after the war; the psychological trauma and anxiety hinder them from leading normal smooth lives.

Krebs makes clear his fear of intimacy since “Vaguely he wanted a girl but he did not want to have to work to get her. He would have liked to have a girl but he did not want to have to spend a long time getting her.” Krebs’ fear of intimacy stems from his wartime experiences. During the war his emotions for love are repressed and all he has to do is fight for his country. He is afraid to court girls because his emotions were made unconscious throughout the time he was at the...