A Character Analysis Of Antonio Cather's My Antonio

In "My Antonio" Cather seemed to have a high admiration for Antonio throughout the story. Antonio's characteristics are shown and brought out in different ways from the beginning of the story to the end. Three of the strongest characteristics that Cather admired in Antonio were her determination, optimism and loyalty. Her determination is shown with her strong will to work, to improve her life and to take care of her family even after all of the unlucky things she had gone through. Jim says, "I know so many women who have kept all the things that she had lost, but whose inner glow has faded, Whatever else was gone. Antonio had not lost the fire of life." What is meant by this is that everything that Antonio had gone through does not show in
He manages to kill it with everything he has by spading it across the neck. After Antonio discovers that Jim had ran upon the snake and killed it she was full of praise for we had had done. Her optimism shows during this because even in such a bad situation that could have been a deadly situation, she talks about him in such a heroic way. As Jim and Antonio are on their way back to tell the others the exciting snake story, Jim describes Antonio. "As she rode along slowly, her bare legs swinging against the ponies sides, she kept shouting back to me about how astonished everybody would be. Her exultation was contagious." Antonio's loyalty is especially shown through not only to Cather but to her family and friends. Antonio was asked about attending school so that she can learn so much more than what Jim had taught her. As Jim approached her with this she said, " I ain't got time to learn. I can work like mans now. School is alright for little boys. I help make this land one good farm." Antonio was loyal to everything and everyone she knew even if it meant sacrificing things she wanted in life. She was a very hard worker and was loyal to making anything she did a success. An additional characteristic of Antonio that Cather had was the admiration that never ended even at the end of the story. Jim tells Antonio, " Since I've been away, I think of you more often than anyone