Great War Effect on Soldiers at Home

          Rites of Spring: The Great War and the Birth of the Modern Age is a book written by Modris Eksteins. The book describes what life was like for soldiers during World War I. From the endless bombardments of shells ranging in size from hundreds of pounds to over a ton to infestestation of lice and rats. Soldier's Home is a short story by Ernest Hemingway. It tells of a man named Krebs experience after he returned home to Oklahoma in 1919 after the end of World War 1. Krebs greeting was not what he had in mind. He was forced to lie in order for anyone in the twon to listen to him when he decided he needed to talk about what had happened to him in the war. 
          At the end of the war the men returning were treated as heroes. Once people leanced of the atrocity of the war no one wanted to hear about what happened over seas. This made things even more diificult for Harold Krebs. There was nothing there for him. He had no one to talk to that could understand how he felt since they had not seen the things he had. People probalbly did not want to hear how bodies were mutilated so bad they were accidentally being shoveled into sandbags. When he left he was just a kid, like thousands of others who were killed, that was not even allowed to drive his fathers car. 
       When lying is the only way to be heard you would have a hard time continuing to relate to people. How can you talk about the stench of all the decaying bodies, the constant bombardments, men drowning the mud was so deep, or your buddy being blown to bits to those who were not there. What happened there was beyond belief and everyone was tired of hearing about it. There were letters sent home all the time. The men were only able to write them during the time they were out of the trench resting. It was called the rest cycle but there was not much rest to be had. Even with the letters the transition going home was a difficult challenge for many men. When you live everyday watching men being torn to pieces around you how do you go back to civilian life the way it was before. 
         Men had become immune to the horrors of trench warfare. When your friends are dying next to you everyday you have to. Once you spend everyday shutting out emotions to cope with and just survive from day to day it is difficult to stop when you go back to normal life. Krebs had stopped caring about everything. In his head he was already dead. Going through normal every day tasks is just a show for him now. A tool to please those who still care about him. His family know he has changed and still love him but there is nothing they can do to make him feel at home again.