Harold's mother, the grandmother, and Bartleby are selfish.

            

             In Ernest Hemingway's "Soldier's Home," Harold's mother .

             shows selfishness in that she refuses to understand his .

             changing behavior. Her son, Harold Krebs, is a young man who.

             is returning home from his tour of duty in France. The .

             overwhelming shock of his experiences at war molds Harold.

             into a different man. Harold wants to talk about how the war.

             has affected him. He is unable to tell his mother the .

             unvarnished truth about his battles because of the time .

             period in which they live. His mother has no concept of what.

             really happens in a war and this is evident when she says "I.

             know the temptations you must have been exposed to. I know.

             how weak men are. I pray for you all day long." She prays.

             for Harold so that he will be strong and fight off the .

             temptations of women. This is sickening to Harold, because.

             the desire of a woman is a minor fault compared to the .

             horrifying events that occur in the outbreak of war. Harold.

             cannot explain to his mother how the war affected him. He.

             betrays symptoms of his discontent with his behavior .

             hoping that she will make some kind of logical relation.

             This drastic change in his behavior does not spark a .

             question of doubt in his mother's mind. The connection.

             between his recent return home and his changing behavior is.

             not made. Harold isolates himself from his family and his.

             community. He does not "want any consequences." The .

             psychological damage he receives from the war causes him to.

             act cold and emotionless. Harold's mother asks him, "Don't.

             you love your mother," and he replies, "no." His mothers .

             love for him is selfish because she refuses to acknowledge.

             the affect the war has on her son. .

             The grandmother in Flannery O'Connor's "A Good Man is.

             Hard to Find," is similar to Harold's mother. The .

             grandmother reveals her selfishness in that she persistently.

             tries to change her son's mind about where they will be .

             vacationing. The family is taking a trip to Florida.