Driven Back to Eden · Chapter
Rallying from the Blow explained
After a devastating lightning strike burns down the barn, the family and neighbors rally together to recover.
What happens
After a devastating lightning strike burns down the barn, the family and neighbors rally together to recover. Robert Durham remains optimistic, revealing that the buildings were insured. The chapter details the practical steps taken to salvage the farm: saving compost, planting fodder corn, weeding the garden, and selling produce to generate income. The family learns to prioritize selling over personal consumption, and the community's support underscores the theme of neighborliness.
Themes in this chapter
Community and Neighborliness
Neighbors like Mr. Jones, Bagley, and Rollins rally to help with planting and moral support after the barn fire.
Self-Reliance and Hard Work
Robert's proactive insurance, compost-making, and garden work exemplify self-reliance and industriousness in the face of disaster.
Economic Transformation
The family shifts from subsistence to market-oriented farming, selling produce and prioritizing income over personal consumption.
Characters to notice
- Robert Durham
Shows resilience after the barn fire, reveals insurance coverage, and organizes recovery efforts including compost management and garden work.
- Merton
Helps with compost gathering, raspberry picking, and is praised by Robert for acting like a man during the emergency.
- Bobsey
Struggles to understand the need to sell produce instead of consuming it, showing consumer tendencies.
- Mr. Jones
Offers practical advice and help with plowing and sowing fodder corn, demonstrating neighborly support.
- Bagley
Helps with spreading compost and planting corn, and is acknowledged as a good friend despite past conflicts.
- Winnie
Calls the chickens after the storm and shows concern for Robert's spirits.
Key passages
“This I explained in such a way that all except Bobsey saw the wisdom of it, or, rather, the necessity. As yet, Bobsey’s tendencies were those of a consumer, and not of a producer or saver.”
Robert explained the need to sell produce rather than eat it, and only Bobsey failed to grasp the necessity, still thinking like a consumer rather than a producer.
Highlights the economic lesson and Bobsey's immature perspective.
“I had early been impressed with the importance of obtaining and saving everything that would enrich the soil, and had been shown that increasing the manure pile was the surest way to add to one’s bank account.”
Robert had learned that saving and composting organic matter was the best way to improve soil fertility and, ultimately, farm profits.
Reflects the theme of self-reliance and practical agricultural knowledge.
“Tell ye what it is, neighbors," said practical Mr. Jones; " ’tisn’t too late for Mr. Durham to sow a big lot of fodder corn, and that’s about as good as hay. We’ll turn to and help him get some in."”
Mr. Jones suggested planting fodder corn as a substitute for hay and offered the neighbors' help to get it sown quickly.
Demonstrates community support and practical farming advice.