Little Man, What Now?

Now married, Johannes and Emma ride on the train. They are leaving Platz to move to a small apartment in Johannes’s hometown, Ducherow, which is “practically in the countryside” (30). They worry about money, the size of their new home, and their landlord. At the station, Johannes reveals that he has ordered a cab to take them and their luggage to their new home. Emma balks at the expense. They drive past the business where Johannes works, a “dealer in grain, animal feed and fertilizer” (35). They eventually arrive on an ugly street that borders a “fenced in meadow with a few cows in it and a horse” (36). The smell of the countryside invigorates Emma, who effuses about their son Markel growing up in such a healthy place. Inside the apartment, however, she is less pleased. The cramped, dusty interior brings tears to her eyes. She insists that she will find them a new place soon. Johannes is shocked by her negative reaction.

After a small supper, Emma tells Johannes that their future meals must be more cost-efficient. She also tells him that neither of them will drink alcohol during the pregnancy. He says nothing. On Emma’s insistence, they go to give their landlord notice that they will be leaving as soon as possible.