My Ántonia
(Book)

My Ántonia (pronounced with the accent on the first syllable of "Ántonia"),[1] first published 1918, is considered one of the greatest novels by American writer Willa Cather. It is the final book of her "prairie trilogy" of novels, the companion volumes being O Pioneers! and The Song of the Lark. The book's narrator, Jim Burden, arrives in the fictional town of Black Hawk, Nebraska, on the same train as the Shimerdas, when he goes to live with his grandparents after his parents have died. Jim develops strong feelings for Ántonia, something between a crush and a filial bond, and the reader views Ántonia's life, including its attendant struggles and triumphs, through that lens. The novel is divided into five books, some of which incorporate short stories Cather had previously written, based on her own life growing up on the Nebraska prairies. The volumes correspond roughly to the stages of Ántonia's life up through her marriage and motherhood, although the third volume, "Lena Lingard," focuses more on Jim's time in college and his affair with Lena, another childhood friend of his, who is also Ántonia's friend. The five books, in order, 1.The Shimerdas - the longest book within the novel. It covers Jim's early years spent on his grandparents' farm, out on the prairie. 2.The Hired Girls - the second longest section of the novel. It covers Jim's time in town, when he spends time with Ántonia and the other country girls who work in town. Language, particularly descriptions, begin to become more sexualized, particularly concerning Ántonia and Lena. 3.Lena Lingard - this chronicles Jim's time at the university, and the period in which he becomes reacquainted with Lena Lingard. 4.The Pioneer Woman's Story - Jim visits the Harlings and hears about Ántonia's fateful romance with Larry Donovan. This is the shortest book. 5.Cuzak's Boys - Jim goes to visit Ántonia and meets her new family, her children and husband. [edit] SummaryÁntonia Shimerda is a bold and free-hearted young Bohemian girl with whom Jim Burden develops a strong friendship. She is four years older than Jim, and embodies the spirit of the prairie. Her family comes to Black Hawk, Nebraska, from Bohemia, and not long after, her father, during the first hard Nebraskan winter conflicts with the seller of the house, Krajiek, presumedly shoots himself in the family's barn. At the beginning of the second book, The Hired Girls, Jim moves with his grandparents to town, who encourage their neighbors, the Harling family, to take Ántonia on as a maid. Jim befriends the other hired girls, including the beautiful Lena Lingard. A group of dance teachers comes to town, and begins a dance craze. Jim, four years younger than Ántonia, becomes romantically interested in her, only to realize that she still considers him a child. Lena Lingard toys somewhat with the young man's emotions, but Ántonia, to protect Jim's feelings, ultimately prevents any relationship from occurring. Jim eventually goes away to college, and largely forgets his past in Black Hawk. Years later he meets Lena Lingard again, now a successful dressmaker. They are involved "romantically" for a time, but Jim's mentor notes the detrimental impact it is having on Jim's studies and offers him the opportunity to study instead at Harvard Law School in Boston. Jim ultimately returns to Black Hawk after some 20 years, and visits Ántonia. She is now married with 10 children, and Jim finds himself affectionate toward the whole family. The closing lines of the book communicate Jim's feelings that whatever he felt that he and Ántonia had missed, "we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past."

20001107.

2020 PISD Summer Reading List