Theme Of My Antonia

Words: 956
Pages: 4
Open Document
My Antonia by Willa Cather is a novel about America's expnasion towards the west. The novel focuses on the immagrants journey. When the novel starts Jim Burden is moving to his grandparents farm because his parents are now dead. He is only ten years old. He is traveling by train where he meets a Bohemian family who happens to be going to the same place as him. The Bohemian family can barely speak English. Jim grandparents are very kind people and Jim enjoys being there. He also enjoys natuure. The Burdens soon go to meet their neighbors who are the Bohemians. They are the Shimerdas. The Shimerdas were taken advantage of by the only other Bohemian there. They were forced to pay too much for their farm. Mr. Shimerda is an educated musician. …show more content…
My Antonia is filled with many different themes. One of the main themes is a change and transformation. Throughout the novel there is a numerous amount of change and transformation. The Bohemians and other immagrants coming to America, as well as Jim moving to Nebreska signifies change. Another theme is the immagrant expirence. In 1862 the government wanted people to move to Nebreska. The government created something called the Homestead Act where it said that any person who was a US citizen or had intentions to become a citizen could claim one hundred and sixty acres of government land. The act reeled in many immagrants like the Shimerdas who had high hopes of farming the land. Some immagrants just decided to move west. The immgrants all came in search of a better lfe but instead had to face poverty and other hardships. Another theme is gender roles. In the 19th century gender roles were pretty defined. Everyone knew that men were supposed to be the workers and provide for the family. Women were supposed to be house wives where the cooked, cleaned, and took care of the children. When Jim was a child he looked up to that and looked forward to being a working man. Antonia went against the typical gender role when she decided that she wanted to work on the farm after her father's
Show More

Related Documents: Theme Of My Antonia

Essay Bohemian Girl Named Antonia Shimerda

My Antonia is a book about a young Bohemian girl named Antonia Shimerda, and a young man named Jim Burden. Instead of talking about the present the author begins in the past while Jim and Antonia are adolescents. At the age of 10 Jim’s parents past away and is sent to live with his grandparents in Nebraska. When Jim meets his grandparents his way of life changes from the life in Virginia to The Wild West. As the days progress Jim is acquainted with young Antonia from giving her immigrated family…

Words 371 - Pages 2

My Antonia Character Analysis

My Ántonia: Living Life Tenaciously In Willa Cather’s My Ántonia, tenacity is an integral part of living and learning in one’s life--something every young person could learn from. It is an important balance of hard work and learning from past experiences. Throughout the book, the characters grow and learn from their various life experiences. One strong theme throughout the story is opportunity. Jim and Ántonia are presented with various opportunities and, they must learn how to choose and how to…

Words 703 - Pages 3

Jim In My Antonia

At the end of book one section three of “My Antonia” by Willa Cather, Antonia’s father begs Jim to teach antonia. Although jim does teach antonia many things, it is Jim that learns the most throughout their relationship. Jim learns patience while teaching Antonia to speak English. In the book jim states “... I had no idea what she wanted...she pointed to her own eyes and shook her head, then to mine and to the sky”. Teaching a person a language is not an easy task, and often times things can be…

Words 695 - Pages 3

Figurative Language In My Antonia

TITLE: My Ántonia PUBLICATION DATE: 1918 The title itself is a possessive noun referring to the fact that Ántonia belongs to Jim, or more reasonable, belongs to his heart. The title includes Ántonia’s name and not Jim’s because even though the story is told by Jim, Ántonia is a character that greatly influences Jim throughout his life. AUTHOR: Willa Cather NATIONALITY: American Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873 in Gore, Virginia and died on April 24, 1947 in New York. Her family…

Words 2098 - Pages 9

My Antoniaa Essay Topics

My Antonia Composition Name _________________________________ Outline Guide Date __________________________________ English 9 Class __________________________________ *DUE 11/12 (2nd) or 11/13 (4th, 5th, 7th), by 9 AM, via TurnItIn.com! (50 POINTS) *Ultimately, this composition will need to be in the 2.5-3.5 page range in proper MLA format. Don’t forget to integrate quotations! Think about this to potentially structure your essay. Remember, this is simply an outline…

Words 549 - Pages 3

What History Means To Me

Antonia Mattiaccio Essay 1: History 9/18/12 History can be described as complex and very repetitive. It can be perceived by people in infinite ways. I personally feel the former adjectives describe history extremely well. Other words that describe history are violent, eventful, boring, interesting, fun, and unpredictable. Throughout this essay I will explain my particular opinions and thoughts on what history means to me and why history is important…

Words 421 - Pages 2

Vietnam: The Merchant of Venice and Audience Essay

Portia, creates suspense in the play, which benefits the audience as they feel more engaged and thrilled about the outcome of the scene. Suspense is also used in act 4 scene 1 or otherwise known as the court scene, where Shylock’s agreement with Antonia about the pound of flesh is finally concluded. The scene on the whole is extremely prolonged, and this makes the audience almost “on the edge of their feet” about wanting to know what happens to Antonio, with his life at stake. Suspense on the whole…

Words 1588 - Pages 7

Writers Style Reading Response Essay

Reading Response Perks of Being a Wallflower Antonia Vergara 4) Describe the Writers Style Stephen Chbosky, the author of Perks of Being a Wallflower, has a very distinct writing style. The book is written in a series of letter to a stranger from a boy named Charlie. Each letter starts off with Charlie writing the date and “Dear Friend.” Charlie is perceived as a very awkward fifteen year old who is struggling to be normal throughout his first year of high school. Because the entire book is written…

Words 1460 - Pages 6

National Security Advisor Essay

In the midst of segregation of blacks and whites, electing an african american woman would be past impossible. Condoleezza Rice, who grew up in the exceedingly racist town of Birmingham, proved this stereotype wrong as told in the biography Condi, written by Antonia Felix. Because this novel’s theme focuses on the importance of faith, family and hard work, the author’s tone remains genuinely sincere throughout the text. Former secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice served as an excellent example, influence and role model to those who looked up to her…

Words 1551 - Pages 7

Producing For The Entertainment Industry

third-generation Oscar winner. And in 2004 she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2006 her third film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was and adaptation from the biography of Marie Antoinette written by Antonia Fraser. The film featured Kirsten Dunst who played Marie Antoinette and Jason Schwartzman as King Louis XVI. Even though it earned positive reviews, it failed to catch on with the audiences. However it was nominated for an Academy Award for Outstanding…

Words 2148 - Pages 9