So Big

Pervus is dead, but the farm still needs to be tended. The crops in the ground must be harvested, lest the family fall into ruin. Selina is determined to support herself and her young son. She decides to go into market herself to sell the produce, despite the neighbors’ beliefs that women should not do this sort of work. Selina prepares the produce differently, washing and arranging the vegetables to be aesthetically pleasing. The sight of a woman “driving to market like a man” (79) causes much gossip in High Prairie. Selina takes Dirk with her, as well as the family dog, Pom. By this time, Selina has lived on the farm for twelve years. She is almost excited by the prospect of doing something different. She passes the Pool house, where Klaas offers his disapproval. After Maartje’s death, he married Widow Paarlenberg and he is now a wealthy man.

Selina, Dirk, and Pom ride to Chicago. They arrive in time to get a good spot at the market and—to save money—they sleep in the cart, even though it is dangerous for a woman to do so. Nevertheless, Selina is “relaxed” (85). She thinks about her father, her husband, and her son. In Chicago, she is met with ire from the male farmers who are astonished that a woman would come to the market without her husband. Women are more supportive, though Selina is determined to persevere without any help.

Selina spends the night in the cart with Dirk and Pom, then visits an old business acquaintance of her husband the next day. He offers her food and support, as well as his condolences following Pervus’s death. When the market begins, however, Selina soon discovers that the buyers do not want to offer her their custom. Since the day is warm, she grows concerned that her produce will wilt before it is sold, thus earning her a lower price. In desperation, she visits a wholesaler who knew Pervus. William Talcott also offers his condolences to Selina and explains that there are fewer buyers due to the Jewish holiday. He buys some produce from her and offers to buy more in the future. Selina is grateful, but also keenly aware of the impending debts that are due from the farm. Returning to her cart, she tells Dirk that they will travel home. Before leaving Chicago, however, she comes up with an idea. Arriving in the wealthy neighborhoods, she tries to sell her produce directly to the cooks and servants in the households. This is successful at first, but then a police officer named Officer Reilly stops her. She is accused of selling without a permit. When Reilly tries to grab her arm, she is filled with a “fastidious rage” (98). The argument between Selina and Reilly is interrupted by the return of one of the wealthy residents. Julie Hempel recognizes her old friend Selina and tells Reilly to leave, welcoming Selina into her large family home. Selina cannot stop herself from laughing.

As she talks to Julie, Selina’s only real focus is to find “the best thing for Dirk” (100). Julie wants to use her vast family fortune to fund the education of her friend’s son, but Selina is still determined to be self-sufficient. Julie enlists her father, August Hempel, to give his opinion on Selina’s farm. The following day, they ride together to High Prairie in a motor car. The sight of the car shocks the local residents, many of whom have never seen a car before. By this time, August Hempel is very wealthy, but he retains his working-class perspective. His son Eugene, however, has been raised in wealth and lacks his father’s connection to his working-class origins. August surveys Selina’s land and listens to her plans. She wants to repurpose the farm to focus on growing “fine things” (102) rather than the usual High Prairie produce. She wants to be successful so that Dirk can attend a good school and decide his future. Selina, once determined to travel the world and have adventures, is now determined to dedicate her life to her son’s happiness by staying on the farm. August agrees with her belief that people should not “go trying to live somebody’s else life for them” (103). He laments that his son will never understand the family business as he understands it. August offers Selina money to achieve her ambitions for the farm. She insists that the money be a loan, rather than a gift. Without hesitation, August Hempel writes out a promissory note for the money. Later in life, Selina will cling to the document as a memorial of a difficult time. She will laugh with August at her naive failure to pay any interest on the loan.