Sezim Karyppaeva 1601.

04001

Analysis of II book “Hired Girls”

Hired Girls
Whole first book was more about the family of Shimerda and Antonia’s youth. However the next
book is more about the difference between village and city, between people of different social strata
and the contrast between their concepts. So let’s start with the summary of the second book of novel
“My Antonia”.

Almost three years after Jim Burden has moved to grandfather’s house and his grandparents have
understood that they could not continue dealing with farm and they decided just to leave their farm
and move to the town. Otto decides to move forward to the west in search of new job and
adventures, Jake follows him and together they live, family of Burdens. Before leavening both of
them helped with moving and helped till replacing all the china and cupboards. Later they left and
family of Burdens has got once a letter and learned that they have found new job and that was the
last letter. In a new place both grandparents found new job and Jim himself went to school. Mr.
Burden takes a post as a deacon at the Baptist church and Mrs. Burden helps with the church’s
social calendar. So what about Shimerdas? Of course now they could not always keep in touch, but
however Ambrosch was coming frequently and Jim always asked about Antonia, when he had an
opportunity, but Ambrosch is taciturn and says little.

The life of Burdens has changed and we see this immediately after they have moved. Jim’s family’s
nearest neighbors are the Harlings, a Norwegian family who at past also lived in the village. Three
of their children are around the age of Jim and the older sister, Frances, who works in Mr. Harling’s
office and is doing very good. Obviously Frances was a bit tired of her work and in future was
planning to quit with it and that’s why she is searching for the employer, whom she is going to
teach. Mrs. Burden invites Frances to her home and tells about Antonia, which made her really
interested in young girl. The very next day they rode to the Shimerdas and certainly the loved her
and soon Antonia was right at home among the Harling. She settles very quickly and is doing very
well in the work and house.

During the school in the autumn, Jim often sees Lena Lingard in town. One day she visited them in
the evening and to be honest nobody was very happy to see her as she had not very good
background. Already married man, Ole Benson fells in affection with a young Lena in a crazy way,
which seems even to please her, but anyway she rejects him. The trouble was, that while flirting she
was seen by his crazy wife Mary and then she was following her everywhere with a knife. One day
he just helped her to trade and while doing that they gossip about overall life in Black Hawk. There
was also her little brother, who came to buy presents on Christmas on his own money. Lena advices
him to buy handkerchiefs and seemed very pleased with her little brother. Later she tells, that she
misses home really strongly, which makes Jim forget about her really bad background.
Winter came to Black Hawk and days of Jim and Antonia were going very good. Antonia was
cooking and telling different stories to the family of Harling. One evening she tells terrifying story
about a tramp, which came not clear from where, he talked a bit with her, then went and asked Ole
Iverson to work instead him in a wagon. After working for a while, he just jumped and fell into the
threshing machine. Nina was in horror and felt pity for man, but then later she was calmed by Mrs.
Harling, who herself after this story felt a sorrow and felt homesick.

Winter was still in Black Hawk and all people were waiting for something colorful and bright, so th
arrival of Samson d’Arnault was such an occasion. He was a blind, black pianist who came to town
and stays at the hotel Boys’ Home. Jim, Antonia and all people went there to see the show. Samson
plays plantation music and makes everyone dance and feel happy, but what was real background of
this man. He was born in the family with big amount of children and unfortunately was born
disabled. He could not see. His mother loved him, but him from people, because of his appearance.
However he just ran away to the house, from which window was coming out the sound of piano.
Nothing has stopped him from running away again and again and finally he found his right way to
the music.

Finally winter finishes and spring has come. Jim seems to be very happy with it and is waiting
forward for the summer. He spends days outside playing in the garden. In June arrived an Italian
family, the Vannis and they opened a dancing pavilion, which very quickly became known place.
Everyone tried to find time to have a fun, relax and dance in the evening. Antonia, Lena and Jim
were not exception. Jim noticed, that girls are growing up and that was foreshadowing something is
going to happen.

Here comes the most important part where Jim describes the difference between village people and
town people. He claims that town people feel themselves more bossy, important and rich. The
difference was obvious, because all that girls from village were coming to earn some money and
cover father’s debt. These girls were called “Hired Girls”, which is actually the title of the second
book. Jim described that all boys and girls who came from rural part of prairie felt themselves not
comfortable and free.

Time passed and Antonia slowly was growing up and was changing her privileges. She was often
spending time in the dance pavilion and of course young and beautiful lady caught attention of man.
They were walking with her home, trying to dance with her and just were staring at her. Trouble
came, when one engaged man walks with her home and there tries to kiss her. Antonia slaps him,
but everything was seen by Mr. Higgins. He was furious and told her that she should quit with
dancing, for what she was totally against and complained Mrs. Harling. She was also against her
dances and then Antonia said she is going to live and work for the family of the Cutters. Mrs.
Harling was very disappointed, but she could do nothing and just agreed, but warned that she is not
going to return there anymore.

In the next chapter was given long and clear description of the family of Cutters. There were only
two members Mrs. Cutter and Mr. Cutter. They were described as detestable and disastrous pair in
Black Hawk. Wick Cutter is devious moneylender, who was making money by manipulating
farmers to take a big amount of money. This wicked couple was not even getting along, but they
still were living together and seemed to be quiet happy with that.
So Antonia, who has already pretty changed now is even more paying attention to the social life.
She is now living and working on the Cutters house. She sews different clothes with Lena’s help
and is chatting with her best friends. Jim, now a senior in high school, in his turn also started to
grow up and pay more attention on the beauty of girls and dances. Jim’s character was changing
very fast and not in a very good way. He quits with one dance club and could not find any solution,
but to enter another one. One day he just came home with Antonia and asks her to give a kiss. Jim
began to feel some love toward Antonia and this love seemed to be equal, but however she refuses
to do that. When grandmother shows that she is very disappointed with reputation which he is
gaining, he was forced to quit with dances and start new life with some another diversion. Of
course after attempt to get better, feels himself alone and the only occupation was to give oration
and commencement at his high school. Antonia was congratulating him and said that his speech
reminded her Mr. Shimerda. For what, he said that he actually was real inspiration of the speech.

During the summer Jim made a schedule to prepare for his university and the only holiday for him
was one day when girls, Lena and Antonia, invited him to the river. There again was soul mate’ s
discussion between Jim and Antonia about homesickness and beauty of those times. Later both of
the joined other girls and they spent afternoon playing games and talking together until sunset.

One day Mr. Cutter should live house for some reason and Antonia was to stay alone at home. She
feels very stressed out and anxious, because he left all silver and valuable papers under her bed,
saying she should not live the house and invite anyone there. It turned out Mr. Cutter made a trick
and send Mrs. Cutter on another train to come home without his wife. Jim was asked by
grandmother to sleep at home instead Antonia and here comes what happened. Mr. Cutter came late
at midnight, when Jim was already asleep. He sat at the edge of bed and leaned over him. He started
to chuck and beat him, shouting that Antonia was not there. Jim nearly fainted, but with last power
he pushed himself from the window. He arrived home all in bruises and cuts. He felt asleep and
woke up at the morning, because of his grandmother’s screaming. Jim was furious and did not let
anyone inside, especially Antonia. Grandmother with Antonia went to Mr. Cutters and took all
things, which survived from yesterday’s fight. Mrs. Cutter was told about the situation and said that
all things are going to be revenged with what grandmother agreed.

…he would be an easy prey to sharpers. Metaphor

Used about Jake Marpole
Those two fellows had been faithful to Metaphor, Allegory
us through sun and storm… Used about Otto and Jake
The more our house was like a country Simile
hotel…
Mrs. Harling was short and square Epithets
and sturdy-looking, like her house… Simile
Her face was rosy and solid, with bright, Epithets
twinkling eyes and a stubborn little chin.Personification
Chin cannot be stubborn
Preserving-time was a prolonged festival, Simile
and house-cleaning was like a revolution.
Sally was a wild thing, with sun- Metaphor
burned yellow hair, bobbed about her Epithets
ears…
She carried them all in her mind as if Simile
they were characters in a book or a
play.
...and splendid color in her cheeks — Simile
like those big dark red plums.
Lena’s candid eyes, that always Epithets
looked a little sleepy under their long
lashes…
…Lena, I thought of her as some- Metaphor
thing wild, that always lived on the
prairie…
Her yellow hair was burned to a ruddy Metaphor
thatch on her head… Epithets
…I noticed the unusual color of her Epithets
eyes — a shade of deep violet — and
their soft, confiding expression.
…her poor feet were as hard as hoofs. Simile
WINTER comes down savagely over a Personification
little town on the prairie.
…the houses seem to draw closer Personification
together.
…the green tree-tops, now stare you in Personification
the face, and they are so much uglier Epithets
than when their angles were softened by
vines and shrubs.
The pale, cold light of the winter Epithets
sunset did not beautify — it was like the Simile
light of truth itself.
When the smoky clouds hung low in the Personification
west and the red sun went down behind Epithets
them, leaving a pink flush on the
snowy roofs and the blue drifts, then
the wind sprang up afresh, with a kind Personification
of bitter song, as if it said: “This is Epithets
reality, whether you like it or not. All
those frivolities of summer, the light Parallelism
and shadow, the living mask of green Metonymy
that trembled over everything, they
were lies, and this is what was
underneath. This is the truth. Metonymy
…was as if we were being punished Simile
for loving the loveliness of summer. Oxymoron
The glowing stoves in the houses were Simile
like magnets.
In the winter bleakness a hunger for Metonymy
color came over people, like the Hyperbole
Laplander’s craving for fats and sugar. Simile
…until our feet were like lumps of ice.
On winter nights, the lights in the Personification
Harlings’ windows drew me like the Simile
painted glass.
dive through the willow hedge as if Simile
witches were after me.
On Saturday nights, Mrs. Harling used Allusion
to play the old operas for
us, — “Martha,” “Norma,” “Rigoletto”
Her voice had a peculiarly engaging Epithets
quality; it was deep, a little husky…
The sun was so hot like it was going Simile
to burn the world up… Hyperbole
“It was ‘The Old Oaken Bucket,’ cut Allusion
out of a newspaper and nearly worn
out.
Deep down in each of them there Epithets
was a kind of hearty joviality, a relish
of life, not over-delicate, but very
invigorating.
WINTER lies too long in country towns; Personification
hangs on until it is stale and shabby, old Epithets
and sullen.
…men’s affairs went on underneath it, as Simile
the streams creep under the ice.
…the snow on the river bluffs was gray Personification
and mournful-looking. Epithets
…a sweetheart in every port, like a Simile
sailor.
…Mary Anderson was having a great Allusion
success in “A Winter’s Tale,” in
London.
…he swayed back and forth incessantly, Simile
like a rocking toy.
…his body kept up this motion, like an Simile
empty mill grinding on.
Through the dark he found his way to Metonymy
the Thing, to its mouth.
It was cold and hard, and like nothing Epithets
else in his black universe. Metonymy
…felt his way down into the Metonymy
mellow thunder…
It was as if all the agreeable
sensations possible to creatures of flesh Personification
and blood were heaped up on those black Metonymy
and white keys, and he were gloating
over them and trickling them through
his yellow fingers.
He looked like some glistening African Simile
god of pleasure, full of strong, savage
blood.
…in their eyes that brilliancy which is Metonymy
called, — by no metaphor, alas! — “the Metaphor
light of youth.”
than in the weeks of spring which Personification
broke that long winter.
After the apple and cherry trees broke
into bloom…
, when the married people sat like Simile
images on their front porches…
That silence seemed to ooze out of the Personification
ground, to hang under the foliage of
the black maple trees with the bats
and shadows. Now it was broken by
light-hearted sounds.
Physically they were almost a race Hyperbole
apart…
…cut off below the shoulders, like Simile
cherubs…
Their beauty shone out too boldly against Personification
a conventional background.
Our young man of position was like the Simile
son of a royal house…
The three Marys were considered as Simile
dangerous as high explosives to have
about the kitchen…
… her thoughts never seemed to stray Personification
outside that little kingdom. Metonymy
His white teeth looked factory-made. His Hyperbole
skin was red and rough, as if from Epithets
perpetual sunburn… Simile
She was a terrifying- looking person; Epithets
almost a giantess in height, raw-boned, Hyperbole
with iron-gray hair, a face always
flushed, and prominent, hysterical eyes.
Her teeth were long and curved, like a Simile
horse’s…
My lip was cut and stood out like a Simile
snout. My nose looked like a big blue
plum
The fields below us were dark, the sky Personification
was growing pale, and that forgotten Epithets
plough had sunk back to its own littleness
somewhere on the prairie.
The long fingers of the sun touched their Personification
foreheads. Metonymy
There were no clouds, the sun was going Epithets
down in a limpid, gold-washed sky. Just Personification
as the lower edge of the red disc Metonymy
rested on the high fields
against the horizon, a great black
figure suddenly appeared on the face
of the sun.
The curly grass about us was on fire Metaphor
now. The bark of the oaks turned red Epithets
as copper. There was a shimmer of Simile
gold on the brown river. Out in
the stream the sandbars glittered like
glass, and the light trembled in the
willow thickets as if little flames were
leaping among them.
She gave my head a rough touzling Simile
and finished me off with something
like a box on the ear.
Black Hawk, grouped among its Personification
trees, and, beyond, the rolling country,
swelling gently until it met the sky…
Black Hawk Symbolism
Shows how, gorgeous and important was
the place. Translation of the name of city
can tell us a lot of things and somehow
add mood to the book.