# Chapter XIX explained — Growth of the Soil

> Chapter companion for Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun.

## What happens

Isak returns from the village with a new horse and a mowing-machine, the first in the wilds. He hides the machine to test it himself before revealing it to his sons. Meanwhile, news arrives that Breidablik is being sold; Brede Olsen is moving back to the village, having failed to secure housing with Axel Ström. Inger hears gossip about the Lensmand's wife having a baby. Eleseus works hard during haymaking, though he seems troubled by an unhappy love affair.

## Themes in this chapter

### Progress and Modernity

Isak's acquisition of the first mowing-machine in the wilds represents the arrival of modern technology, contrasting with traditional scythes and manual labor.

### Community and Isolation

Brede's failed attempt to move in with Axel Ström and his return to the village highlight tensions between communal support and individual self-sufficiency in the wilderness.

## Character check-ins

### Isak

Returns from the village with a new horse and a mowing-machine, which he hides and tests himself. He is proud and secretive about the machine, and later reveals it to his sons.

### Inger

Surprised by Isak's news and the new horse; she claps her hands in astonishment. She also shows interest in gossip about the Lensmand's wife's baby.

### Eleseus

Works hard during haymaking despite blistered hands and lost appetite. He reads the instructions for the mowing-machine and seems troubled by an unhappy love affair.

### Sivert

Helps with the new horse and the mowing-machine; he and Eleseus discuss the machine's adjustments.

### Brede Olsen

Is selling Breidablik and moving back to the village. He tried to live with Axel Ström but was refused. He consoles himself with his telegraph inspector job.

## Key lines

> Isak had never known such an hour in his life. To pick up a pen and write one’s mark on a paper, a document—ay, ’twas a perilous great thing that, no doubt.

Isak felt that signing a document was a momentous act, but the mowing-machine brought him even greater wonder.

_Highlights Isak's awe of the machine compared to his earlier fear of paperwork._

> He was a rich man now, with a big farm, but the heavy cash payments that had come to him by a lucky chance he used but poorly; he put the money aside. The land saved him.

Despite his wealth, Isak is cautious with money and relies on the land for his livelihood, avoiding the temptations of village life.

_Emphasizes Isak's connection to the land and his prudent nature._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xix
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters