Chapter 4, Karl Oskar And Kristina Summary

In Chapter 4, Karl Oskar experiences more adversity when droughts destroy crops. He becomes desperate and talks only about work. His worries about debts makes Kristina anxious while wondering about his feelings about her. When their neighbors' barn burns down she thinks it's a punishment from God, and urges Karl to go to confession. Drought continues arising fear in people about the end of the world.

Kristina knows that Karl Oskar is stubborn but does not drink in excess and is not tempted by the popular in the village Ulrika of Vastergohl. She becomes reassured when he explains that his bad mood has nothing to do with his feelings for her that remained the same. His debts force him to borrow money from Kristina's uncle, Danjel Andreasson, who starts practicing the banned faith of Åke Svensson...