Soldier’s Home: Paradox 1 key example

Krebs's lack of interest in acquiring a job or a girlfriend, even though he is aesthetically intrigued by the girls who walk past his porch, makes him markedly different from the other men his age in town. There is an apparent paradox in the idea of the boys "settling down" and yet "[getting] somewhere." By having a family and a job, both of which tie down the boys to the place they live, they are moving forward figuratively, progressing through the milestones of life expected of them.

This progression is typical of small, southern towns like the one that is the setting of "Soldier's Home": places where community is privileged and settling down where one grew up is expected. Even though Krebs was protecting this exact way of life as a soldier, now that he has returned post-war he finds himself no longer on the same path as his peers. Krebs's mother, through comparing Krebs to Charley Simmons, makes explicit the expectations that she has for him. Krebs is currently making no progress towards fulfilling these expectations.

The paradox of moving forward while staying in one place reflects the difficulty Krebs has when it comes to following through on his parents' expectations for his future. For Krebs, setting future aims that are in line with expectations is as difficult as simultaneously moving and yet staying still. Moreover, while Krebs ends the story by resolving to get a job, he decides to move somewhere else to do it, and he makes no such promises about girls. The paradox in the quotation above then complicates the conclusion of the story, revealing Krebs to be far less capable of fulfilling the expectations set for him than a reader might initially believe him to be.