Living on the American prairie puts a lot of strain on Per Hansa and Beret's marriage. For starters, they have completely opposite reactions to prairie life. While Per feels totally fulfilled and happy most of the time, Beret feels depressed and empty.
Even though they reconcile at different points in the book, the fact remains that they want two very different things from life and one of them is bound to be disappointed. And you can bet that in the 1800s, the burden of disappointment would almost always fall on the woman.
Questions About Marriage
- Do you think it's fair for Per Hansa to expect Beret to move with him to the American prairies? Would it be a good compromise for them to move back to Minnesota? Why or why not?
- How do Per Hansa and Beret both contribute to making their marriage worse? What could they each do to make it better?
- Do you think Per Hansa and Beret would have been better off if they'd never gotten married? Why or why not?
- How does the Norwegian settlement deal with new marriages without a minister? What happens to these marriages when a minister finally arrives?
Chew on This
In Giants in the Earth , we learn that marriage can be tough to negotiate when two people's priorities are completely opposite to one another.
In Giants in the Earth , O.E. Rölvaag reminds us that marriage is for better or for worse… and usually for worse.