My Antonia

Bibliography:Cather, W. (2004 ) My Antonia. New York, NY:Simon & Schuster.

Genre:fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age:15+yrs

Reader's Annotation:In the vast Nebraskan farmland of the early 1900s, Jim and Antonia forge a friendship that lasts for the rest of their lives.

Author:Willa Cather's famous novels include My Antonia (1918) and O, Pioneers! (1913). Cather based many of her stories in Nebraska, her home for many years. Cather won the Pulitzer in 1922.

Plot Summary:Jim Burden moves to his grandparents Nebraskan farm after his parents die. Life is lonely until a Bohemian family moves to a nearby farm. Jim meets and befriends Antonia Shimerda. During that first summer, Jim teaches Antonia to speak English, and the two have many adventures together. Jim and Antonia remain friends for the rest of their lives, amidst tragedies and joys. As an adult, Jim looks back on his memories of Antonia.

Critical Evaluation:This novel fills in an interesting gap in American literature; Cather is one of the only writers to preserve the lives of the early Nebraskan settlers. My Antonia is not a fast-paced adventure story. Readers wanting that sort of tale will be quickly bored with this novel. However, it is worth some attention, especially by readers interested in the immigrant experience in the Mid-West during the early 1900s. Antonia's family, the Shimerdas, have habits and customs very different from Jim and his family. Cather clearly represents the "old world" and the "new world" coexisting. What is interesting is how the two young people (Jim and Antonia)are able to cross the boundaries of their different cultures and embrace friendship. Another element of this novel that I particularly enjoyed was Cather's imagery. She describes the rolling plains of Nebraska beautifully; it is apparent that she loved the landscapes.

Curriculum Ties:Immigration in the American Mid-West (1900s)

Book Talk Ideas:overview of the immigrant experience in the northeast (the more familiar Ellis Island story), compared with the Shimerda experience in Nebraska

Challenge Issues:racism, suicide

Why was this text included in this project?Students will come across Willa Cather's short stories in many literature anthologies, and (if they like them) they might consider one of her novels for a book report.