Analysis Of The BookO Pioneers, By Willa Cather

O Pioneers by Willa Cather sets itself apart from other novels of its time because of what its stands for, feminism. It exemplifies women’s equality, represented by the main character, Alexandra, by showing her survival in a male dominated society. She succeeded in building her female identity and achieved a sense of female attainment by revolutionizing the wild land and struggling for her equal rights with all that surrounded her. This paper focuses on the feminist thoughts and the positive attitude of the image of the strong character Alexandra, who was independent, brave, and optimistic. A spirit like hers, of strength and courage, insisted that she would never be defeated by man or nature.

The setting of the story has tremendous impact on the characters and themes in the novel "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. Cather's delicately crafted naturalistic style is evident not only in her colorfully detailed depictions of the Nebraska frontier, but also in her characters’ relationship with the land on which they live. The common naturalist theme of man being controlled by nature appears many times throughout the novel, particularly in the chapters containing the first winter.

Willa Cather, a nineteenth century American female writer, used her childhood experiences growing up on the great plains of Nebraska to write about a woman named Alexandra Bergson and her struggles on her family’s farm on the Nebraskan frontier in the book, O Pioneers! (“Willa Sibert Cather”). The narrator follows Alexandra throughout her life, and shows how she became successful while overcoming the patriarchy. Conversely, Cather also wrote about a young, confused girl named Marie Tovesky, who found herself in a crumbling relationship, not sure if she loved the man she married, or Alexandra’s sibling Emil. Her story both regales the reader with a tragedy, but also shows how others treated and oppressed women during that time. Cather’s O Pioneers! tells the tales of two women who find themselves on varying levels of society, and uses their stories to address feminism.

In “The Luck of Roaring Camp” by Bret Harte, nature is seemingly created into its own character. Nature has the haunting role of being the giver and taker of life in this story. The forces of nature bring the men of the camp the blessing of a small child. Through this child the men are given life and see the beauty of nature around them. However, nature will ultimately strip the men of both of these things. Harte shows us that nature is the culprit that brings both beauty and pain.

During the nineteenth century America’s population saw its largest increase, in which mass immigration occurred. This saw an increase in culture and racial differences as movement was commonly based on those wanting to move away from war, starvation or other forms of oppression. It is how writers of the nineteenth century presented the ‘objective history through literature and turned it instead to the business of myth-making’ (Wardrop, 1997, p. P2) which is an interest of mine. My aim is to focus on the emergence and portrayal of women in sentimental fiction during the nineteenth century, through Coopers novel The Last of the Mochicans (Cooper, 1826) and Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Stowe, 1999). The framework of my discussion will be

The novel Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick has a long list of things to teach us about the New World. The fact that it’s showed us that the very first pilgrims had no idea what they were in for was crucial. They were hit with the realization that the Natives would be wild and ferocious instead of calm and tame. They’d known they would be introduced to new ways of life, and disease, but they didn’t suspect that it’d be the most destructive part to the goodwill of the newly born colony.

As hardworking women living of the prairie, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters can relate to Mrs. Wright’s situation. They know personally that long days of doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning can become very tiresome (Hedges 91). They realize that living on the prairie can force a woman to be confined to her own house for weeks at a time, and because Mrs. Wright never had children, the grueling loneliness that she suffered must have been excruciating. Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters both experience the constant patronization and sexual discrimination that most women in the early twentieth century lived with. They empathize with the difficulties of Mrs. Wright’s life and almost immediately a bond is formed with a woman they do not even know.

In author Cristina Henriquez’s novel The Book of Unknown Americans, the characterization of Alma Rivera is used to convey how grief and misery is magnified when all that a person had ever known has been taken away for some reason out of their control; it is only when they learn to give up control and forgive themselves, that they overcome the feelings of grief and guilt.

Oppression has been a problem in this country, dating all the way back to the Europeans traveling to the New World, and forcing themselves on the Native’s and famously the British oppression of the thirteen colonies. Oppression is still a serious problem today, with almost all minorities, such as women, African-Americans, and the LGBT community feeling it’s pressure. Although these groups have gained seen many changes in their freedom, they are still being oppressed. Oppression is a common theme throughout American Literature, weaving in and out of many that are seen as classic American novels and poetry. Some of these books include Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the poetry of Langston Hughes, Richard Wright’s Native Son and Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon. The form of oppression that is evident throughout all these works, is racial oppression, and narrowing it down even further, the oppression of African Americans.

O Pioneers!(1993) by Willa Cather begins on a blustery winter day, in the town of Hanover, Nebraska, sometime between 1883 and 1890. The narrator introduces four main character: the very young Emil Bergson; his older sister, Alexandra; her friend Carl Linstrum; and a little girl, Marie Shabata. Alexandra's father, John Bergson, is dying. He tells his two oldest sons, Lou and Oscar, that he is leaving the farmland, and all of what he has accomplished, to their sister.

Cather begins her support of Alexandra?s character when the father, John Bergson, surpasses his two older sons to give the land to Alexandra. Although he wants to follow in tradition, he knows that Alexandra is devoted to keeping the family land that he has strived so hard to build and keep within the family. Three years after John?s death Alexandra?s tensions with her family begin. The Divide suffers a drought that drives several families from their land. Lou and Oscar fail to remember their father?s dreams and instigate for Alexandra to sell the land and move on, but she doesn?t.

The title of Philip Roth’s novel, Goodbye, Columbus, is symbolic of the journey one must take to define one’s individuality or discover one’s life purpose. Superficially, the title is a reference to the ending lyrics of Ron’s senior yearbook album as well as the physical location of Ohio State University in which Ron Patimkin graduated from. With closer analysis, it becomes evident that the title extends to a much deeper meaning of the overall theme of self-examination and self-identity for the protagonist, Neil Klugman. The title, Goodbye, Columbus, primarily acts as an essential metaphor between the expedition Christopher Columbus takes in search of a westward route to India and the life journey Neil embarks upon to discover his identity both in terms of his socioeconomic status and Jewish heritage. The title both clarifies and foreshadows the fate Neil ultimately realizes as he pursues a relationship with Brenda Patimkin.

  'For the first time, perhaps, since that land emerged from the waters of the geologic ages, a human face was set toward it with love and yearning'

In her novel, O Pioneers!, Willa Cather suggests that the balance of passionate feelings and platonic dreams is an essential conflict of the human condition. Cather explores the importance of a balanced selfhood through the journey of the heroine, Alexandra Bergson, a dedicated pioneer living on the Nebraska prairie in the late nineteenth century. Although Alexandra initially feels fulfilled by her platonic dream of working the land to provide for her family, following the tragic death of her brother, she craves a human relationship with her friend, Carl. Alexandra’s deep appreciation and connection with the mythical Divide offers her a metaphysical and passionate relationship, whereas her long term platonic friendship with Carl offers human

A farmer rolls out of bed before the sun rises just to feed the yearning, greedy fat steers. Then later takes a few rounds in the field to finish harvesting the corn crop for the year. The picture of the farmer that comes to most minds is an older male in overalls. Men are always looked to be the farmers while women are to take care of the house and kids. This was true years ago, but now it’s completely false. Women now are working hard as ever to contribute to the farming community. These females have to change adversity into strength while still trying to make it into the world of agriculture.