My Antonia (Willa Cather)
Study Questions
BEFORE READING
Discussion
– Literary
Terms: Setting, Theme, Characterization.
Simile, Metaphor, Personification
– Bildungsroman
(“formation novel”) or coming-of-age story
Short writing
exercises
– Write
a paragraph about a memorable person or place from your childhood.
Themes: Themes are the fundamental and often
universal ideas explored in a literary work.
– Humakind’s
relationship to the past
– Humankind’s
relationship to its environment
– The
immigrant experience in the United
States
– The
traditional nature of frontier values
– The
American dream
– Happiness
and success
WEEK 2 -- Intro &
Book I; Sections I – VI (p. 1 – 23)
Did You Know?
In the
settling of frontier land, immigrant families often faced greater challenges
than U.S.-born settlers. Because many immigrants left their countries under
difficult circumstances, they often did not have a great deal of money with
which to begin their new lives. Once in the United States, some struggled with
a language barrier that made meeting people and conducting business difficult.
Many immigrants also experienced prejudice against their customs and religious
practices. Some U.S.-born settlers were resentful of having to compete with
immigrants for land or work.
Rural Nebraska
Setting,
particularly the landscape surrounding Jim’s grandparents’ farm, plays a
crucial role in the development of My
Ántonia. Cather takes great care in detailing the natural environment that
surrounds her characters. For example, to illustrate the movement of prairie
grass, she writes, “I felt motion in the landscape; in the fresh, easy-blowing
morning wind, and in the earth itself, as if the shaggy grass were a sort of loose
hide, and underneath it herds of wild buffalo were galloping, galloping. . . .” As you read,
notice how the setting reflects the characters and influences their moods.
Discussion
– Describe
Jim’s first impressions of the Nebraska
prairie. How does the prairie make him
feel?
– Contrast
the ways of life of the Burden family and the Shimerda family.
– What
is Mrs. Shimerda’s attitude towards the Burden family?
– What
clues in the writing does Cather give that this is a nostalgic novel?
– List
some specific descriptions of nature that Jim includes.
WEEK 3 -- Book I,
Sections VII – XIII (p. 24 – 47)
Discussion
– Describe
Antonia’s father’s character and his relationships in his family.
– What
is significant about the encounter with the snake?
– What
cultural differences make it difficult for the various families to understand
each other.
– What
effects does the landscape have on the characters? Give specific examples from the text.
– How
are both Jim and Antonia “immigrants?”
How are their situations similar, and how are they different?
– List
differences between the different cultures of the families in this story.
WEEK 4 -- Book I,
Sections XIV – XIX (p. 47 – 69)
Discussion
– How
would you describe the friendship of Jim and Antonia?
– Which
events did you find the most memorable?
Why?
–
Describe
Jim’s character. Describe Antonia’s
character.
– “Personification”
refers to giving human characteristics to non-human entities. Give examples of the personification of the
landscape and weather found in Book I.
– How
are differences in religion portrayed?
What are the characters’ attitudes and perspectives?
– What
differences in gender roles are expressed by the characters and by the author?
WEEK 5 -- Book II,
Sections I – VII (p. 70 – 94)
Did You Know?
In this
section, Jim’s Latin homework introduces him to the work of Virgil, a poet who
lived in ancient Rome.
Virgil wrote pastoral poems that idealize and celebrate rural environments.
Literary works that are pastoral often contrast the innocence and simplicity of
country life with the corruption of urban environments. Jim is reading Georgics, a work that deals with issues
of farming and rural life in Italy.
He finds two quotations from the selection particularly moving. As you read,
think about why Jim finds these ideas moving and why the work of Virgil is
thematically fitting for this novel.
Repetition
Though My Ántonia is a collection of memories
that do not follow a conventional plotline, Cather ties the events of the novel
together in a variety of ways. One method is her use of repetition. For
example, in this section, images of nature and farming move the narrator and
Ántonia to reflect on their pasts and repeat stories about what happened. There
is also repetition of characters that are important to the theme. As you read
this section, pay attention to how Cather reintroduces Mr. Shimerda to the
story through the characters of Jim and Ántonia. Then think about why Cather
brings Ántonia’s father back into the story.
Discussion
– In
this book, the emphasis changes from the influence and power of the land to an
increased emphasis on individuals. Name
some of the newly introduced people and discuss how the writer describes them.
– In
the town, Jim becomes “quite another boy.”
Describe how his behavior changes.
– Who
are the “hired girls”? How are they different from other people in Black Hawk?
WEEK 6 -- Book II,
Sections VIII – XV (p. 94 – 118)
Discussion
– What
happens to Jim when he spends the night at Wick Cutter’s home?
– Jim
says of the immigrant girls who work in Black Hawk, “If there were no girls
like them in the world, then there would be no poetry.” Explain his statement.
– Frances
Harling says of Jim, “the problems with you, Jim, is that you’re
romantic.” Was this meant as a
compliment or as an insult. Is it an
accurate comment?
– How
does the dancing pavilion represent differences in social and gender roles?
– How
do the characters deal with growing up and leaving childhood behind?
– Jim
and Antonia have experienced a number of changes so far in the book. List at least 6 changes for each.
WEEK 7 -- Book III,
Sections I – IV (p. 119 – 140)
Discussion
– Describe
the character of Lena Lingard. In what ways is she different from Ántonia in
terms of her values and her relationship with Jim?
– In
your opinion, why does Cather temporarily shift the focus from Ántonia and
devote a section of the novel to Lena Lingard?
– Does
Jim feel any nostalgia for his home, family, or old times once he’s at the
university? Explain.
– Does
the play, Camille, symbolize
anything? Why did Cather write this
into the novel? Explain.
WEEK 8 -- Book IV,
Sections I – IV (p. 141 – 153)
Did You Know?
My Ántonia
has been labeled by critics as both elegiac and nostalgic. An elegy is a sad
poem that laments death or loss. Nostalgia is a longing for one’s home or past.
Characters throughout the novel refer to their pasts, both to celebrate and to
express regret or resentment. Their pasts either draw them back or make them
want to move forward. For example, Jim and Ántonia are continually looking back
at their happy childhood experiences and wondering if they can ever find that
happiness again, while Lena Lingard’s unhappy memories of farming motivate her
to change her way of life completely. Ántonia clings to her Bohemian heritage,
while other immigrant workers try to adopt the language and customs of the United States.
After finishing the novel, think about whether the novel is more an elegiac or
a nostalgic literary work.
Characterization
Writers use
specific techniques to create characters. These include direct description,
showing characters’ behavior, showing how others react to characters, and
showing characters’ thoughts. Writers use these methods not only to give
readers insight into individuals, but sometimes to characterize groups of people.
In this section, Cather uses many interesting details to characterize the Cuzak
family, particularly the Cuzak children. As you read, notice Cather’s
techniques of characterization, and draw conclusions about the family.
Discussion
– When
Jim first returns to Nebraska
after being at Harvard, what does he learn about Ántonia? Why does Jim feel
bitterness when Mrs. Harling says “poor Ántonia”?
– What
is Ántonia’s response to the idea of raising her child by herself? What does
her response reveal about her character?
– Do
Lena Lingard and Tiny Soderball become successful? What does Jim think about them?
– “To
the romantic individual, a specific place becomes invested with the quality of
an emotion felt at a specific time.” How
is this statement expressed in this novel?
To whom does it apply? Give
specific examples.
– What
part does reminiscing play with Jim and Antonia? Why is it important?
WEEK 9 -- Book V;
Sections I – III (p. 154 – 175)
Discussion
– When
Jim sees Ántonia for the first time after so many years, he describes her as
“battered but not diminished.” What does he mean? How does her appearance
reflect her character and her life?
– Describe
Ántonia’s life with her family at the end of the novel. How does her family
life affect Jim?
– In
your opinion, why did Jim and Ántonia never marry? Do you believe this would
have been a logical path for their relationship? Why or why not?
– When
you reached the end of the novel, how did you feel about Ántonia and Jim?
