"Don't you think it's about time?" His mother did not say this in a mean way. She seemed worried. "I hadn't thought about it," Krebs said. "God has some work for everyone to do," his mother said. "There can be no idle hands in His Kingdom." "I"m not in His Kingdom," Krebs said (582).
Later in the story more proof is shown when Krebs' mother has to pray for him, "Do you want me to pray for you?"(583). It can only be assumed that seeing the tragedies of war changed Krebs" view of religion and his faith in God.
Hemingway illustrates Krebs" emotional value of girls after being in France and Germany. He thinks of American girls as complicated and not worth courting. He misses the French and German girls because "there was not all this talking. You couldn't talk much and you did not need to talk"(581). Krebs does not think American girls were worth the effort. Krebs' strongest emotional imbalance is symbolized by the nauseated feeling he gets when he lies. He knows lying is wrong, but is torn between what he feels is right and what he believes others expect of him or how they perceive his actions. After making his mother cry, he feels guilty and tries to retract his cold statement:.
"I didn't meant it," he said. "I was just angry at something. I didn't mean I didn't love you." Krebs felt sick and vaguely nauseated. "I know, Mummy," he said. "I"ll try to be a good boy for you"(583).
Krebs is obviously an emotionally colder person after the war.
The setting of a mid-western town in the early 1900's shows hardly any change before and after the war. Life in the 1900's put much emphasis on family life. Krebs is a part of a loving, faith-driven family and that is shown when Krebs" mother says, "You know we love you and I want to tell you for your own good how matters stand." Only one change can be noted in the town after Krebs returns from war:.
Nothing was changed in the town except that the young girls had grown up There were so many good-looking young girls.
