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The Meaning of Home

A variety of meanings can be used to describe home. Multiple writers utilize varying techniques to ensure controlling their particular style of diction. Hence, this enables the author to choose how the targeted reader will define a specific word in the story. In “Soldier’s Home” by Earnest Hemingway and “Eveline” by James Joyce, both authors utilize the word home to portray varying meanings, both similar and opposite. The two authors resulted in different “home’s” interpretations because they use varying ways to ensure uncovering the protagonist’s story. Thus, Eveline in “Eveline” and Krebs in “Soldier’s Home” can compare and contrast the word home. In comparison, home for Eveline and Krebs is portrayed significantly through their fathers’ and mothers’ attitudes, although they have varying situations that force them to decide whether to leave or stay at home.

Eveline’s and Kreb’s fathers and mothers have similar attitudes in numerous ways, which gives information contributing to everyone into their particular state of home. The father of Eveline started to give her threats and claim the things he would not do for Eveline; this is because Eveline was not motivated to continue in life (Joyce 326). Threats from fathers to Eveline and Krebs forced their motive with regard to going to a new home. The father of Krebs portrayed forces as he at all times desired that the car be where he commanded. Therefore, both fathers’ functions had a significant influence on how Eveline and Krebs lived in their specific homes.

Nevertheless, the mothers of Eveline and Krebs were a bit different regarding how they were involved in treating their children at home. Eveline and Krebs’ mothers attempt to ensure keeping their children at home by ensuring that the children feel wanted. A better explanation of this is when Krebs, together with his mother, is involved in kneeling down next to the dinning-room table (Hemingway 114). Krebs’ mother then prays to make him feel wanted; this is after Krebs says that he does not love any person. He became sorry for her mother and made him lie to ensure she felt okay; this portrays human nature to comfort people. Therefore, Krebs’ mother attempts to make Krebs stay at home by making him feel loved and cared for.

Eveline’s mother treats her differently at home. When she was on her deathbed, she left her a crucial task of keeping the family together. Eveline promised her mother that she would ensure that the home was held together for as long a period as she could. After her mother’s demise, Eveline was left with the responsibility of taking care of her siblings and father. However, due to her father’s violent personality and high temper, Eveline feared living with him (Joyce 325). Later, he started threatening her, saying that all he would do to Eveline was because of the sake of her demised mother. Even after the demise of her mother, Eveline carried a significant responsibility that would come at last force her decision concerning staying at home. Thus, this shows that people’s responsibility is important in enhancing their relationship with home. Therefore, although Eveline does not desire to have an ending similar to her mother’s, she comprehends her final words and ensures keeping the promise.

Additionally, Krebs’ father made threats to Krebs; this was after he plainly desired Zhu 2, his son, to make use of his car as an expression of motivation for his success in life. On the other hand, Krebs’ mother also desired to motivate Kreb to have success in life. However, she failed to have a better understanding of Kreb, especially after coming back from war. Thus, her mother failed to identify her mature son, who she identified when he was in high school. Krebs had felt a traumatic war experience that changed him, making him lack the ability to ensure loving his mother (Hemingway 114). Therefore, Krebs left his home and family to begin a new life where he would not face emotional complications.

In conclusion, by bringing all the facts together, readers can gain insight that the authors in both stories are involved in determining the protagonist’s home. Eveline is captured by Joyce as a weak woman who depends upon her mother’s promise. She kept her responsibility of ensuring the family was together at home and avoided the repercussions of disregarding her mother’s promise. On the other hand, Hemingway portrayed the way Krebs suffered weak ties with his family due to his traumatic war experience. Thus, the reader can acquire a clear insight into the meaning of home from the two others. Therefore, comparing Eveline and Krebs’ fathers’ and mothers’ attitudes portray home for both protagonists.

Works Cited

Hemingway, Ernest. “Soldier’s Home,” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, edited by Michael Meyer and D. Quentin Miller, 12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2020, pp. 110-115.

Joyce, James. “Eveline,” The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature, edited by Michael Meyer and D. Quentin Miller, 12th ed., Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2020, pp. 325-328.