“There seemed to be nothing to see; no fences, no creeks or trees, no hills or fields. If there was a road, I could not make it out in the faint starlight. There was nothing but land: not a country at all, but the material out of which countries are made” (11).
By introducing a new environment, the author is creating a new life for Jim. After losing his parents and moving halfway across the country, he is forced to adapt to new things and grow up in a new place. This marks the ending of his childhood and starts the beginning of his early adulthood. Soon he will be forced to take on responsibilities and formulate a living, now without his parents, he must begin to do so. When he says there is no country, but just the materials for one, this can also relate to his own life, as he is not yet a man, just a young boy who is learning different skills and preparing to fit them all together to form himself into a man. The syntax of this sentence also adds to the tone of this moment, as the author’s use of a colon adds a pause, which leaves a second for questions. Rather than making the sentence continue like a coma would, the colon cuts the sentence to stop its train of thought for a moment and then further explains. Additionally, just like how Jim cannot make out the road that may or may not be there, he cannot yet make out his own path in life, as he must first think long and hard about what he wants to do. This idea of childhood and growing into an adult is similarly present in the novel The Secret Life of Bees, where the protagonist Lily has to manage without her mother and live for herself. Just how Jim had to give up his childhood eventually after losing his mother and father, so did Lily when she left for South Carolina after her mother was killed.
“Misfortune seemed to settle like an evil bird on the roof of the log house, and to flap its wings there, warning humans away” (36).
The author uses a simile to represent misfortune by comparing it to an evil bird, which warns people that tribulation is near. Furthermore, the use of an evil bird continues the motif of religion present in the novel. Throughout various scenes, there are references to the Bible, such as the connection between the prairie and the burning bush which was not consumed. In the Bible, Moses encounters the angel of God by a similar bush that burned but was again not consumed. There is also a reference to the snake that tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. On page thirty-four, Jim refers to the rattlesnake he kills as “the ancient, eldest evil.” This eldest evil is indeed the serpent that caused the first sin. By portraying the bird as evil, it relates to the idea that in the Bible, birds symbolize wicked doings and iniquity. For instance, birds who are naturally attracted to the mustard seed are called demons for feasting on the crops. The Bible states that there are beasts of the earth and birds of the air; thus, the Bible is comparing birds to beasts and implying a negative connotation to the birds of the air.
“People who don’t like this country ought to stay at home… We don’t make them come here…” (58).
Through Jim’s descriptions, it is clear that his family and the Shimerdas live very differently. Being an American family, the Burdens have so much more in relation to what the Shimerdas have. As Bohemian immigrants, the Shimerdas were primarily taken advantage of by being forced to purchase their land at an inflated price. They also cannot afford large amounts of food and have to live off leftovers which others have thrown away. Jim is guilty of having a prejudiced view towards immigrants, as he states that they should not have come in the first place because they are just making America worse. He tells Ántonia that if they do not like this country, they should have stayed back in Bohemia since all they are doing is taking his grandmother’s stuff and interfering with their lives. Throughout the novel, this difference in social status can be seen. Numerous social barriers keep immigrants from pursuing the lives they want. In the autobiography written by Richard Wright, Black Boy, Richard tells the story of how he faced racism every day as a black boy growing up in the South during the late 1800s/early 1900s. He too was forced to feed off leftovers and put his dreams on hold until he managed to make enough money to pursue them.
“Jelinek looked serious. ‘Yes, sir, that is very bad for them. Their father has done a great sin,’—he looked straight at grandfather. ‘Our Lord has said that” (66-71).
In some religions, particularly the Catholic faith which the Shimerdas practice, suicide is considered to be a sin. Adding to the religious motif, Mr. Shimerda’s suicide is frowned upon and considered very bad for the family image, since they are religious. Furthermore, he cannot be buried at a cemetery or on holy ground either. That is why Jake tells them it will take years to pray him out of Purgatory, as his death is a wrongdoing. The way the Shimerdas handle his death reveals their Catholic customs and pronounces yet another difference between their lives and society. Because their religion forbids Mr. Shimerda from being buried at a cemetery, they must battle with religion and societal pressures to decide the right course of action. This particular motif is present many times, as it continues to convey why the immigrants have such a hard time adapting. Their religious variations create a totally distinct world for them, leading others to discriminate against their traditions.
“Winter comes savagely over a little town on the prairie. The wind that sweeps in from the open country strips away all the leafy screens that hide one yard from another in the summer…” (106).
There are numerous parts of the novel where Jim’s description of the Nebraskan landscape shapes his feelings. This use of pathetic fallacy helps to express Jim’s feelings through nature. Winter represents a cold, dark, and lifeless time of the year. Therefore, loneliness and sadness are both associated with the winter season. The description of the winter portrays the harsh conditions which occur during this time of the year and cause Jim to feel cold and long for warmer, happier days. The weather changes his mood and makes him feel differently depending on the conditions. He wants spring to come, which would bring happiness and hope since spring means warmth and flowers. The author’s choice to use the landscape to convey Jim’s feelings reveals the relationship between man and the environment. Depending on the setting, the characters, especially Jim, feel differently. The sunshine and flowers make him cheerful, while the cold winter makes him sullen. His strong attachment to his surroundings shows how important the land is too him and all that it has done for him. It makes you wonder how it would be like to live in such an area, rather than in a busy urban area. How much the land could do for you if people cared enough for it like they used to.
“Yet people saw no difference between her and the three Marys; they were all Bohemians, all ‘hired girls” (122).
Despite being their own, individual people, the “hired girls” are all seen as being the same. Since they are all Bohemian immigrants, they are put under the same category and given no extra thought as to who is who. Their social status is presumably lower since they are immigrant girls who must work for wealthy merchant families to make money for themselves. Because of this, they are not treated properly and taken advantage of. On page one-hundred twenty-five, Harry Paine walks Ántonia home and although he is set to get married, kisses her despite her protests. This reveals that the young men see these girls as objects they can just take advantage of since they are all “the same.” These higher class boys see these girls as being perfectly good for using for pleasure; however, not good enough to marry. Had the roles been reversed, and Ántonia walked Harry home and then kissed him, he would have made a scene and accused her of cheating. Harry would have his whole family shun her due to her impulsive kiss. Since she is of a lower class, she would automatically be the victim of ridicule. Similarly, people today who are of the lower classes are usually blamed for crimes and stereotyped as being violent. The wealthy are always considered more trustworthy and still get away with things for which they are to blame. This issue of class occurs continuously in the novel and it is evident that immigrants are not equal.
“Her warm, sweet face, her kind arms, and the true heart in her; she was, oh, she was still my Ántonia!” (135).
The author’s choice to title the novel My Ántonia is a way to reveal that Jim is writing this memoir as a tribute to her. While my implies ownership, he is much rather attempting to show importance. The author’s diction shows that Ántonia is dear to Jim, and she has left more of an impact than she will ever know on him. Instead of just saying Ántonia, my Ántonia showcases their connection and how the story is not just about him, but everything about him that happened due to her. The use of my allows the memoir to be about their childhood, not just Jim’s. It centers the entire novel around Ántonia, as everything is a direct effect of her impact on Jim. Furthermore, Mr. Shimerda used to call her my Ántonia, as well, which once again proves how much she meant to him.
“Just as the lower edge of the red disc rested on the high fields against the horizon, a great black figure suddenly appeared on the face of the sun. We sprang to our feet, straining our eyes toward it. In a moment we realized what it was. On some upland farm, a plough had been left standing in the field…” (146-147).
The “red disc” which rests on the fields against the horizon is the sun, while the black figure is a plough which has been left there. This is what forms the image they say is “black against molten red.” Through this description of the Nebraskan landscape, the author is able to create a vivid image and make the reader see exactly what the characters are seeing. This scene captures a nice, quiet moment the characters are having, just how the sunset is a calm occurrence. Once again, the strong connection the characters have with their landscape is evoked. The plough is also used as a symbol, as the plough is used for farming and can represent human intentions. The man-made plough is “exactly contained within the circle of the disc…” (147). This symbolizes nature and man coexisting peacefully and proves that man and the natural world can be harmonious. However, later, when the sun sets, the fields grow dark and the small plough becomes unrecognizable, showing that nature will always be strong than human creation. This is true, as hurricanes are more than capable of causing damage, tsunamis take thousands of lives, and tornadoes destroy hundreds of homes.
“I felt the old pull of the earth, the solemn magic that comes out of those fields at nightfall. I wished I could be a little boy again, and that my way could end there” (192).
The tone of the novel remains nostalgic throughout each chapter and every different book. All the characters look back on their pasts and reminisce about the fun moments they had together. Jim and Ántonia recall early days on the farm, while Ántonia also remembers her days living in Bohemia. They both long to go back, but they know that they cannot and must keep moving forward. This constant reflection in the memoir causes a bittersweet tone and makes the reader feel nostalgic, as well. It makes me rethink the times I spent playing as a child with my best friend and the days when I had no idea what stress or responsibility was. The tone in a way leads to a theme, which is to embrace the moment you are in because you will never get it back. Although it is cliché, you have to make the most of the present because soon it will be the past. A theme very similar to this one is present in the novel, The Fault In Our Stars, where Hazel and Augustus are both battling cancer. They realize they will not be able to be together forever and begin to cherish every moment and soak in the present rather than living in the past or worrying about the future.
“This was the road over which Antonia and I came on that night when we got off the train at Black Hawk… Now I understood that the same road was to bring us together again. Whatever we had missed, we possessed together the precious, the incommunicable past” (222).
The ending of the novel truly ties together all previous literary elements. Jim ends his memoir by looking back on his past and recalling childhood memories with Ántonia. This completes the novel with the same nostalgic tone used prior to the ending on many occasions. The fact that Jim did not ask to marry Ántonia, but instead moved to New York City to pursue his career puts the aspect of social status into play once again. Although he did like her, he would have rather gotten a well-paying job and he knew marrying an immigrant would cause lots of judging. For this reason, he could not have married her, as they were socially on different levels. The ending also once again reveals the impact Ántonia has had on Jim. Moreover, he proves that she has left a large mark on his life and that this memoir was about them, not just him. The fact that Jim has decided to revisit Ántonia and see her in person, rather than just as an image in his mind shows that the bond they had was strong enough to bring him back to visit. There is also a slight bit of irony in the last line of the memoir. Jim ends by saying “the incommunicable past” but the whole point of writing this memoir was to communicate his past with Ántonia. Either he is unsatisfied with his recollection, or he is attempting to say that no one could truly understand what happened in their pasts.
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