# Eleseus — Growth of the Soil character guide > Eleseus in Growth of the Soil by Knut Hamsun. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Little Eleseus, boy Eleseus, XVII Eleseus, Poor Eleseus **First appearance:** 0007-vii ## Snapshot Isak and Inger's eldest son, long-fingered and quick with figures, torn between the farm's dirt and the town's glittering promises. ## Who they are Eleseus is the clever, white-handed brother who teases Sivert, charms old Uncle Sivert into letting him keep the accounts, and dreams of a life beyond Sellanraa. His gift for bookkeeping and his taste for fine clothes and easy money set him apart from the soil, yet he is also a bit of a fool in the things that matter most. He matters because his drift toward town and his rivalry with the land-bound Sivert embody the generational fracture at the heart of the novel's middle stretch. ## Relationships ### [Sivert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/sivert) _family_ Brothers with contrasting fates—Eleseus the restless city-dreamer, Sivert the grounded farmer—yet bonded by blood. ### [Isak](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/isak) _family_ Father and son, with tension arising from Eleseus's rejection of the farming life Isak holds sacred. ### [Inger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/inger) _family_ Mother and son, with Inger doting on Eleseus and hoping for his success, though he disappoints her. ### [Barbro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/barbro) _romantic_ Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension. ### [Isak](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/isak) _family_ Father and son, with tension arising from Eleseus's rejection of the farming life Isak holds sacred. ### [Inger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/inger) _family_ Mother and son, with Inger doting on Eleseus and hoping for his success, though he disappoints her. ### [Sivert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/sivert) _family_ Brothers with contrasting fates—Eleseus the restless city-dreamer, Sivert the grounded farmer—yet bonded by blood. ### [Sivert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/sivert) _family_ Brothers with contrasting fates—Eleseus the restless city-dreamer, Sivert the grounded farmer—yet bonded by blood. ### [Barbro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/barbro) _romantic_ Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension. ### [Barbro](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/barbro) _romantic_ Former lovers, with Barbro ultimately choosing Axel over the impractical Eleseus, creating lingering tension. ### [Isak](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/isak) _family_ Father and son, with tension arising from Eleseus's rejection of the farming life Isak holds sacred. ### [Inger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/inger) _family_ Mother and son, with Inger doting on Eleseus and hoping for his success, though he disappoints her. ## In the story ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/iii) Newborn son, placed in a packing-case cradle; described as healthy with no harelip. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/iv) Firstborn son, now walking and curious; named after the parish priest. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/v) Eleseus is present and playing with stones when Geissler notices them and identifies them as ore. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/vi) Taught an evening prayer by Inger, plays with stones near Isak. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/vii) Eleseus is taught prayers by Inger and receives gifts from Fru Geissler. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/ix) Shows curiosity about nature, asks about gulls and flies, and wipes his eyes when the old goat is killed, showing sensitivity. ### [Geissler's Visit and Inger's Freedom](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/x) Eleseus draws on the loom with colored pencils and receives a coin from Geissler; he is curious about writing. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xi) One of Isak and Inger's sons; he and Sivert run to meet the returning family but hesitate upon seeing their mother. ### [Chapter XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xii) Helps with the sawmill, skilled with a plumb-line, and goes to school. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xiii) Gets a new pair of skis from Isak, feels anxious when the engineer arrives fearing the colored pencil incident will be discovered. ### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xiv) Mentioned as the reason Inger steals money—to send him funds while he is in town. ### [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xvi) Away in town, resists returning home, sells the underclothes his mother sends, and is the subject of Isak's telegram. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xvii) Leaves Sellanraa reluctantly, feeling superior and sensitive about his mother's imprisonment. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xviii) Cares for Uncle Sivert, arranges the funeral, flirts with Barbro, and manages the inheritance accounts. ### [Chapter XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xix) Works hard during haymaking despite blistered hands and lost appetite. He reads the instructions for the mowing-machine and seems troubled by an unhappy love affair. ### [Book II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/book-ii) The eldest son, sent to town for work and education, showing signs of becoming detached from farm life. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/i) Prepares to leave Sellanraa again, feels conflicted about his town and country life, and stops at Maaneland where he shows off his coat and interacts with Barbro. ### [Chapter IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/iv) Works in a shop in town, spends money freely, and disappoints his mother by not pursuing a higher position. ### [Chapter VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/viii) Eleseus negotiates and buys Storborg for 1500 Kroner, but feels trapped in the wilderness. ### [Chapter XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/chapters/xi) Prepares for his spring business trip south, forgets his umbrella at Breidablik, and displays a detached, gentlemanly demeanor. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters/eleseus - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/growth_of_the_soil_se/characters