My Antonia - Book Report
My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a modernist novel with so much depth to it. The author addresses important issues of equality/non equality in marriage between husband and wife; the stereotype of women being unable to take care of themselves; the bond that children can achieve in childhood; and the lives of those children when they are no longer able to be young and carefree. My Antonia is presented in the first person, by the character Jim Burden. He tells the story of his childhood and his encounters with different people, and his special connection to his neighbor friend Antonia from the age of 10 on. Antonia Shimerda has a great influence on Jim's life and it seems that everything he does and feels is somehow connected to her. Even after moving away, and not seeing Antonia for several years, he never forgets her, and never stops thinking about her. Jim Burden traveled by train to Black Hawk, Nebraska at the age of 10, from Virginia, after his parents died. He was to live with his grandparents on a farm. On the train, Jim first sees the Shimerdas, a Bohemian immigrant family traveling in the same direction. The Shimerdas happen to move to a neighboring farm near the Burdens, and Jim quickly interacts and becomes frien
While Jim is away, he hears that Antonia had gotten engaged and pregnant, but was then left by her fiance days before the wedding. Jim and Antonia are not so close anymore, for they have not seen each other for a long while. Even so, Jim has a strong feeling of devotion and affection toward her, a state which influences his everyday life. Jim goes to visit Antonia after hearing news of her situation, tells her how much she means to him, and promises to return. The characters in this story are well developed for their roles, and seem to fit perfectly. There are two main characters in this novel: After a few years, the Burdens move from the farm into town, and shortly after Antonia takes a job as a housekeeper with the Harling family. Jim and Antonia begin to spend more time with each other once again. Other immigrant girls start working in the town as well, and they become known as the "hired girls." Dancing becomes a major event in Black Hawk, and Antonia starts to go to the dances all the time. The Harlings ask her to stop, because she is getting a bad reputation, and because of this, Antonia quits her job there and begins working for Wick Cutter, a dishonorable man. Jim becomes somewhat anti-social, spending time only with the "hired girls" and devoting most of his energy to his work and school. Jim Burden is intelligent and thoughtful, which gives him the ability to portray himself and others accurately, making him a perfect narrator. Jim has a strong attachment to the people of his childhood. He describes Antonia very beautifully and is clear his need for his relationship with her. Jim wishes Antonia could have been "anything that a woman can be to a man." By this he might mean wife, mother, sister, or maybe a little bit of all. Throughout the novel, Jim seems to live his entire life through his childhood, as if it were his whole life, and nothing could ever compare. Jim finally realizes that although things have changed, the bond between Antonia and Jim has not ended, and he can move on with his life knowing that she is still with him. The novel ends with Jim finding himself in
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1435
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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