So Big

Dirk notices the “similarity” (149) between all the women in his office. Their behavior reminds him of Paula, but he remains “immune, aloof, untouched” (150) in their presence. Selina occasionally visits the office, and she often invites people to her farm, much to Dirk’s annoyance. Dirk is very successful. He furnishes his apartment with Paula’s help, shops at the most lavish stores, and moves in the most elite circles, yet he notes that the effect is “somber without being impressive” (151). Selina ceases to remonstrate with her son; her farm is flourishing, and she supplies produce to many of Chicago’s best restaurants and hotels. When she visits Chicago, she declines offers to stay with Dirk or Julie. She takes a hotel room for herself and explores the city, developing a knowledge of Chicago that is far deeper than Dirk’s own. She invites many of the people she meets to her farm, and she maintains her “zest for living” (152). The foreign people she meets, she believes, are more interesting and vital than her own son. As she explores the city, Selina is often congratulated on her son’s success. For Selina, life is “full, pleasant, prolific” (153).