How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Section.Paragraph)
Quote #1
But Syvert had every reason to be in the lead; his house had been all ready to move into when they had arrived. That little stable which he had built wasn't more than a decent day's work for an able man. And he had horses, too… Of course, such things gave him a big advantage. (1.2.7.11)
Per Hansa is disappointed that he has reached the Norwegian settlement later than his friends. Now he'll have to work extra hard if he wants to surpass his neighbors and build a better farm than them.
Quote #2
Now he would get ahead of both Hands Olsa and the Solum boys! None of them had even begun to think of building a barn yet; while according to his plan, his barn would be finished when his house was done. (1.2.8.16)
Per Hansa feels his happiest whenever he thinks that he's outdoing his neighbors. Sure, there's the satisfaction of a job well done. But deep down, there's nothing that makes him happier than beating people at stuff.
Quote #3
By God! He'd show them! He'd give them a chance to see for themselves who was the better man! (1.3.1.13)
As you can probably tell by this point, Per Hansa is a bit obsessed with showing everyone how awesome he is. And this isn't something he can show them once and for all. No, he needs to get up every day and prove himself all over again. It's a never-ending project, and a pretty exhausting one too.