So Big · Chapter
Chapter XIII explained
Selina manages the farm with hired help while Dirk attends school.
What happens
Selina manages the farm with hired help while Dirk attends school. She tries to subtly guide his future without pressure, buying books and magazines on various professions. Selina learns of Roelf Pool's success as a sculptor in Paris. Dirk meets Mattie Schwengauer, a poor university student, and brings her to the farm for a weekend. Mattie's visit is a success, but fraternity pressure forces Dirk to distance himself from her. Dirk and Selina discuss his university plans, settling on Midwest University for a general course.
Themes in this chapter
Ambition and Self-Fulfillment
Selina's relentless drive to improve the farm and guide Dirk's future, contrasted with Mattie's struggle to achieve her dream of education.
Class and Social Mobility
Mattie's poverty and unclassified status at university clash with fraternity expectations; Selina's farm prosperity allows Dirk to attend university.
Beauty and Art
Roelf's sculpture 'The Seine' represents artistic achievement; Selina's appreciation of beauty despite personal privation.
Motherhood and Sacrifice
Selina sacrifices personal luxuries to provide books and opportunities for Dirk, and supports his educational choices.
Characters to notice
- Selina DeJong
Manages the farm with hired help, guides Dirk's education subtly, learns of Roelf's success, invites Mattie to the farm, discusses Dirk's university plans.
- Dirk DeJong
Attends school, has light farm tasks, meets Mattie Schwengauer, brings her to the farm, faces fraternity pressure to cut ties with her, discusses university plans with Selina.
- Mattie Schwengauer
A poor university student who works as a waitress; visits the farm and enjoys it, but is later shunned by Dirk's fraternity due to her social status.
- Roelf Pool
Becomes a celebrated sculptor in Paris; his work 'The Seine' is featured in an illustrated magazine, causing Selina great excitement.
- Klaas Pool
Reacts to Selina's candlelit dinners with a humorous remark about cabbages.
- Maartje Pool
Horrified by the nude sculpture of Roelf, thinks Selina brought it to spite her.
- Jan Snip
Works on the farm, distrusts Selina's new methods, predicts she will choke on her ambitions.
- Meena Bras
Houseworker on the farm, bakes coconut cakes for Mattie's visit.
Key passages
“You bit off more as you can chaw. You choke yet. You see.”
Jan Snip warns Selina that she has taken on more than she can handle and will fail.
Jan's skepticism reflects the community's distrust of Selina's progressive farming methods.
“Cabbages is beautiful. Cabbages is beautiful I betcha.”
Klaas Pool mocks Selina's candlelit dinners by sarcastically praising cabbages.
High Prairie's reaction to Selina's refinement highlights the cultural gap between her and the community.
“It got so I hated to do all those things on the farm. I guess it was because I had to. But now it comes back to me and I enjoy it because it's natural to me, I suppose.”
Mattie explains that she resented farm chores when forced, but now finds joy in them as a voluntary activity.
Mattie's reflection underscores the theme of class and the difference between necessity and choice.
