Out of This Furnace: Part 1, Chapter 21 Summary & Analysis

Kracha misses Elena, but only as an acquaintance, for “she had long since ceased to be a large part of his life,” and he was, in effect, “a widower long before Elena died.” After a month, he resumes seeing Zuska. His business is no longer thriving, Elena’s funeral has cost him what little savings he retained, and he continues to give money to Zuska. As a result, he is heavily in debt. Late in April, the United States drifts closer to war with Spain when the U.S.S. Maine blows up in Havana harbor. Kracha worries that war will inflate the price of meat and cease any railroad construction on his invested property. He is already unable to sell the lots.

Following the news of the Maine’s destruction, Kracha visits Zuska at her house. She tells him she is pregnant. Overwhelmed with his troubles, Kracha tells her, “I feel like a man in a foreign country.” He can deal with trouble, but he cannot deal with an uncertain future. “Maybe I should have stayed in the mill,” he says, “that's where I belong. And if things don't take a turn for the better soon that is where I'll end up.” Kracha and Zuska agree to get married, but in the summer, Kracha loses his remaining funds and spends his days getting drunk. One day in late August, he beats Zuska in a drunken rage and is jailed. Upon his release, he finds she is gone. He also loses his property, his business, and his home.