its story o American prairie lie captured the imaginationo an American public that was exhausted by Word WarI. Cather’s readers looked to literature as an escape romwartime politics and were proud o the United States’new post-war position as a global power.
My Ántonia
alsoappealed to progressives who were interested in socialand economic issues because the novel explored women’sstrength and adaptability, and also brought attention to thehardships o immigrant lie in the United States.
Extra Credit
Prairie Life:
My Ántonia
, the rst o Cather’s “prairie trilogy”o novels, is heavily autobiographical. Like Cather, Jim movesrom Virginia to Nebraska at the age o ten, to a place heavilypopulated by Eastern European immigrants. The ctionalBlack Hawk, with its sod houses and bee bush, is largelybased on Red Cloud, the Nebraska town where Cather lived.Throughout her lie, Cather elt a great homesickness or herchildhood years in Nebraska. Memories o the West ueledher writing throughout her career.
Willa the Tomboy:
As a college student, Cather dressed as atomboy and sometimes used the name “William.” Most o hernovels are written rom the point o view o a male character.Though she never declared her sexual orientation, it has beena topic o debate among scholars.
Setting:
Black Hawk, Nebraska in the 1880s
Climax:
When Ántonia starts attending the town dances, sheasserts her independence by quitting her job with the Harlingsand isolates hersel rom the Harlings and the Burdens.
Antagonist:
Ántonia. Although not a typical antagonist, herseparation rom Jim infuences the course o his lie. Minorantagonists: Wick Cutter; the winter.
Point of View:
First person
Historical and Literary Context
When Written:
1916-1918
Where Written:
New York City
When Published:
1918
Literary Period:
Modernism
Related Literary Works:
In the early 20th century, writerswere concerned about the growing industrialization o American society. They elt a sense o disillusionment and anostalgia or simpler days.
My Ántonia
, set in rural Nebraska,captures this longing, and can be compared to such works asSherwood Anderson’s
Winesburg, Ohio
(1919), Laura IngallsWilder’s
Little House on the Prairie
(1935) and Sinclair Lewis’
Main Street
(1920). All o these works explore the mainstreamdesire o the time to abandon the city and live a morewholesome lie out West in a small town.
Related Historical Events:
When
My Ántonia
was published,
Author Bio
Full Name:
Willa Sibert Cather
Pen Name:
Willa Cather
Date of Birth:
December 7, 1873
Place of Birth:
Back Creek Valley, Virginia
Date of Death:
April 24, 1947
Brief Life Story:
Willa Cather was born into a large armingamily in rural Virginia. In 1883, when Cather was ten yearsold, her amily relocated to Red Cloud, Nebraska. Sheattended the University o Nebraska-Lincoln, where she paidher way by working or the Nebraska State Journal, and latermoved to Pittsburgh to teach high school English. In 1906she moved to New York City to work or McClure’s Magazine,but began to write ull-time in 1912. In her lietime, Catherpublished 12 novels and many short stories, and was awardedthe Pulitzer Prize in 1922 or her novel
One of Ours
. A ercelyprivate person, Cather never married. Her most signicantrelationships were with women, most notably the editor EdithLewis, with whom she lived in New York City rom 1912 untilher death in 1947.
Key Facts
Full Title:
My Ántonia
(pronounced with the accent on therst syllable)
Genre:
FictionIn the late 1880s, recently orphaned
Jim Burden
leaves hishome in Virginia to live with his
grandparents
in rural Ne-braska. On the same train is 13-year-old
Ántonia Shimerda
,an immigrant rom Bohemia, whose amily is buying the landnext to the Burdens. Ten-year-old Jim eels immediately athome on the
prairie
. He quickly settles into his new lie with
Jake Marpole
and
Otto Fuchs
, the arm hands, and his lov-ing grandparents.The Burdens soon beriend the Shimerda amily, and Jimand Ántonia bond over their love o the land. Ántonia learnsEnglish eagerly under Jim’s tutelage, although her parents aremore hesitant to adapt to American lie.
Mr. Shimerda
, railand homesick, nds the adjustment to arm lie especially di-cult. His one solace is his riendship with
Pavel
and
Peter
,Russian armers whose language is similar to the Shimerdas’.But when Pavel dies suddenly, Peter leaves to nd a job inrailway construction. Mr. Shimerda, having lost his one out-side connection to his native culture, sinks into lonelinessand depression. He is unable to provide properly or his am-ily. When winter arrives, Jim’s grandparents discover that theShimerdas do not have enough clothing or ood to survive thewinter. They do their best to help, but when Christmas snowtraps them in their homes, the Shimerdas are trapped withouthearty ood or gits. When the snow melts, Jim’s grandparentsinvite the Shimerdas to their home, but the visit goes poorly.
Mrs. Shimerda
is angry and envious, and Mr. Shimerda issaddened, reminded o his cozy village in Bohemia.In January, two days ater Jim’s birthday, Mr. Shimerda com-mits suicide in his amily’s barn. A recently arrived Bohemianman named
Anton Jelinek
comes rom Black Hawk to helpbury Mr. Shimerda. Mrs. Shimerda demands that they dig the
grave
at the corner o their land, where the roads will crosswhen they are built.When spring arrives, Ántonia insists on working in theelds alongside her brother
Ambrosch,
and is unable to go toschool with Jim. They see less o each other, and Jim longs ortheir old riendship.When Jim turns 13, his grandparents decide to move totown so Jim can be closer to school. Not long aterward, theBurdens’ neighbors, the
Harlings,
hire Ántonia as their house-keeper. Jim renews his old riendship with Ántonia, until sheberiends other girls and starts dancing every night in the townpavilion. When she gains a reputation with the local boys, Mr.Harling res her, and Ántonia goes to work or a moneylendernamed
Wick Cutter
. Jim sneaks out to the dances with Ánto-nia, until his grandmother nds out and stops him rom going.He becomes lonely, and longs or his childhood on the prairie.Ántonia rejects his romantic advances, and tells him she can-not think o him as anything other than a younger brother.When Wick Cutter attempts to rape Ántonia, she quits her job and starts working at the local hotel instead. Jim, mean-while, graduates rom high school. He makes one last trip tothe prairie with Ántonia, where they reminisce about yearspast. They see the image o a
plough
magnied by the
set-ting sun
, and recognize it as a symbol o the end their timetogether.Jim moves to Lincoln to attend college. One o Ántonia’sriends,
Lena Lingard
, takes a job in Lincoln as a dressmaker,and she and Jim begin dating. But Jim cannot stop loving Ánto-nia. Eventually he transers to Harvard and moves to Boston.Ater college, Jim returns to Black Hawk to visit his grand-parents beore he begins law school. He learns that Ántoniahas had a child but is not married. He goes to see her andnally admits his love or her. But Ántonia disregards his con-ession, and Jim leaves to go back to Boston.Jim does not see Ántonia again or 20 years. He marries andbecomes a successul lawyer in New York City. When he nallyvisits Ántonia again, she is working on a arm with her hus-band,
Anton Cuzak
, also a Bohemian immigrant. They have 11children. Memories o his childhood with Ántonia overwhelmJim, but he leaves Nebraska satised that he and Ántonia willalways be bound together by the past.
Jim Burden
– The protagonist o
My Ántonia
and the narratoro most o the novel. Orphaned at the age o ten, he comes tolive with his grandparents on the Nebraska prairie. Jim is refec-tive, studious, and a “romantic.” He eels deeply connected tothe land. He isolates himsel rom boys his own age, preerringthe riendship o the older immigrant girls. He later becomesa successul lawyer in New York City, but can never orget hischildhood riend, Ántonia, whom he elevates in his mind to analmost mythical status.
Ántonia Shimerda
– A Bohemian immigrant and Jim’s clos-est riend, Ántonia comes to the prairie when she is 13. She islively and intelligent, but struggles to remain optimistic whileenduring the many hardships o poverty. Still, Jim describesher as having a youthul “vigour” and identies her with light.Like Jim, Ántonia eels a deep attachment to the prairie, andshe works in the elds with the men when her ather dies.But when she moves to town to work as a housekeeper, shebecomes interested in clothing and dancing, and gains a repu-tation or being “easy.” Although Jim loves her, Ántonia cannever view him as more than a younger brother. She becomesa single mother in her early twenties, but later moves back tothe arm, marries Anton Cuzak, and raises 11 children.
Lena Lingard
– Ántonia’s riend in Black Hawk and one o the“hired girls.” She becomes Jim’s girlriend when they reunitein Lincoln while Jim is in college. While Jim loves Ántonia witha pure, childlike love, his attraction to Lena is sexual. A Nor-wegian immigrant, Lena aspires to earn money, success, andindependence, and reuses to marry. She is sophisticated andashionable, and she becomes a successul dressmaker in Lin-coln. Lena later moves to San Francisco with Tiny Soderball.
The Narrator –
An unnamed ctional character. One o Jim’schildhood acquaintances, the narrator provides the introductionto the novel. Jim gives him the manuscript o
My Ántonia
.
Emmaline Burden –
Jim’s paternal grandmother. She is 55years old when Jim comes to live with her. A devout Christian,
My Ántonia
she acts as a maternal gure or Jim and also tries to lookater the Shimerdas during their rst winter. She has wrinkledbrown skin and black hair, and is deeply concerned with Jim’seducation.
Josiah Burden
– Jim’s paternal grandather. A devoutProtestant armer, he becomes a deacon when the Burdensmove to town. He has a snow-white beard and blue eyes. He isquiet and wise, and not demonstrative with his aection. Jimdescribes him as having a great sense o “personal dignity.”
Otto Fuchs
– An Austrian man who works on the Burden’sarm, Otto’s previous jobs include cowboy, stage-driver, andminer. Jim describes Otto as just having “stepped out o thepages o Jesse James.” He is lively and erocious, but good-hearted, and he looks ater Jim. When the Burdens move totown, he leaves to go back to the “wild West”.
Jake Marpole
– An illiterate armhand on Jim’s parent’s armin Virginia, Jake moves West with Jim to Nebraska. He has aaithul and trusting disposition. He leaves with Otto when theBurdens move to town.
Mr. Shimerda
– Ántonia’s ather. A tapestry weaver romBohemia, he is not suited to the harsh climate and hard physicallabor o the arm. He becomes depressed, homesick, and rail,and is ound dead in his barn during his amily’s rst winter inNebraska. It’s unclear i his death was a suicide or a murder.
Mrs. Shimerda
– Ántonia’s mother. Mrs. Shimerda is angryabout her amily’s poverty and jealous o the Burdens’ com-parative wealth. Jim thinks she is rude and grasping.
Yulka Shimerda
– Ántonia’s younger sister.
Ambrosch Shimerda
– Ántonia’s older brother. He runs thearm ater Mr. Shimerda dies, and “sells” Ántonia out to various jobs on the prairie and then in town. Jim dislikes Ambrosch.
Peter and Pavel
– Russian settlers who beriend Ántoniaand Jim, but who are haunted by a selsh and atal actionthey committed in Russia years earlier. When Pavel dies, Peterleaves to work in a railway construction camp.
Mr. Harling
– A shrewd businessman who lives next door tothe Burdens in Black Hawk. He makes Ántonia leave her job ashis housekeeper when she reuses to stop dancing.
Mrs. Harling
– Mr. Harling’s wie. A square-looking, ener-getic woman, she grows ond o Ántonia, but deers to herhusband and allows Ántonia to leave.
Tiny Soderball
– One o Ántonia’s riends in Black Hawk. Sheworks as a waitress at the hotel, but later leaves Nebraska andbecomes rich prospecting in the Alaskan gold rush. When Jimmeets her many years later in Caliornia, he nds her a bit cold.
Frances Harling
– The Harlings’ oldest daughter. Sheis a wise and intelligent businesswoman whom Jim deeplyrespects.
Charley Harling
– The Harlings’ son. Charley is three yearsolder than Jim, and leaves Black Hawk to attend the NavalAcademy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Samson “Blind” d’Arnault
– A blind Arican-Americanpianist who comes to play at the Boys’ Home hotel.
Peter Krajiek
– A miserly old immigrant, Krajiek is Mrs.Shimerda’s distant cousin. He sells his land to the Shimerdasor much too high a price.
Wick Cutter
– A cruel moneylender in Black Hawk. Ántoniaworks or him or a while, but quits ater he tries to rape her.At the end o the novel, Cutter commits suicide ater murder-ing his wie.
Larry Donovan
– Ántonia’s ancé and a passenger conduc-tor on the railway. He gets Ántonia pregnant, but when theyrun out o money, he reuses to marry her and abandons her.
Anton Cuzak
– Ántonia’s husband and a Bohemian immi-grant. Jim describes him as a short “crumpled little man,” butsays Cuzak carries himsel with “an air o jaunty liveliness” andis a good husband and ather.
Gaston Cleric
– A Latin proessor at Jim’s university inLincoln, Nebraska. Cleric persuades Jim to transer to Harvard,but dies rom pneumonia soon aterward.
The Widow Steavens
– The woman who rents the Bur-dens’ arm when they move to Black Hawk. She tells Jim thestory o Ántonia’s ailed engagement to Larry Donovan.
Anton Jelinek
– A handsome Bohemian man who comesrom Black Hawk to help bury Mr. Shimerda. Ántonia latermarries his cousin.
Mr. Ordinsky
– A Polish violin teacher who lives in theapartment across rom Lena Lingard in Lincoln.
The Vannis
– Traveling Italian dance teachers who set up adancing pavilion in Black Hawk.
Sylvester Lovett
– A banker’s son who alls in love withLena Lingard, but decides to marry someone o his own,higher class.
The Immigrant Experience
In 1862, the United States government urged colonization o Nebraska and other territories by creating The Homestead Act,which stated that any person who was an American citizen, orhad declared his intention to become one, could claim 160 acreso government land. Some Eastern Americans, like Jim’s grand-parents, simply moved west, while others, like the Shimerdas,came all the way rom Europe to try their luck at arming the Ne-braska prairie. Both groups were in search o a better lie, and,as depicted in
My Ántonia
, both can be considered immigrantsin that they suer the trials o a new and unamiliar lie. But whileboth Jim and Ántonia encounter loneliness and homesicknessor the lands they let behind, in
My Ántonia
the oreign-bornimmigrants experience the greater struggle. They ace extremepoverty, the barriers o not speaking the English language, andthe challenge o cultural and religious dierences. In many ways,Cather’s novel is the story o these immigrants’ acclimation tothe American Midwest, as seen through Jim’s eyes.
Friendship
In the mid to late 1800s on the American prairie, riendship withneighbors was important to every amily’s survival and wellbe-ing. Neighbors provided both a social outlet and the physicalhelp necessary or survival. The Burdens beriend the Shimerdas,the Shimerdas beriend Peter and Pavel, and Jim beriends Jakeand Otto. Yet it’s the Jim’s riendship with Ántonia, with its manyups and downs, that is central to
My Ántonia
. The novel beginswith their pure and simple childhood riendship, and ollows theirmany separations and reunions as they grow up. Through it all,both characters remain loyal to the memories o their childhood,and in doing so they preserve an allegiance to each other.
The Prairie
My Ántonia is
the rst o three novels that make up Cather’s“prairie trilogy.” In
My Ántonia
, Jim personies the landscapeto such an extent that the prairie can even be considered acharacter—and one with a complex personality. The prairieunctions as an essential means o survival or armers like theBurdens and the Shimerdas, because it provides ood to con-sume and to sell. But, at times, it can also be dangerous. Jim,or example, becomes sick during the harsh winter, and onesummer he is almost killed by a rattlesnake. Still, both Jim andÁntonia orm a lielong connection to the prairie, and as adultsthey associate it with a simpler, purer lie. They are ascinatedby its vivid colors, seasonal changes, and vast openness. Jim’sand Ántonia’s mood oten depend on the “moods” o the land.During his rst winter in town, or example, Jim becomes lonelyand depressed. And when she tells the story o the tramp whokilled himsel, Ántonia is disturbed not by his suicide but bythe act that he killed himsel in summertime, when everyoneis supposed to be happy.
The Past
Jim and the other characters in
My Ántonia
struggle betweenliving in the present and remembering the past. They sharea common longing or the years and places let behind. ToJim, the past represents the lost innocence o his childhood,while to immigrants like the Shimerdas, the past means theriendlier, more amiliar villages they let behind in Europe. InBook I, the Shimerdas and other immigrant characters clingto the traditions, people, and places o the “old country.” Mr.Shimerda never overcomes his homesickness or Bohemia,and Peter and Pavel cannot escape the dark secrets o theiryouth in Russia. But the past also unctions as a kind o spiri-tual sustenance. Jim, or example, holds dear the memories o his childhood riendship with Ántonia. And Ántonia eventuallymoves back to the prairie, where her ather’s grave remindsher o her last years with him.
Innocence and Maturity
On the prairie, Jim and Ántonia’s riendship is uncomplicatedby the experiences and prejudices o adulthood. Though theycome rom dierent backgrounds and social classes and aremembers o the opposite sex, they are too young or thesedierences to matter. Though Jim clings to the simplicities o youth, he can’t stop time’s advance and the maturity it brings.Jim and Ántonia’s move rom the prairie into town signi-es their rst steps toward adulthood, and as they maturethey grow arther apart. Both characters struggle with theemotional, physical, and sexual changes o adolescence. ForÁntonia, the death o her ather, the social complexities o town lie, and an unexpected pregnancy orce her into an earlymaturity. On the other hand, Jim’s entrance into adulthoodcomes largely when he leaves Black Hawk or college. It is onlywhen he moves to Lincoln (the capital o Nebraska) and has hisrst serious relationship with a woman, Lena, that Jim begins toview his childhood riendship with Ántonia as the purest, mostuncomplicated love one person can have or another.
Gender
In late 19th century America, gender roles were strictly de-ned. Men were meant to act as providers, and women weremeant to marry and care or the amily. During his childhood,Jim believes strongly in these roles and looks up to workingmen like Otto and his grandather, Jake. He tries desperately toearn Ántonia’s respect by ollowing their examples. Ántonia,however, does not want to conorm to the typical emale role.On the prairie, ater her ather dies, she insists on working inthe elds with the men. Ater Ántonia moves to town, Jim issurprised when she orms emale riendships and discoversdancing, ancy clothing, and etiquette. He is even more sur-prised when she laughs o his romantic advances.Only when Jim moves to Lincoln or college does he reallybegin to question traditional gender roles. He dates indepen-dent women like Lena and comes to respect Lena or herambition. He begins to look back on Ántonia’s love or theelds and firtatious behavior in town not as conficting, but asdierent aspects o her personality. Eventually, Ántonia ndsa compromise o gender roles when she becomes a motherbut continues working in the elds alongside her husband. Jim,who grows into a liberal-minded New Yorker, sees this liestyleas perectly suited to Ántonia.
In LitCharts, each theme gets its own corresponding color,which you can use to track where the themes occur in thework. here are two ways to track themes:Reer to the color-coded bars next to each plot point
•
throughout the
Summary and Analysis
sections.Use the
•
ThemeTracker
section to get a quick overview o where the themes appear throughout the entire work.
2
Summary and Analysis
An unnamed
narrator
begins the novel. He sayshe grew up with
Jim
, the story’s protagonist, inNebraska. Now they both live in New York, but do notsee each other oten. Jim is a lawyer or a railroad andtravels oten. Jim is married, the narrator says, butdoes not get along well with his wie, who leads herown lie as a socialite, independent o Jim.
The introduction is a “frame” that presents the novel as aseries of memories from Jim’spoint of view. The frame alsointroduces Jim as a practical and successful lawyer who lackslove and connection in his life.
The
narrator
says he ran into
Jim
again last summeron a train in Iowa. Jim kept bringing up
Ántonia
, animmigrant Bohemian girl whom they knew in Nebraskawhen they were young. Months later, Jim brings thenarrator a manuscript he has written, called
Ántonia
.But in the narrator’s oce Jim changes the title to
My Ántonia
, which is the story that ollows.
The narrator reveals that Jim
is actually a romantic gurewho can’t let go of his past. Jim
places the word “my” before Ántonia’s name because al-
though his portrayal of Ántonia
may not be accurate, it is theway he remembers her.
Ten-year-old
Jim Burden
, the novel’s narrator andprotagonist, begins his story on a train rom Virginia’sBlue Ridge Mountains to Black Hawk, Nebraska.He is traveling with
Jake Marpole
, a slightly older“mountain boy” who worked on Jim’s ather’s arm.Jim’s parents have recently died, and Jim and Jake aremoving West to live with
Jim’s grandparents
.
Jim is like an immigrant, moving
from the more developed and mountainous “old country” of
Virginia to the unfamiliar, at
“new land” of the Nebraskaprairie. His parents’ deathsforce him out of the childhood he knows.
During the journey, the conductor mentions to
Jim
that in the “immigrant car” ahead o him there isa European amily rom “across the water.” In theamily, a bright young girl is chattering in brokenEnglish about Black Hawk. The conductor says she isthe only one in the amily who knows any English. Jimlater recognizes this girl as
Ántonia
.
Ántonia’s excited chattering
reveals her youthful fearlessnessand spunk. Her ability to speak
English shows she’s a quicklearner. The scene suggests that
she’ll be able to adapt to thenew country more easily thanthe rest of her family.
The train arrives in Black Hawk at night. As
Jim
and
Jake
exit the train, Jim sees what must be the amily,huddled on the platorm, the youngest girl clinging toher mother’s skirt.
The darkness reects the fam
-
ily’s and Jim’s anxiety. Thoughtheir heritages differ, they’re all strangers in a new land.
Otto Fuchs
,
Jim’s grandfather’s
hired man, meetsthe boys at the station in a wagon to bring themto Jim’s grandparents’ arm. Beore he alls asleepduring the ride to his grandparents arm,
Jim
sees theNebraska
prairie
or the rst time. He eels “blottedout” by the wide-open spaces and the huge opensky unobstructed by mountains. He wonders i thespirits o his parents will be able to nd him here, butdecides not to say his prayers that night because heeels that “what would be would be.”
Jim at rst feels overwhelmed
by the vast and unfamiliar prairie landscape. But hisdecision not to pray shows he
already has a feeling that on
the prairie, nature seems totake the proper course. In asense, he surrenders himself tothe prairie.
Jim’s
grandmother
wakes him the ollowingaternoon. He is conused by the layout o thehouse, with the living room and bedrooms on theground foor and the kitchen and dining room in thebasement. Still, he is comorted by his grandmother’swarmth and aection, and by the smells o supper.
Jim’s confusion in the house
shows his continued foreignness
to the prairie and prairie life.Yet it’s also clear to him already
that his grandparents will offer
him familial support, and thathe’ll be comfortable here.
Otto
tells
Jim
his grandparents have bought him apony, and tells Jim he will show him how to rope asteer the next day. When Jim’s
grandfather
comeshome, he calls Jake, Otto, and Jim or prayers andthen reads them several Psalms. Jim is awed by hisgrandather’s “sympathetic” voice, and the quietdignity and wisdom with which he reads.
Jim’s life won’t just be
comfortable—it’ll be exciting. After one day he gets a pony
and learns to rope steers! The
way Jim’s grandfather reads the
Psalms establishes him as kind,
wise, pious, and virtuous, though
also a bit distant.
The next morning,
Jim
explores the arm and sees thewindmill, cornelds, and pig-yards. He learns that hisgrandparents’ house is the only wooden house in thearea. The others are made o sod. His
grandmother
takes him to the garden to dig potatoes. He stays atershe leaves and he lies in the garden under the
sun
. Herealizes that he eels “entirely happy.”
The Burdens’ wooden housereveals that they are more
wealthy than their immigrantneighbors. Jim’s transition toprairie life is quick—as the im
-
age of him lying in the garden
under the sun implies, healready feels a part of the land.
That Sunday
Otto Fuchs
drives
Jim
and his
grandmother
to bring bread and provisions to theimmigrant amily they met on the train—their newneighbors, the
Shimerdas
. Jim’s grandmother tellshim that another o their neighbors,
Peter Krajiek
, adistant relative o Mrs. Shimerda, sold the Shimerda’shis homestead, but badly overcharged them or ahouse that can barely withstand the harsh Nebraskawinters. Jim also learns that in the “old country”
Mr.Shimerda
had been a tapestry weaver and a ddler,but is now old and rail.
Here it becomes clear that Jim’snew life on the prairie will differ
greatly from the Shimerdas’ life.
Jim lives in a comfortable houseand is taken care of. In contrast,
the Shimerdas live in a housenot t for the prairie winter,and lack the skills, language,and knowledge needed to build
a better life. The friendship and
support of their neighbors will
be key to their survival.
When they arrive at the
Shimerdas
’ home, they nda sod “cave” dug out among rough red hills. Theymeet the Shimerdas and their children,
Ambrosch
,the eldest son,
Ántonia
, the pretty middle child, and
Yulka
, the youngest. Jim notices how Ántonia hascheeks that “glow” and eyes “
like the sun
,” while
Mr. Shimerda
has sot white hands and a ace “likeashes.”
Mr. Shimerda’s soft handssuggest he’s not accustomed
to hard outdoor farm labor. Jim
associates Ántonia with lightand compares Mr. Shimerdato ashes—Mr. Shimerda rep
-resents the past, while Ántoniarepresents the future.
As the adults talk and
Mrs. Shimerda
complainsabout the poorly built home they have purchased,
Jim
and
Ántonia
go outside. Ántonia takes Jim to thecreek and asks him to teach her the words or “bluesky” and “eyes.” When they arrive back at the dugout,
Mr. Shimerda
, in broken English, begs Jim to teachÁntonia the language.
Ántonia’s desire to go outside
shows that, like Jim, she hascome to love the landscape.They build a pure friendshipbased on their love of the land.
In her desire to learn English, Ántonia shows her eagerness to
adapt to her new life.
The color-coded bars in
Summary and Analysis
make it easy to track the themes through thework. Each color corresponds to one o the themes explained in the
Themes
section. For in-stance, a bar o indicates that all six themes apply to that part o the summary.
The Prairie
The prairie symbolizes many things in
My Ántonia.
To im-migrants, the vast size o the
prairie
suggests both the op-portunity or a new lie and the overwhelming ear that goeswith trying to create a new lie. The prairie also symbolizesprogress and a lost past: as the prairie is developed, its old,windy roads are replaced by straight ones, and the tall grassesare burned down to make room or armland. Later, when Jimleaves Nebraska, the prairie symbolizes Jim’s riendship withÁntonia and his nostalgia or his childhood.
Mr. Shimerda’s Grave
When
Mr. Shimerda
dies, he is buried in the prairie on whatlater becomes a crossroads.
Jim
says o his
gravesite
, “inall that country it was the spot most dear to me” becausewhen all o the land has been cleared or arming, this “island”where two roads meet is the only place where the tall prairiegrass still grows undisturbed. The gravesite is a remnant o theprairie in its purest orm, and it symbolizes Ántonia’s and Jim’slonging or the past.
The Plough
The
plough
, a symbol o the arm work the
Shimerdas
andthe
Burdens
do on the
prairie,
symbolizes man’s “beautiuland harmonious” connection to the land. At the end o Book2, beore
Jim
leaves Black Hawk or college, he sees a ploughsilhouetted in the circle o the red sun setting behind it. The skyquickly grows dark, and the plough disappears rom view. Thisimage suggests Jim’s impending separation rom
Ántonia
—while Ántonia remains on the prairie, Jim leaves or good. Thechange also oreshadows the changes that the developmento arming will infict on the natural prairie landscape.
Light
In
My Ántonia
, light symbolizes change. A vivid description o light preaces every major change that occurs in the novel.When
Jim
rst meets
Ántonia
, or example, he describes herglowing cheeks and her eyes as “like the sun”, and or the resto their lives, he associates her with warmth and vigor. One o his most vivid memories o Ántonia is reading with her “in themagical light o the late aternoon.” In contrast, at end o Book1—as Jim’s and Ántonia’s childhoods on the prairie come to anend—the two riends sit on the roo and watch the lightningo a loud and “electric” thunderstorm. At the end o the novel,ater Jim leaves Ántonia or the last time, he stands alone onthe prairie roads in “the slanting sunlight” and refects on the“incommunicable” past he shared with Ántonia.
Symbols are shown in
red
text whenever they appear in the
Plot Summary
and
Summary and Analysis
sections o this LitChart.
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My Antonia by Cather
Classic literature study guide.
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