Willa Cather Writing Comparison
Willa Cather Writing Comparison
Cather creates characters who often leave the places she so lovingly describes because she herself left her home. This tendency of writing about scenarios where people leave is something close to home for her, and thus she can write more easily about it and put true meaning in her words and descriptions. Most often, the best writing is that which is pulled from life experiences and events which have touched the heart. Quite possibly, that is why Cather has proved to be so successful and a master of literature. I know that I personally always try to relate what I’m writing to my life, otherwise I can’t really get into it so it appears uninteresting and unrelatable.
In both The Sculptor's Funeral and My Antonia, the characters left to pursue success elsewhere. Both Jim and Harvey left their homes and towns for better education and careers. Unfortunately, the boys were each dissapointed with the way things panned out. In Jim’s case, he constantly laments about the past, does not have a family, and is empty inside. In Harvey’s case, he cannot really speak for himself, but I think it is safe to say that he is not content with being dead. Both characters leave their families and purposes behind them when they leave.
Location affects the characters and their development because of what a great writer Cather is. By this I mean that she depends certain attributes of her characters on where they live. In My Antonia, she was amazing at making the speech of foreigners convincing and in The Sculptor's Funeral, she also made sure to get across the Kansas peoples’ accents. This is also one example of the characteristics of local color movement in Willa Cather’s pieces.
Cather creates characters who often leave the places she so lovingly describes because she herself left her home. This tendency of writing about scenarios where people leave is something close to home for her, and thus she can write more easily about it and put true meaning in her words and descriptions. Most often, the best writing is that which is pulled from life experiences and events which have touched the heart. Quite possibly, that is why Cather has proved to be so successful and a master of literature. I know that I personally always try to relate what I’m writing to my life, otherwise I can’t really get into it so it appears uninteresting and unrelatable.
In both The Sculptor's Funeral and My Antonia, the characters left to pursue success elsewhere. Both Jim and Harvey left their homes and towns for better education and careers. Unfortunately, the boys were each dissapointed with the way things panned out. In Jim’s case, he constantly laments about the past, does not have a family, and is empty inside. In Harvey’s case, he cannot really speak for himself, but I think it is safe to say that he is not content with being dead. Both characters leave their families and purposes behind them when they leave.
Location affects the characters and their development because of what a great writer Cather is. By this I mean that she depends certain attributes of her characters on where they live. In My Antonia, she was amazing at making the speech of foreigners convincing and in The Sculptor's Funeral, she also made sure to get across the Kansas peoples’ accents. This is also one example of the characteristics of local color movement in Willa Cather’s pieces.