My Antonia Analysis

Summary: My Ántonia begins as an account between an unknown narrator and Jim Burden, both of whom grew up together in a small Nebraska town. While on a train ride across Iowa, the two begin reminiscing about their childhoods and the conversation continually returns to a mutual friend, Ántonia. The narrator suggests that Jim write down what he remembers about her. Jim’s story begins at ten years old. Newly orphaned, Jim endures a trip to Black Hawk, Nebraska to live with his grandparents. Coincidentally, the Shimerdas travel on the same train and move to the farm next door to the Burdens. Upon arrival at his grandparents farm, Jim settles in and begins exploring the landscape of his new home. Mrs. Burden, Jim’s caring grandmother, insists on
visiting the Shimerda’s numerous times, never without some sort of food, seeing the families struggle in a new country. Being a prideful family, the Shimerdas always embarrassingly but gratefully accept the offer. Mr. Shimerdas begs Mrs. Burden and Jim to “te-e-ach, te-e-ach my Ántonia” (Cather 20) to speak English. Jim and Ántonia become quick friends often riding Jim’s horse to town to receive mail and supplies or to explore the countryside resulting in numerous tales to tell their families. A snowstorm prevents travel to buy presents for Christmas, therefore, the Burdens create homemade gifts for their neighbors. On Christmas Day, Mr. Shimerdas treks through the snow to thank the Burdens for the gifts and remains for dinner. Jim notices Mr. Shimerdas sadness and longing for his old country, Bohemia. Two days after Jim's eleventh birthday, he wakes to a commotion. Ambrosch, the Shimerdas’ oldest son, informs Mr. and Mrs. Burden and their work hands that his father died. Mr. Shimerda committed suicide; therefore, no church will allow his family to bury in their graveyard, so he rests on the corner of his property. As school begins, Jim and Ántonia see less and less of each other as Ántonia must replace her father’s working hands with her own instead of attend school. Ántonia tells Jim “things will be easy for you. But they will be hard for us” (Cather 90) (Cather 5-90). Over the next few years, Jim and Ántonia continue to grow apart without seeing much of each other.
Jim earns a law degree from the University of Nebraska and Harvard followed by much exploring of the world. However, at a young age, Ántonia finds herself pregnant and abandoned by her fiance forcing her to rebound to working on her mother's farm. After twenty years, Jim finally returns to Nebraska to visit his long lost friend. Upon arrival, Jim learns Ántonia married a man by the name Anton Cuzak with whom she birthed ten or eleven children. As Jim looked at Ántonia “the changes grew less apparent...her identity stronger...She was there, in full vigour of her personality, battered but not diminished” (Cather 214). Neither forgot about the other and Ántonia even discloses their childhood adventures to her children. The sensation of being a part of her family overwhelms Jim with gratitude and happiness, promising to return and reestablish their friendship. My Ántonia dissolves as Jim leaves Ántonia's farm for Black Hawk where disappointment of the changes sadden him; however, as he walks toward his grandparents’ old farm, the familiar landscape gifts him the “sense of coming home” (Cather 238) (Cather
211-244).

Character Analysis: Ántonia, a Bohemian immigrant to the United States, begins and ends as a dedicated worker.
At eleven, Ántonia worried little about working or needing the responsibility of supporting her family. Helping her family when needed, Ántonia spent most of her free time learning to speak English and exploring the countryside with Jim. However, that changed a year or so after immigrating to Nebraska when her father commits suicide. Lacking a pair of working hands, Ántonia relinquishes her childhood to support her mother and siblings in the fields. After a number of years, Ántonia receives the opportunity to work in town as a house servant for the Harlings. Instead of working in the fields, Ántonia learns daily housework and proper manners for a young woman. Living in Black Hawk opens many doors for Ántonia; including, the opportunity to have a social life. Every week, Ántonia and her friends, Lena and Tilly, dance either at the Vannis dancing pavilion or at the Firemen's Dance. Ántonia feels accepted in the dancing community. Interest in pretty things like dresses and relationships leads her to an abandoned engagement and pregnancy; thus, throwing her back into the difficult working life. Ántonia continues to work on her mother's farm until she meets and marries Anton Cuzak. Alongside her husband and dozen children, Ántonia continues to work hard, though no longer in fields, but in a house, demonstrating her determination to make a better life for herself and family in a new country
(Cather 1-238).

Theme: Near the end of the first story, Ántonia states to Jim that “things will be easy for you. But they will be hard for us” (Cather 90). “You” in this instance includes Jim and all other white people of America who have no trouble being accepted into colleges and getting jobs; while, the “us” encompasses not only Ántonia but all immigrants to America. Ántonia notices how the dominant ethnicity receives the first opportunity in education and work; while immigrants or people of other ethnicities live secondhand to them. The impact of people’s backgrounds and social status on one's opportunities both in and out of America reveals inequality to Ántonia. The lives of Jim and Ántonia are evidence of the theme. Jim, being from multiple generations of Americans, easily attends high school and later college. Well off compared to the Shimerdas, Jim experiences a childhood. Whereas after Ántonia's father commits suicide, she steps up to assist in supporting her family like an adult would do. She works from sun up to sundown even with protest from Mrs. Burden responding to Jim “Oh, better I work out-of-doors than in a house! I not care that your grandmother say it makes me like a man. I like to be like a man” (Cather 89). Upon Jim attendance at the University of Nebraska, Ántonia remains in Black Hawk to work. Even later in life, Jim travels the world, works as a lawyer, and enjoys aspects of society; while Ántonia settles down and builds a family within her means. This quote signifies the general differences between men and women and between immigrants and Americans; additionally, it signifies how a group of people will always live an “easy” life meanwhile a group of people will endure a “hard” life.
My Ántonia displays multiple themes throughout its five stories; however, a particular one covers all five stories and five chapters in the characters’ lives; the idea that gender and country of origin affect people's place in society and also their lives in general. In addition to the differences between Jim and Ántonia, My Ántonia displays evidence of this in other characters. Peter Krajiek, the only interpreter to the Shimerdas, exploits their ignorance of American ways and limited resources to better himself. Because the Shimerdas cannot speak English or express their desires in anyway, they take Krajiek’s offer of purchasing his homestead, which according to Mrs. Burden is “no better than a badger hole; no proper dugout at all” (Cather 16). Furthermore, Krajiek discourages them from going to Black Hawk because “they would somehow be mysteriously separated from their money” (Cather 23). Cather models the stereotype that women must not work, but remain idle indoors by describing girls who farmed as being “physically...almost a race apart...physical exercise was thought rather inelegant for the daughters of well-to-do families” (Cather 127). Jim expresses that “the attitude of the town people toward these girls very stupid” (Cather 129), no matter how many times he explains that the immigrants occupied as much prestige in their old countries, the town people still exclaim “what does it matter? All foreigners were ignorant people who couldn’t speak English” (Cather 129). Cather incorporated the theme that gender and country of origin affect people's social status and lives due to the fact that when growing up she felt restricted by the role of women and had a friend much like the character of Ántonia (Cather 1-238).