womens fiction

From all outward appearances, the book My Antonia is about two children of different socioeconomic backgrounds growing up as friends on the plains of the Midwestern U.S. in the late 1800's. In reality, the book is about so much more! My Antonia draws the reader deeply into the lives of child immigrant Antonia Shimerda, and her orphaned friend Jim Burden, the main characters. Beginning with their childhood, Cather shows how different Jim and Antonia's morals and values are because of their socioeconomic backgrounds, but also how similar the two are in terms of their desire for success and prosperity. Both dream of future happiness, but Antonia is driven by a "hard work pays off" attitude while Jim believes that success is best achieved through education. As the children grow into adulthood they develop a silent but powerful love for one another and learn to respect each other's differences, yet these very differences, as well as societal ideals drive them apart and propel their lives in different directions.
My Antonia is a moving and powerful book about love denied, success without happiness, and happiness without success.

No, this is not an 'action-packed' novel to astound readers, but it offers an intelligent look at the strength and vision of a pioneer women and the friendship of two, culturally and socially opposites. The characters in the novel are described in great detail; their personalities were fashioned such a way that the reader receives a true sense of each character. The book was published at a time when women characters were expected to find happiness only in love or marriage. 'My Antonia' gives us a forceful heroine who is independent and strong of mind and body. The use of plot, characters, setting, and perspective open readers eyes to a period in time that most people today can't imagine. The novel invites readers to feel the pain, hardships, joy, and satisfaction of the frontier characters. In 'My Antonia,' Cather successfully develops believable characters and an intriguing story of prairie life. While your reading this novel, look for the theme of friendship. This significant theme can bring your comprehension a little deeper. Willa Cather develops the friendship beautifully throughout the book. Jim and Antonia symbolize what every friendship should include. I believe my thoughts about the book are changed when Jim Burden returns and finally reveals the hidden emotions that he had for Antonia. I had to read this book for English class and ended up enjoying it. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a great book that isn't hard to understand. As an English student, I was sick of reading difficult books. My Antonia can be enjoyed on many levels.

I first read this book when I was in junior high school. I admit that, at the time, I did not appreciate the strengths of the book and the quality of its writing. I am quite glad that I decided to give it another chance, as I now understand why it is considered to be a classic in literature. It is simply a beautifully written book, covering many of the themes that one stumbles across in life and coalescing them into a work of extraordinary breadth.

The book is the story of two young people, Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda. They meet for the first time when Jim is ten years old and Antonia is fourteen. Recently orphaned, Jim has moved to the Great Prairie to live with his grandparents in Nebraska. Antonia, on the other hand, has been wrenched from her homeland in Bohemia, emigrating with her parents to the United States and finding herself in Nebraska. Jim and Antonia's chance encounter on a train sets the stage for the forging of a friendship and unconditional love that time will not diminish.

The book relates the harshness of immigrant life through the eyes of Jim, who narrates the events contained in the book. There is a relentless stoicism about the book, which is written in spare, clear prose. With intense imagery and descriptive exactitude, late nineteenth century Nebraska comes to life. It also relates the paths that each of the characters choose to follow, as well as the vicissitudes of life that mold and shape them in ways that no one would have imagined.

The focus of the book, which is also a coming of age tale, seems to be on the female characters and their strengths. Consequently, the book has a faintly feminist undercurrent to it, as all the women in it seem to be survivors, despite the hardships that they encounter. This is, without a doubt, a life affirming book, wrought with great feeling and a decided sense of time and place. Yet, despite its poignancy, the book is surprisingly unsentimental and straightforward. It is a testament to the author's literary talent that this book has emerged as a timeless classic. Bravo!