Common questions

What is the theme of My Antonia by Willa Cather?

What is the theme of My Antonia by Willa Cather?

Although there are many themes to teach from My Antonia, this guide will focus on nostalgia, perspective, Manifest Destiny, and the undertone of religion. When teaching about America’s great expansion westward and the taming of the land, teachers may want to combine textbook work with a novel such as My Antonia.

What is the symbolism of my Antonia by Willa Cather?

Cather includes various uses of natural as well as practical symbolism throughout the book. The image of the plow magnified against the sun at the end of Book II and on the cover symbolizes cultivation and civilization — the ultimate domination of the uncultivated land through the toil of people like Ántonia and her husband.

Why is my before Antonia a romantic novel?

Jim’s romantic disposition suggests that, instead of being a strictly objective narrative, this novel will be colored by the narrator’s emotions, by his sometimes fanciful interpretations of events. This quality is reinforced when Jim rashly affixes the word My before Ántonia on his manuscript, making it a personal story, his story, about Ántonia.

What to look for in the introduction to my Antonia?

This introduction gives many clues as to what we should look for as we read this novel. The rich descriptions of the prairie suggest that the land will play a major role in the story. Jim’s unexciting marriage, how he has been disappointed in life, and his fixation on Ántonia suggest that he was happier as a child than he is now.

Why was Jim fixated on Antonia as a child?

Jim’s unexciting marriage, how he has been disappointed in life, and his fixation on Ántonia suggest that he was happier as a child than he is now. In this context, note the inscription by Virgil that Cather uses as a preface: ” Optima dies . . . prima fugit ,” meaning, “The best days . . . flee first.”

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