1. “Soldier’s Home”
Literary Notes

2. Literary Terms
Protagonist – the main actor in the plot; the one who initiates the action.
Not necessarily the hero
Antihero – contrast with the model of a typical hero
He gives in to disillusionment, hopelessness, and inaction

3. More Literary Terms
Climax – the point in the story that creates the greatest intensity, suspense, or interest
Usually the point in the story when the conflict is resolved
Conflict – struggle between opposing forces or characters in a story
Can be internal or external

4. Freytag’s Pyramid
Exposition – when the characters are introduced; the scene is set
Rising action – the story builds and gets more exciting; complications become apparent
Climax – moment of greatest intensity; usually the most exciting event
Falling action – events happen as a result of the climax
Denouement (day-noo-moh) – the ending; the story’s problems, questions, or mysteries are solved by the characters or explained by the author

6. Story Info. Protagonist and antihero – Harold Krebs
Young man who just returned from the war
Possibly suffers from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Setting is 1919 in a small town in Oklahoma

7. War background
Soldiers in France would spend their days and nights in mud-filled trenches.
Trenches reeked of urine, poisonous gas, wet sandbags, and decomposing bodies
Soldiers fought against
Rain
Cold
Lice
Rats
Trench mouth
Gangrene
Dysentery
There was a constant threat of death from the enemy.

8. Trench mouth

9. Gangrene