Nat Wheeler

Claude Wheeler

Claude resents his pragmatic, domineering father who dismisses his son's intellectual and emotional needs.

Mahailey

Mahailey serves as the Wheelers' loyal, long-term servant, and Nat Wheeler treats her with casual authority.

Ralph Wheeler

Nat Wheeler favors his younger son Ralph, who is more practical and compliant, over the restless Claude.

Claude Wheeler

Claude resents his pragmatic, domineering father who dismisses his son's intellectual and emotional needs.

Mahailey

Mahailey serves as the Wheelers' loyal, long-term servant, and Nat Wheeler treats her with casual authority.

Claude Wheeler

Claude resents his pragmatic, domineering father who dismisses his son's intellectual and emotional needs.

Ralph Wheeler

Nat Wheeler favors his younger son Ralph, who is more practical and compliant, over the restless Claude.

Mahailey

Mahailey serves as the Wheelers' loyal, long-term servant, and Nat Wheeler treats her with casual authority.

Ralph Wheeler

Nat Wheeler favors his younger son Ralph, who is more practical and compliant, over the restless Claude.

One of Ours

Claude's father, a farmer who embodies the rural life Claude feels trapped by.

Book I: On Lovely Creek

Claude's father, a successful farmer who embodies the pragmatic, unreflective rural life Claude resists.

I

Claude's father, a large, easygoing man who enjoys driving around the country and interacting with neighbors.

III

Drives to see neighbor Gus Yoeder after breakfast.

IV

Claude's father, who is jocular and sometimes cruel; he cut down the cherry tree as a practical joke and later refers Claude's school decision to Bayliss.

VII

Briefly greets Claude and mentions football.

XII

Mr. Wheeler reveals his trade for the Colorado ranch, plans to put Ralph in charge, and assigns Claude the responsibility of running the home farm.

XIII

Nat Wheeler packs his trunk and leaves to take Tom Wested back to Maine, returning later to find Ralph's expenditures excessive but ultimately accepting them.

XIV

Moves to the new ranch, jocosely refers to the field as 'Claude's wheat field'.

XVI

Nat returns home for the holidays and talks politics with Bayliss at dinner.

Chapter XVII

Mentioned as having left for the ranch in February due to trouble with his foreman.

III

Present at the supper table when Enid joins the family.

VII

Works like a giant during harvest, decides to haul wheat to Vicount due to rising prices from war scare.

VIII

Meets Claude in the barnyard, hears the news of England's declaration of war, and comments on wheat prices.

IX

Decides to put in six hundred acres of wheat despite the war, and joins the men in the fields for fall ploughing.

Building the House

Nat Wheeler expresses misgivings about Claude's choice of Enid, calling Claude a fool, but declines to interfere.

III

Stops to see Enid almost every day and takes her driving in his buckboard.

VI

Sends a telegram from Wray: 'Will be home day after tomorrow. Read the papers.' His message alarms Mrs. Wheeler and Claude.

VIII

Supports Claude's decision to enlist, discusses farming matters, and is disturbed by Bayliss's pacifism.

IX

Attends the court hearing, supports his neighbor Yoeder, and later shares news with his wife for Claude's letter.

Homecoming in Uniform

Drives the automobile to pick up Claude.

XI

Shows Claude the farm and discusses land and business.

XIII

Busy with the car in the morning, rides with Claude and Ralph to Frankfort.