O Pioneers! Part 2, Chapter 11 Summary

  • Emil comes home later that evening, without Carl. Alexandra is in her bedroom with the door closed.
  • When Alexandra asks him where Carl is, without coming out of her room, he says they were stopped by Lou and Oscar on the way over, and the two of them wanted to have a chat with Carl.
  • Alexandra and Emil sit down in the dark parlor. Emil announces to her that he has decided to put off law school for another year, in order to "look around" for a year (2.11.8).
  • Alexandra agrees, only she tells him not to go off looking for land.
  • When Alexandra asks whether he'll stay with her for the winter, he says he's planning to head to Mexico as soon as the harvest is over. He figures Lou and Oscar will be angry with him.
  • Alexandra tells him that she has fought with the two of them, but Emil barely hears her, as he sits thinking about Mexico.
  • She tells him that they have fought about Carl, and that his brothers are afraid that they won't be able to have some of her property.
  • Emil thinks this is nonsense, but Alexandra presses him, to ask whether he also thinks she doesn't have a right to change her lifestyle.
  • Embarrassed, Emil says he doesn't think it's ridiculous, that she should be able to do whatever she wants. He'd be surprised if she did marry Carl, but it's not his business.
  • Alexandra had hoped he would understand why she does want to marry him, she tells him. Her life has been lonely, and Marie is the only friend she's ever had.
  • After she says this, Emil awkwardly takes her hand and tells her she should marry Carl, that he's a good guy, and that his brothers are just suspicious of him because he's worldly and intelligent. He's sure Carl won't mind what they have to say to him. Alexandra isn't so sure.
  • Carl comes back on his horse, and Emil escapes to go to his room.
  • He thinks about his sister's desire to marry Carl, and he can't help thinking that it is a little ridiculous. He lies in bed and quickly starts to think about Marie, wondering why she ran away with Frank, and how she is able to be so happy and pleased to be with other people all the time. He wonders why she has to like anyone else but himself.
  • As he falls asleep, the narrator writes, his spirit crosses the field and goes to Marie, as he dreams what it would be like if she loved only him.
  • As the chapter closes, we get an image of Emil at the University dances, where he leans brooding against the wall, intimidating all the girls. The only girl he ever thought about was Marie.