Soldier’s Home: Foil 1 key example

While Krebs's mother claims she would like to hear about the war, her "attention always wandered," whereas Krebs needs people to listen to his account of the war to such an extent that he lies about his time in the army to attract attention. This separates Krebs from his fellow soldiers, who returned from war earlier and received attention as a result, but it also separates Krebs from the rest of the world: if his own mother cannot pay attention to his tales of the war, who will?

In the climax of the story, a fight between Krebs and his mother, Krebs's mother once again serves as a foil for Krebs, illuminating aspects of his character. In forcing Krebs to claim he loves her, a self-admitted lie, Krebs's compassion for his family is demonstrated at the same moment that his love for his family is indicted. When Krebs leaves for Kansas City in order to get a job, it is the first time Krebs sets a definite future aim for himself, and he does it only because of his conversation with his mother. Ultimately, in attempting to connect with Krebs, Krebs's mother illustrates how alone Krebs really is, pushing him away from his hometown but in so doing setting him up for future success (albeit according to the very metric she herself sets for him, a job and a family).