My Antonia Study Guide

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?