Antonia immigrates as a girl with her family from bohemia to a homestead on the open plains. It is the final book of her great plains trilogy of novels, preceded by o pioneers. The hired girls tiny soderball, a hired girl in black hawk for mrs. Willa cather about willa cather american masters pbs. See detailed background report and reputation score for antonia david. Sep 07, 2005 willa cathers my antonia is about the hardy people who risked their lives and fortunes in a harsh new land. I had lost both my father and mother within a year, and my virginia relatives were sending me out to my grandparents, who lived in nebraska. Willas grandparents, william and caroline cather, left their farm outside back creek and migrated to nebraska in 1877. My antonia has been called nostalgic and elegiac because it celebrates the past. It honours the immigrant settlers of the american plains. My antonia begins with a short fictional introduction told by a nameless narrator, who may or may not be the author herself. Free study guidemy antonia by willa catherfree online book. Cather had the great good fortune to have lived among the first generation of white. Apr 06, 2017 my antonia, by contrast, is a little more traditional.
But his grandfather says that they probably just trained their horses there. Though the narrative of my antonia is fictional, there are many similarities between cathers life and that of the novels protagonist. My antonia discussion questions chicago public library. This may include any local, state, and federal court documents, sensitive legal information and any litigation antonia may have been involved in. The modernity of my antonia can be seen through the narrative style used by cather. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. My antonia is a bildungsroman, or comingofage story, that traces jim burdens development from the age of ten when he is orphaned and newly transplanted to his grandparents farm in nebraska, where he first feels erased and blotted out. My antonia by willa cather, a free text and ebook for easy online reading, study, and reference. It is the final book of her prairie trilogy of novels. My antonia discussion questions why do you think willa cather chose to open the novel with the simultaneous arrival of jim and the shimerda family in nebraska. My antonia, by contrast, is a little more traditional.
Background and summary during the 20th century industrialization was growing. It is the final book of her prairie trilogy of novels, preceded by o pioneers. Also like jim burden, cather would migrate to nebraska at a young age. The homestead act of 1862 was passed during the american civil war 18611865 in an attempt to prevent the westward expansion of slavery. My antonia is important as historical fiction because it shows the reader a slice of life in a particular period of american history. My antonia 1918 is the third book in cathers prairie trilogy, which began with o pioneers. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in my antonia, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
List of books and articles about my antonia online research. Willa cather longer biographical sketch by amy ahearn. The homestead acts offered 160acre parcels of land for a small filing fee if the settlers, called homesteaders. Willa cathers classic pioneer novel my antonia fuses two stories to produce a powerful literary work that details nineteenthcentury pioneer life in nebraska, with all its hardships and beauties, and explores traditional american pioneer values, such as hard work, selfreliance, and the refusal to submit to adversity. Antonia david nicole, 41 the colony, tx background report. Narrated by the protagonists lifelong friend, jim burden, the novel recounts the history of antonia shimerda, the daughter of bohemian immigrants who settled on the. Discusses the themes and characters in my antonia and includes excerpts from the book and background information about willa cather.
In my antonia, who learns more through their friendship, jim or antonia. I think most people would say jim learns the most, since jim is the narrator and it is really his story that we experience. My antonia historical context willa cather this study guide consists of approximately 80 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of my antonia. Willa cathers my antonia 1918 is the story of both antonia shimerda. On may 12, 2015, antonia vai was supporting act for the belgian musician selah sue. My antonia was set in a rural place in nebraska which depicted a persons nostalgia for the simpler life. My antonia specifically features immigrants from bohemia a part of the czech republic, austria, sweden, and. Many of the squabbles between jim and antonia and hardships faced by the two families occur in the fall or winter, whereas the author focuses on the more pleasant aspects of life and the prairie when the weather is glowing. There are many other largeplot parallels between cathers life in nebraska and my antonia and several oppositions.
My antonia and the national parks movement begins on p. In my antonia the main characters had a special love for the country and couldnt stay in the city too long without going back. Remembered for her depictions of pioneer life in nebraska, willa cather established a reputation for giving breath to. Antonia xanthos, 55 jacksonville, nc background report at. It is through the initial framing narrative that we acquire jims manuscript. Shimerda, has a profound and lasting influence upon both antonia and jim. Willa cathers novels are famous for showing the american landscape and its intense social, psychological and spiritual impact upon its inhabitants. During this time period, many immigrants were coming to america from countries all over europe. Made for the usa network, this first film adaptation of willa cathers classic novel is a comingofage story of set in 1880s nebraska. When my antonia was published world war i was going on. My antonia, written by willa cather, is one of the most recognizable stories of. My antonia is the story of a young mans growth upon the prairies of nebraska. The hardships of attempting to farm the raw land drive her sensitive father to suicide, and, as a young. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of my antonia and what it means.
The narrator tells you about a friend of hers named jim burden, a lawyer for one of the transcontinental railroads. My antonia tells the story of several immigrant families who move to rural nebraska. The immigrant experience in 1862, the united states government urged colonization of nebraska and other territories by creating the homestead act, which stated that any person who was an american citizen, or had declared. The novel opens with some background given by a nameless female narrator. The antonia of the title is seen through the eyes of a man who grew up with and in love with antonia, and she seems much more idealised and unreachable than the women in oh. A teachers guide to the signet classics edition of willa cathers my antonia 5 josiah burden, jims grandfather, mirrors for jim the importance of strong religious faith, hard work, understanding the environment, and strength of character. In her later writing, cather comes back again and again to red cloud as a setting. The best study guide to my antonia on the planet, from the creators of sparknotes.
My antonia study guide contains a biography of willa cather, literature essays, a complete etext, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. A story of the hardships of a bitter winter in the american west, this is also a stirring tribute to unfreezable human spirit. People missed the days when things were less complex. Like jim burden, the protagonist of my antonia, willa cather was born in virginia back creek, to be precise, on december 7th, 1873, to an established and successful family. Pioneer values in willa cathers my antonia nehedsitement. An introduction to my antonia by willa cather audiobook on.
My antonia ebook by willa cather official publisher page. The groups would determine how their novel interprets the theme. My antonia themes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. It isnt difficult to see how the changing climates affect the characters moods as well. Jim looks at a circle in the grass where the indians used to ride around and torture prisoners, according to otto. My antonia study guide from litcharts the creators of. A concise introduction that gives readers important background information a chronology of the authors life and work. From a general summary to chapter summaries to explanations of famous quotes, the sparknotes my antonia study guide has everything you need to ace quizzes, tests, and essays. For instance, cather like jim burden, went to lincoln, nebraska to study at the university of nebraska and. My antonia willa sibert cather with related readings the emc masterpiece series access editions emcparadigm publishing st. Willa cathers my antonia, a novel about immigrants travelling to the midwest to farm the land as pioneers, provides great wisdom on the art of enduring life better portraying the universality of the human condition, it tells the story of a bohemian familys struggle for survival in a new land as they leave their beloved old country for the opportunity promised in. I think most people would say jim learns the most, since jim is the narrator and it.
The inscription on the title page of my antonia is a quotation from virgil. The opening narrative sets the scene for a nostalgic reminiscence of antonia s life and delivers background information on jim. Balcony tv budapest hosted an episode with antonia vai band feat. I i first heard of antonia on what seemed to me an interminable journey across the great midland plain of north america. Antonia vai collaborated as a support band on quimbys national autumn tour in 20, playing as opening act for them in five locations across hungary. My antonia, novel by willa cather, her bestknown work, published in 1918. Explore the religious, social, and national background of the various waves. My antonia is a novel published in 1918 by american writer willa cather, considered one of her best works. Help us create the kind of literary community youve always dreamed of.