Part 1

Reading Check

1. A man’s coat (Part 1, Chapter 1)

2. John Bergson’s “Old-World belief” is that owning land is itself valuable, no matter how difficult the land is to till and farm. (Part 1, Chapter 2)

3. Carl (Part 1, Chapter 4)

4. By selling their cattle and corn (Part 1, Chapter 5)

5. Oscar is worried about Alexandra’s plan to expand the Bergson farm because of the debt that the family will take on. (Part 1, Chapter 5)

Short Answer

1. Carl is embittered by his home in Nebraska because at age 15 he already feels that the land is uninhabitable. He believes that it is foolish for people to try to bend the landscape to their will. (Part 1, Chapter 1)

2. In the Bergson family, Alexandra is the leader because she is intelligent and hardworking. Alexandra’s mother is the nurturer in the family; she believes in preserving their dignity through poverty, protecting their moral compass, and providing a respectable home. (Part 1, Chapter 2)

3. The Bergson family disagrees about moving away from Nebraska. Lou and Oscar want to get away from the inhospitable environment, but Alexandra believes the farm has potential for success if the family is imaginative and committed to their work.