Is Grace really so devoted to Charlie’s memory or is she afraid of a new relationship?

Is Grace really so devoted to Charlie’s memory or is she afraid of a new relationship? What does her breakdown in the front yard say about her feelings toward her late husband and herself?

Probably devoted at first, then it was easier to remain that way as an excuse not to put herself out there again. What a difficult time it was to be a woman in that era. They couldn't be honest about anything.

I agree that she was devoted at first but it eventually bacame a crutch for her. She felt that she had been "cheated" out of her life. As many women of the time did, Grace felt that her destiny was to marry, have children and live a nice comfortable life. Charlie's death destryed that dream which is why she is so angry at him. I think she felt incapable of starting over for quite awhile and thus became resentful of Charlie himself.

Molly said it very nicely :) At first, she was preserving his memory, but as time went on, she simply became accustomed to being on her own, and it was a convenient way to avoid going through the whole 'new relationship' thing again.

I think the answer to this question has been well-addressed by the previous comments. I just wanted to add Grace married Charlie at such a young age, during a time marriages were running rampant, as they always do right before troops ship out to war. There's all that romance, being swept away and married in a hurry, then comes sudden widowhood. She's built up this ideal of young love and it would be hard to start over again. There probably was an element of devotion but there was never enough time for them to experience mature love. I can see her hesitance. Both ideas make sense to me.