My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a novel about Jim Burden and his relationship and experiences growing up with Antonia Shimerda in Nebraska. Throughout the book Jim reflects on his memories of Nebraska and the Shimerda family, often times in a sad and depressing tone. One of the main ways Cather is able to provoke these sad emotions within the reader is through the suicide of Antonia's father, Mr. Shimerda. His death was unexpected by everyone and it is thought that homesickness is what drove him to take his own life. Homesickness was surely felt by Mr. Shimerda, as it was by many, but it was the failure to adequately find a way to provide for his family that sent Mr. Shimerda into a depressing downward spiral that left him no foreseeable alternative but to take his own life.

The first descriptions of Mr. Shimerda are that of a successful businessman that had always provided well for his family.

I noticed how white and well-shaped his own hands were. They looked calm, somehow, and skilled. His eyes were melancholy, and were set back deep under his brow. His face was ruggedly formed, but it looked like ashes - like something from which

If you have any questions, please ask. I got an A on this paper for English 402. I actually wrote it myself, but know what it is like to cram!

The burden of not providing for his family only gets worse. His family has to bear the cold winter in a dugout with no food. This is when his family starts to lose hope and he feels the pressures of ultimate failure. Mrs. Shimerda certainly put a lot of this unneeded pressure on him as well. She was use to being taken care of and now shows little love or compassion towards him. She constantly whines and reminds him how miserable they all are. Also, the burden of having no one to lean on for support, such as for advice and to borrow equipment, leaves Mr. Shimerda feeling helpless. His two Russian friends that were his main source for information about running the farm are gone. One dies and the other moves away. This leaves him with no one for advise and help but the Burtons.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Nebraska Shimerda, Nevertheless Shimerda, Shimerdas Bohemian, Burtons Shimerda, Jim Shimerda, Bibliography Antonia, Nebraska Throughout, Jim Burden, own life, running farm, Willa Cather, neighbors helped build, family country shimerda, burden providing, neighbors helped, family country, shimerda failure, little help, family left, burden providing family, providing family, life family,
Approximate Word count = 1314
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)