The novel, My Antonia, begins with Jim Burden, who is a New York City Lawyer. He gives a friend his journal of his Nebraska childhood. It is in the form of memories from a friend, Ántonia Shimerda. Jim starts his story in Nebraska when he was 10 years old. He had arrived to live with his grandparents after his parents die in Virginia. Jim first sees the Shimerdas on his trip towards Nebraska. They are a Bohemian immigrant family who were on the same train. When he arrives, he discovers that the Shimerdas have taken up residence in farm adjoining his grandparents. Jim becomes quick friends Ántonia; the Shimerdas around his age who has a passion to learn English. Jim decides to tutor Ántonia in her English teachings. Most of their time together is spent in the hills enjoying each other’s company. However, the mood shifts with the suicide of Mr. Shimerda. The Burdens find it difficult to connect with the Shimerdas, but try to be helpful as they can. As a result of the suicide, Ántonia and Jim find that they cannot stand each other. Several years after the suicide, the Burdens move to town. By chance, Ántonia becomes a maid to the family next door to the Burden’s, the Harlings. Jim…
In the story a young boy named Teddy, and his parents take in a half drowned mongoose that they find on the side of the road. They clean him up, and keep him as a pet. The family names him Rikki-Tikki. Rikki-Tikki begins to play out in the garden, and sleeps in Teddy’s bed. Rikki-Tikki goes off to the garden one day, and meets a sad bird couple. the birds are said because one of their babies fell out of the nest, and Nag ate it. Rikki-Tikki asks who Nag is, and a big king cobra slithers out of…
My Antonia, a realistic fiction novel written by Willa Cather, tells the story of a boy named Jim, who meets a young lady named Antonia Shimerda whom, though she had many trials, goes through life happy, and eventually becomes a successful mother. Antonia dealt with numerous hardships, as she was becoming an adult. She experienced a trip from Bohemia to America, the death of somebody close to her, was almost rapped, and many more destitutions. But, even though Antonia was faced with multiple challenges, she continued being happy. The troubles that Antonia experienced are similar to that of an immigrant. Immigrants are forced to deal with a multitude of injustices and trials, relatable to Antonia. Antonia strongly relates to the major theme of immigration because she shares many of the same experiences of a stereotypical immigrant.…
My Ántonia shows the stages of life for a character around the 1900s, starting at 10 years old to around the age of 20. The story is narrated by Jim Burden that is talking about his past self and childhood. In the beginning of the novel Jim and an acquaintance talk about their most treasured memory of Ántonia. “More than any other person we remembered, this girl seemed to mean to us the country, the conditions, the whole adventure of our childhood... Jim had found her again after long years, had renewed a friendship that meant a great deal to him, and out of his busy life had set apart time enough to enjoy that friendship” (5). Jim’s connection to her was so important to him, that after many years of separation he goes back to his hometown to see her again. In the story he became a lawyer and moved out of Nebraska to New York. Then twenty…
As far as I could think, Sone and her family was an industrious family. The story begin by telling how Sone’s father managed to keep his business. Moreover, in their temporary camp, there seem to be something that kept the family busy. For example, Sone’s father were fixing the place where they lived and Sone was working in Personnel Department that she had to go back and forth between Area A and D. When her father was asked to give up any given dangerous instruments or weapon, he said that he need those tools for work. This story also tell how the family was hopeful. When they were in the temporary camp, they still hold strong to their beliefs. It said that the problem that they faced on that moment was only the beginning. Also, every Sunday…
She was so independent and strong minded,one could only wish to follow in her footsteps. Since a very young age, Antonia had always loved dancing. By the time her father had passed away and she had grown to help her mother in any way possible, Antonia worked as housekeeper for a family in Black Hawk, The Harling's. During this time, a dancing pavillion had come to Black Hawk and of course Antonia felt she must attend such an event. Shortly after, Mr. Harling forced Antonia to leave his home due to her lifestyle. Mr. Harling did not approve of her love for dancing and she was very harshly judged for it. Antonia decided that instead of stooping to Mr. Harling's level and changing herself and the lifestyle she lived for another person who simply did not approve, she would rather work for the shady Wick…
“Some memories are realities, and are better than anything that can ever happen to one again”; this quote by Willa Cather expresses the relationship that the past can have on humans. Some would argue that the past has no role in My Antonia, almost as if the overall lesson of the novel had gone right over their head. Willa Cather has written the whole novel in flashback form, and this has a great effect on the reader. She is trying to show that you can learn from your past, if you grasp what you can, while you have the ability to do so. She adopts a very Thoreau-like outlook on life; “Carpe diem”.…
Alice Sebold’s novel The Lovely Bones starts out by saying “ My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973.” The book is narrated by an average teenage girl who was viciously raped and murdered by her next door neighbor. After her dealth is confirmed, Susie’s family struggles to cope with the loss of their fourteen year old daughter and sister and all of the unanswered questions about her dealth. Both of Susie’s parents are incapable of confronting the tragedy. Her sister, Lindsey, deals with her grief privately and in her own way. Buckley, the youngest Salmon child, only four, is still uncertain and unclear about what is really happening and spends most of his time with the family of a neighborhood friend.…
Confessions of an Erstwhile Child is an essay which analyses the concept of the nuclear family. At first the author explains the ideas of Thomas More's Utopia, but afterwards narrows his content by going into explaining his thoughts on children raised in dysfunctional families. He very cleverly shows the reader part family model's with current ones, allowing his audience to make the decision for themselves. His tone is a logical philosophical. The reader is told of his depressing childhood growing up in a dysfunctional family, and how it had a profound effect upon his life. The author uses his own personal experience and knowledge to express his opinions on his topic, but really doesn't use much inference to other cases or factual evidence to back up his argument. All and all, the author wrote an essay which would prove to be thought provoking and well organized.…
Jim and Antonia have many common feelings regarding the beauty around them in the fields, trees, and colors with the changing of seasons. Jim finds his happiness and states so in Book 1, Section II by saying “… to be dissolved into something complete and great. When it comes to one, it comes as naturally as sleep.” Antonia notices more because of her family coming to Nebraska, recently. She compares it to her country, where Jim compares to his own home in Virginia. As with many people comparing different states show many similarities, but comparing different countries, shows how another part of the world lives.…
This quote uses metaphor to further the understanding of Antonia’s character and her portrayal in the novel. Jim Burden in this passage is contemptibly looking back on the awe that Antonia once made him feel throughout their childhood. This serves to exasperate Antonia’s representation as a loving mother figure. We see how she takes care of her children and how her loving nature has manifested itself into sons who, “stood tall and straight”. She truly is a source of compassion which people draw from, hence why she is described as a rich mine of life. Her innate sense of affection for others also serves to explain why, even many years later, people from her childhood still remember her. Jim Burden, Lena, and the narrator in the introduction…
A certain maturity, understanding and acceptance usually develop in people as they age and learn through life experiences. Depending on those life experiences, an individual can progress far in their understanding and acceptances or be held in stagnate and prejudiced position. In the story “A&P” by John Updike, the reader is taken through a mundane shopping experience seen through the eyes of a teenager boy named Sammy. By using specific symbols and this particular point of view, the reader is able to see Sammy developing life experience through observing the shopping girls in comparison to how the older characters in the story such as Sammy’s boss react to the same customers.…
Growth in characters is a major characteristic of the “coming of age” film. The young characters rebel, find their “true” self, and have problems with the authority that exists. Most often these characters grow as they find the source of their rebellion and “find” themselves. Growth comes easily to the “coming of age” film because of the age of the characters and the natural mental social changes of that time. Growth is important to a “coming of age” film because it includes the four main elements of a coming of age film; retaliation by a young adult, breaking free, relationship problems, and messages from adults to the young adult. All of those four elements help the character grow from the beginning to the end of the movie. By watching The Graduate and Dead Poets Society one…
When he speaks of the story he wrote about his Antonia, he tells the reader, “Of course, I should have to do it in a direct way, and say a great deal about myself. It’s through myself that I knew her and felt her (Cather 4).” A relationship is all about perspective. The story My Antonia is about the relationship between Jim and Antonia. In order to understand their relationship, we must understand their perspective. Book three gives us this insight. It shows who Jim is apart from Antonia so we can better understand how they work…
Have you ever read the book If I Grow Up? In the novel If I Grow Up by Todd Strasser the main Character DeShawn wanted to stay out of trouble and get an education. But, DeShawn goes through a rough time with money and food. So, he realizes that he has to make a choice to join the Disciples or to keep getting an education. DeShawn then chooses to join the disciples. DeShawn had a choice to join the Disciples or better his life. DeShawn could have got a job, he could have left the projects, and he could have kept his education.…