How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #7
The caravan headed for the sky; it steered straight onward. Now, at last, Per Hansa had time to look about him and rejoice in what he saw… All he saw was beautiful! (1.5.4.3)
Unlike Beret, Per Hansa looks at the Dakota prairies and sees nothing but beauty—a blank canvas that he can use to paint his masterpiece of a life. He plans on building an entirely new kingdom dedicated to his own glory and manliness.
Quote #8
The landscape showed a monotonous sameness… never the slightest change… Grey sky—damp, icy cold… Snow fell… snow flew… He could only guess where the huts of Hans Olsa lay. (1.6.3.8)
Despite his enthusiasm, Per Hansa has the occasional flicker of doubt about just how great the prairies are. He has two eyes, after all, and he can see just how much flat, brown land exists in every direction.
Quote #9
An endless plain. From Kansas—Illinois, it stretched, far into the Canadian North, God alone knows how far; from the Mississippi River to the western Rockies, miles without number…Endless…beginningless. (2.1.1.1)
Back in the days of European settlement, people didn't even know how far the prairies went in certain directions. For all they new, the prairies were infinite. And that's the sort of unknown that can really play tricks with your mind.