Krebs left his simple life in Oklahoma and joined the Marines as a young man. The horrors of war shaped him in a way that made his return home much difficult. He had a tough time settling down to the slow paced, hard working, God fearing life that he had grown up in. the troubles of adjusting were to overwhelming for him. He wanted to live alone without consequences.
I think he was still experiencing a little aftershock from the war. I know his thoughts on war, politics, religion, and relationship changed much upon his return and that he had seen many terrible thing, but after that initial shock (however long) he would recover and eventually adjust to life as it is. For just a time he needed to soak it in. Weather for good or worse he did his best to escape complication and responsibility. Krebs was fed up with the norms all around him.
Krebs’s home seems to be a happy home. One that would be pleasant to live in. His parents are people of faith, especially his mother, and his father is a hard working real estate representative. She seems to really care about him. Krebs is turned off by his familys way of life. He finally gets a job to appease his family but it is not enough to give him peace of mind. The story ends but it left me hoping that he would one day find peace and comfort in his life.
I enjoyed reading your interpretation of this story. I totally agree with you that Krebs life was changed by the war. His faith was questioned and he spent most of his days alone doing nothing productive. He was basically killing time.
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