|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
“There was nothing but land: not a country at all but the material out of which
countries are made…” (7). Throughout My Antonia, written by Willa Cather, Jim Burden, describes the rich land in which he settles as that of beauty and harmony. ... Their development, which takes place on the vast prairies of the Nebraska countryside, is shaped by the land that they have grown to love and cherish. ... The landscape also functions as an instrument of power, a force so strong it could convince even the strongest man to take his own life: “I knew it was homesickness that killed Mr. ... The land, which represents such great things in Jim’s mind, ultimately led to the death of
Antonia’s father. ...
In an effort to depict the relationship each character has with the land, Cather uses descriptions of the settings as a representation of the characters’ moods. ... Jim is a man who makes no effort to hide his emotions. ... Their experiences with each other and the land that they inhabit help shape this bond between the two. ...
The difference between Antonia and Jim is that Jim stands back and observes the beauty and harmony in the land, while Antonia actually spends all her time trying to cultivate it. ... Antonia views the land as a ways of providing for her family and providing for her children. Jim holds an opposite view as he sees the land mainly as a sense of progress. He thinks of ways to use the prairie land to build railroads and large buildings. Jim is a character of contradiction because he develops a great affinity for the land, yet ultimately wants to carve its heart out by building railroads. ... Whereas Jim’s severe romanticism proves to be an obstacle to his maturation in his early life, his nostalgia for the Nebraska prairies makes him appreciate the love that he had not only for the land in which he settled, but for the woman that captures his heart:
I took her hands and held them against my breast, feeling once more how strong and warm and good they were…I held them now a long while, over my heart.
Approximate Word count = 1919
Approximate Pages = 7.7
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|