eter ' s ▁position ▁as ▁a ▁ten ant ▁far mer ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁Even ▁though ▁Je eter , ▁like ▁so ▁many ▁others ▁around ▁him , ▁had ▁the ▁ur ge ▁to ▁plant ▁a ▁c rop ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁year , ▁there ▁was ▁nothing ▁he ▁could ▁do . ▁ ▁His ▁land l ord ▁was ▁an ▁abs ente e ▁who ▁abandoned ▁Je eter ▁and ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁lived ▁on ▁his ▁land ▁and ▁given ▁him ▁shares ▁of ▁their ▁c rop ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁credit ▁for ▁se eds ▁and ▁fert il izer . ▁The ▁stores ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁would ▁not ▁grant ▁any ▁more ▁credit ▁to ▁Je eter ▁or ▁any ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁far mers ▁because ▁it ▁was ▁too ▁ris ky ▁and ▁there ▁were ▁too ▁many ▁asking ▁for ▁it . ▁ ▁Je eter ▁sets ▁a ▁fire ▁to ▁burn ▁off ▁bro om ▁sed ge ▁and ▁hopes ▁somehow ▁to ▁find ▁enough ▁credit ▁to ▁farm ▁his ▁land ▁that ▁spring . ▁As ▁Je eter ▁and ▁Ada ▁sleep , ▁spark s ▁from ▁the ▁fire ▁ign ite ▁the ▁sh ing les ▁of ▁their ▁house , ▁which ▁burn s ▁to ▁the ▁ground , ▁killing ▁them ▁in ▁their ▁sleep . ▁As ▁the ▁novel ▁clos es , ▁D ude ▁makes ▁his ▁first ▁mention ▁of ▁working : ▁He ▁voices ▁the ▁same ▁thoughts ▁of ▁p low ing ▁the ▁L ester ▁land ▁that ▁Je eter ▁had ▁expressed ▁throughout ▁the ▁story , ▁indicating ▁that ▁the ▁v icious ▁cycle ▁in ▁which ▁poor ▁Southern ▁far mers ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁L esters ▁are ▁tra pped ▁continues . ▁ ▁In