Hanka Boryna

Antek Boryna

Husband and wife, but their marriage is strained by Antek's affair with Yagna and Hanka's resentment.

Yagna Borynova

Bitter rivals and enemies, as Hanka sees Yagna as the homewrecker who stole her husband.

Yuzka Boryna

Sisters-in-law who share a bond of mutual support and sympathy against Yagna's disruptive presence.

Roch

Hanka finds a kind and loyal friend in Roch, who offers her comfort and advice.

Vitek

Hanka treats Vitek with kindness and maternal care, as he is a simple-minded orphan boy.

Antek Boryna

Husband and wife, but their marriage is strained by Antek's affair with Yagna and Hanka's resentment.

Yagna Borynova

Bitter rivals and enemies, as Hanka sees Yagna as the homewrecker who stole her husband.

Antek Boryna

Husband and wife, but their marriage is strained by Antek's affair with Yagna and Hanka's resentment.

Yuzka Boryna

Sisters-in-law who share a bond of mutual support and sympathy against Yagna's disruptive presence.

Roch

Hanka finds a kind and loyal friend in Roch, who offers her comfort and advice.

Vitek

Hanka treats Vitek with kindness and maternal care, as he is a simple-minded orphan boy.

Yagna Borynova

Bitter rivals and enemies, as Hanka sees Yagna as the homewrecker who stole her husband.

The Peasants

Antek's wife, caught in the family strife.

Autumn

Hanka is burdened by her family's poverty and her husband Antek's frustration, struggling to maintain the household.

Autumn in Lipka

Working in the potato field, she speaks respectfully with the priest and tries to steer conversation away from gossip.

Chapter VII

Timidly offers meat to Roch and prepares a corner for him to sleep.

The Bitter Quarrel

Defends her family's rights, accuses Yagna of being a harlot, and is physically shaken by Boryna during the quarrel.

Winter

Hanka is burdened by her role as a wife and mother, struggling to maintain the household during the harsh winter.

Winter's Onset and Antek's Flight

Hanka, Antek's wife, is left in despair as Antek departs, struggling with poverty and the emotional weight of their expulsion from Boryna's home.

Chapter II

Desperate for work and money, she visits Yankel and the miller, learns of Antek's infidelity, secures spinning work, and vows to remain in the village.

III

Brings Antek his dinner and discusses household matters, including the organist's offer and their livestock.

Chapter IX

Hanka leads the group to gather firewood, enduring the storm and reflecting on her suffering due to Antek's betrayal and poverty.

XII

Hanka receives sympathy and gifts from the villagers, who pity her for her husband Antek's actions.

Chapter XIII: The Spring of Despair and Defiance

Gains favor with Boryna, who confides in her; her children often stay with their grandfather.

Spring

Hanka is seen preparing for Easter, embodying the domestic and religious rhythms of the season.

Chapter II

Manages the household and farm duties, cares for her father-in-law Boryna, and receives news about her husband Antek from Roch.

Chapter III

Visits her father and sister, buys Easter supplies, prepares the pig-killing, and schemes to find Boryna's money.

IV

Hanka finishes whitewashing and goes to church, then returns to observe Yagna's egg decorating with ironic remarks.

V

Sits apart during Roch's storytelling, returns from visiting Antek in prison, and is deeply distressed by his cold treatment.

VI

Hosts the supper for the Rzepki men, manages household, and worries about Antek's return.

The Return of the Men

Hanka is torn between joy and terror at the news of Antek's return; she inspects the farm and feels weak with conflicting emotions.

Chapter VIII

Expresses indifference to Yagna's affair, focusing instead on her own troubles regarding Antek's uncertain trial and legal costs.

The Stirring Against the Germans

Discusses the priest's sermon with Matthew, feels mortified by the slur on her family.

Chapter XI

Anxiously waits for Antek's return, tending to the household and Boryna, while confiding her hopes to the darkness and cattle.

Summer

Hanka, Antek's wife, endures the summer's hardships with quiet resilience, caring for her children and bearing the shame of her husband's infidelity.

Chapter I

Hanka is a daughter-in-law of Boryna, actively involved in funeral preparations and arrangements with the priest, showing mercy towards Yagna.

II

Suckles her children in the porch, converses with the dziad, and gives twenty kopeks to Yanek.

III

Hanka defends Antek's inheritance, confronts Yagna, and forces her out of the house, but is troubled by Dominikova's curse and Antek's potential reaction.

IV

Takes charge of the household at dawn, waking the family, assigning chores, and managing the komorniki in the cabbage-field.

Chapter VII

Manages the household and milks cows; approves giving the sow to Nastka; forbids Yuzka from attending Nastka's wedding.

The Search for Roch

Weeps at the danger, helps conceal Roch, and later bids him farewell.

Chapter XI

Washes linen for a pilgrimage to Chenstohova, discusses the news with Klembova and Yagustynka.