Character Analysis
Sörine is the wife of Hans Olsa and probably the most well adjusted character in the book. She takes things as they come and does her best to make sure her settlement (and the people living in it) thrive. That being said, she also likes to tease her husband Hans from time to time, since he's so stoic and impenetrable that she wants to get a rise out of him.
But when she goes too far, we get our one and only look at the stern, potentially violent side of Hans. As the narrator tells us,
The father gave her a stern glance; he didn't tell her in words to stop her foolish chatter—but she said no more. (1.2.1.15)
It's clear that behind closed doors, Hans might not be the same gentle giant he is with his neighbors… or at least that he definitely rules the roost on the home front.
But overall, it seems like these two have a friendly, healthy relationship. They're usually on the same page. When Hans tells Sörine about his plan to adopt Beret and Per Hansa's new child, Sörine teases him by reminding him of his own children. But it also becomes clear that she's been thinking the same thing all along:
Sörine laughed and asked him teasingly if he didn't think he'd soon have enough with his own? The next instant, however, she too became serious; and now she confided in him that for a long time she had been thinking about this very same thing, herself. (2.3.8.8)
As a couple, Sörine and Hans have a lot of love to give. And when it comes to helping others, they both have their arms outstretched.