So Big

As he grows up, Dirk develops a charming personality. He does not talk much, but he listens to people well. He seems “quietly effortless” (106) in a way that inspires sympathy in others. He is not a brilliant student, but he is well-liked. Selina worries about his future, but she is determined to allow him to choose his own path. Over several years, she completely renovates the farm. She works tirelessly to implement modern and distinctive practices, drawing on the help and advice of August Hempel while doing so. Dirk works on the farm, but Selina ensures that he is not overworked. Even as she earns good money, Selina cannot bring herself to purchase expensive things. She is too used to her hard years of privation to spend extravagantly on herself. Little is heard from Roelf, other than a small amount sent to Geertje and Jozina from Paris. One day, Selina finds a photograph of a sculpture in a magazine. The sculpture, a representation of the Seine in Paris, is credited to Roelf Pool. Excitedly, Selina shows Mrs. Klaas Pool (the former Widow Paarlenberg) but she is scandalized by the depiction of nudity. By now, Selina understands that the people of High Prairie are too conservative and traditional for such modern ventures.