Farming On The Divide Chapter 1 Summary

What does Alexandra do to make her farm and family successful? When Alexandra’s brothers, Lou and Oscar, insist they sell the farm to leave the Divide, Alexandra protests they keep the land. She is convinced she can find an alternative way to farm the Divide. Alexandra explores the river country because of her interests in learning new farming methods to save her father’s farm. Unfortunately, Alexandra becomes disappointed when she discovers the river country is no more flourishing than the highlands. She resolves to keep farming on the Divide, but she tries to apply her new farming techniques in hopes one day the land will repay her for her effort. Alexandra suggests to her brothers,
“I want you boys to go down yourselves and look it over. Nothing will convince you like seeing with your own eyes. The river land was settled before this, and so they are a few years ahead of us, and have learned more about farming. The land sells for three times as much as this, but in five years we will double it. The rich men down there own all the best land, and what little old corn we have, and buy the Linstrum place. Then the
next thing to do is to take out two loans on our half-sections, and buy Peter Crow’s place; raise every dollar we can, and buy every acre we can.” (26)
She used her new farming techniques to farm the Divide therefore, the land began to prosper and her family was able to profit from her hard work. Alexandra’s determination to push through the rough times, eagerness to learn, and ability to accept change allowed her farm and family to succeed. What role does the land play in the story? The land reflects the situations the characters face throughout the story, and the land represents the inner feelings and motivation for Alexandra. The land depicts Alexandra’s dreams and driving will of success to stay independent. “One January day, thirty years ago, the little town of Hanover, anchored on a windy Nebraska tableland, was trying not to be blown away” (1). Willa Cather’s descriptions of the land reveals the strength and importance the land has throughout the novel. The town must prepare to stay grounded, and the characters must prepare for the situations they face as the novel progresses. In addition, Willa Cather reveals the relationship between the land and Alexandra by describing how the seasons mirror the events in her life throughout the story. For instance, in the winter, Alexandra struggles to overcome her grief of her family tragedy and the only thought on her mind is death. By portraying the incidence in the winter season the author provides the audience with feelings of depression and loneliness. “The hedgerows and trees are scarcely perceptible against the bare earth, whose slaty hue they have taken on. The ground is frozen so hard that it bruises the foot to walk in the roads or in the ploughed fields. It is like an iron country, and the spirit is oppressed by its rigor and melancholy. One could easily believe that in that dead landscape the germs of life and fruitfulness were extinct forever” (73). The audience can relate to the feelings of Alexandra because of the imagery of an icy winter gives a cold tone to the novel. Willa Cather’s diction of the ground portrays the burden the tragedy brings upon Alexandra and emphasizes the emotional damage and strength she needs to overcome the situation.
Willa Cather uses personification to give character and liveliness to the land. She describes the land as, “The land did it. It had its little joke. It pretended to be poor because nobody knew how to work it right; and then, all at once, it worked itself. It woke up out of its sleep and stretched itself, and it was so big, so rich, that we suddenly found we were rich, just from sitting still” (45). Cather explains how the land played games with the town’s people. By relating human qualities to the land the audience can connect to the land and realize the land plays a major role in “O Pioneers!” How would you explain Cather’s choice of a woman as the protagonist for the novel? Willa Cather depicts the protagonist, Alexandra, as a women role model who exemplifies courage, emotional strength, and strong problem solving abilities.
The author uses Alexandra as a model of the American pioneer, and Alexandria displays the struggles the pioneers faced on a daily basis such as facing droughts and problems with their farming techniques. Carter’s choice of a woman protagonist for “O Pioneers!” explains the hardship women dealt with during the turn of the 20th century. Women in the 20th century were not considered equal in power or intelligence. Therefore, Alexandra’s portrays the situations women faced trying to succeed in a male-dominating generation. Alexandra plays the role of a strong independent woman who will not let anything stop her from completing her dreams of making her father’s farm successful on her
own. Alexandra fits best as the protagonist because she embodies the struggle women encountered because they were the weaker sex in the 19th century. She proves women can complete and succeed the same tasks as men by saving her father’s farm even when her brothers did not support her ideas at first. Making the protagonist a woman, allows the audience to make a deeper connection emotionally with Alexandra because women are more sensitive, and women are more willing to speak outwardly about their emotions. Connecting the reader to with Alexandra’s feeing of oppression reveals a major theme of feminism. In addition, Willa Cater chose a women protagonist because portraying Alexandra as woman helped create a bond between the land and her. Alexandra relates to the land because the land is considered a part of Mother Nature. By making the land and the main character both female characters, allows the audience to see how Alexandra and the land help and support each other. The land becomes Alexandra’s inner voice and Alexandra struggles with overcoming the norms of women in society. The land becomes Alexandra’s responsibility to care and provide for, but when Alexandra becomes isolated with the land she is blinded from her familie’s problems. What role does Carl play? Carl plays the role of Alexandra’s dreams and ambitions in “O Pioneers!” Alexandra’s feelings for the land take on a human disguise when marrying Carl. When Alexandra marries Carl in the end of the novel their marriage represents the union between Alexandra and her beloved land. Though Alexandra is married to Carl, Carl understands their marriage will not stand in the way of her relationship with the land because the success of the land comes first. Alexandra views Carl as a human representation of the land coming to help her for all her effort.
Willa Cather uses Carl as the representation of a human figure who has fulfilled Alexandra’s ambitions. The author creates a connection between the reader and Alexandra because the audience can relate their personal experiences from relationships to understand the bond Alexandra has with Carl. The reader relating to Carl’s and Alexandra’s relationship enables the reader to create a connection with the land. “She knew at last for whom it was she had waited, and where he would carry her” (112). Carl symbolizes Alexandra’s future with the land and the success of her father’s farm. Carl will help Alexandra’s farm to prosper through her weariness. Willa Cather uses Carl to put Alexandra at ease with the death of her brother, Emil, and Marie. Carl becomes Alexandra’s back bone, and support system allowing Alexandra to realizes the faults in her ways such as being blinded form helping her brother’s and Marie’s temptations for one another. Willa Cather portrays how Alexandra needs Carl similar to the way she needs the land. Alexandra needed Carl in the beginning of the story, but Alexandra’s brother chased Carl away because they thought he would take the land. Carl’s return to Alexandra proves nothing will stand between Alexandra and the relationship she has with the land because Alexandria’s and Carl’s relationship symbolizes the union with the land, and nothing could keep Carl away from Alexandra.