How we cite our quotes: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The road to Ivar's homestead was a very poor one. He had settled in the rough country across the county line, where no one lived but some Russians—half a dozen families who dwelt together in one long house, divided off like barracks. Ivar had explained his choice by saying that the fewer neighbors he had, the fewer temptations. (1.3.16)
The Divide is already a pretty isolated place. So, Ivar's self-imposed isolation is the first sign that he's "crazy"—a social outcast. Because the Divide is so isolated, community is that much more important; living off the grid, like Ivar, is a big no-no. Maybe that's why Alexandra later moves Ivar in with her, when she decides to take him under her wing.
Quote #2
He always put on a clean shirt when Sunday morning came round, though he never went to church. He had a peculiar religion all of his own and could not get on with any of the denominations. Often he did not see anybody from one week's end to another. (1.3.23)
In an isolated place like the Divide, religious communities are a big deal. Ivar's inability to "get on" with any of these communities is one of the reasons why he's out in the woods (so to speak). Though he seems to have chosen his isolated life, it's possible he's also a victim of social exclusion. Of course, as the novel progresses, we learn how true that is.
Quote #3
Ivar found contentment in the solitude he sought out for himself. He disliked the litter of human dwellings: the broken food, the bits of broken china, the old wash-boilers and tea-kettles thrown into the sunflower patch. He preferred the cleanliness and tidiness of the wild sod. (1.3.24)
The narrator tries hard to give us the sense that Ivar has actually chosen his hermit life-style. He's not "crazy," the narrator implies—it's just that his preferences differ from those of other people. In his case, he's drawn by a connection to the natural world, the "cleanliness" of the "wild sod."