Short Story Analysis

Short Stories Analysis

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 - July 2, 1961) was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections and two non-fiction works. Three novels, four collections of short stories and three non-fiction works were published posthumously. Many of these are considered classics of American literature.

The point of view that's being presented in a Soldier's Home is in 3rd person. The narrator focused on the soldier and what he was going through. You can read Harold's thoughts and feelings but you cant comprehend what his sister and his mom are thinking throughout the story.

The location of where the story takes place is in Oklahoma in the summer of 1919. Harold Krebs was returning from WWI two years later than the rest of the soldiers. Besides his family, no one really said anything to him or welcomed him home when he returned to the states.

The tone and the mood of the short story is more on the depressing and bland perspective on life now coming back to reality. Harold is depressed from witnessing war and doesn't know how to process what he saw. Therefore he doesn't know how to used his conscious feelings in the real world.

The first half of the story introduces Krebs' character and feelings of his home after war. He is indifferent to this place, and hates the fact that things still remain complicated after the war. The next part is the dialogue between he and his family, which represents the relationship he has with them. He seems impatient and indifferent to them as well, and eventually gets in an argument with his mother about his being reinserted into society so quickly. By the end, the reader sees the practical yet hopeful side of Krebs, as he succumbs to the fact that he won't be able to control the amount of confusion life hands him, and that he should just live his life a day at a time. His mom is upset due to the fact that Harold told her that he didn't love her and she was telling him that he was his son and he raised her and she didn't know how to react to that statement he made. His sister, Helen, loves him always wants him to be proud of her. To show him what she can do, she asked him to come watch her play indoor just for support and to make him proud.

The conflict in the story is man vs. society and man vs. his self. Harold is up against society because of the fact that he did go through war and he doesn't know how to process all of what he experienced, like it was too much for him to handle and then move on with his life. He is up against his self because he lost the sensation to have feelings for someone and or anyone for that matter. He doesn't love anyone and can enjoy someone's company only if they aren't speaking directly to him. Krebs lost his humanity throughout fighting for his beloved country.

Throughout the story the rising conflict has been shown between Krebs value and the community's expectation towards him to conform to normal society . Krebs family worries over his alienation from the real world; although they don't seem to understand the intensity of the problem. War has taken away any kind of feelings he might had about life.

The climax is when Krebs tells his mother that he doesn't love her. She starts sobbing at first and then looking at what he did, he quickly lied and told her that he did love her and for her to believe her when he said he loved her. He didn't want to make any more problems than he needed that's why he chose to lie to his mother.

The falling action was when he wanted his mother to pray for him because he told her that he couldn't. Within all of his experiences, nothing touched him like it had before. Harold went to Kansas City to get a job whether he wanted to or not and he also went to watch Helen play indoor baseball.

There was not really a resolution to this story, it kept the reader wondering what happened to Harold after that event with his family. No one will know whether or not he fell in love, got treatment for his condition, or even felt a sense of humanity again.

The theme of Soldier's Home is "lost generation". When soldiers returned home from war, they didn't know how to conform to normal life like they had been living before. Its like going from one extreme to the other, trying to manage and getting lost within translation throughout life.

Winter Dreams

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 - December 21, 1940) was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. He finished four novels: This Side of Paradise, The Beautiful and Damned, Tender is the Night and his most famous, The Great Gatsby. A fifth, unfinished novel, The Love of the Last Tycoon, was published posthumously. Fitzgerald also wrote many short stories that treat themes of youth and promise along with despair and age.

The point of view that this short story being presented from is first person. Fitzgerald uses this to his advantage by showing and playing out the story through his eyes. The reader can get a better description of what he's is trying to express throughout first person.

The setting of the story takes place at a country club surrounding a lake and the course are a range of nice horses. That location is where Judy Jones lives. When Dexter was younger, he lived with his parents; when he got older he moved into a country club.

The mood of the story was preformed through Dexter. His emotions intertwined with Judy Jones's actions. The overall mood is somewhat depressing and bittersweet because the woman that he has always had a thing for always leaves him but then she comes back to him.

In Winter Dreams, there is a guy named Dexter Green whose ambitions become identified with a selfish rich girl. He is from a modest background and he strives to be a part of the exclusive world inhabited by the woman he loves. He needs materialistic things such as money, wealth, and privilege to fulfill his vision of a perfect life which indulges gaining the love of Judy Jones. Judy was the center of his dream and she pushed and motivated him to become successful. But having her does more than motivate him to become successful, because she will show him a passionate vitality and