I was born in Nebraska, and lived there until I was 21 years old. It’s always annoyed me to hear Coloradans complain about how ugly the drive on I-80 is through Nebraska. I’ve always thought two things: first, yeah, and I-76 in Colorado is so darn beautiful (picture my eyes rolling); and second, you are driving along an interstate highway which is almost never pretty.
I grew up in a medium-sized town of 10,000 people in the middle of Nebraska farmland. While I didn’t live on a farm, it is hard to not have farming be part of your life if you live in Nebraska, whether you live in Omaha or Wilber, NE. You hear farm reports on TV and radio, there are farm implement stores everywhere, if you drive on a blue highway, you are liable to get stuck behind a tractor, and weather reports are the main topic of conversation (“will it rain,” “will it ever stop raining,” “think it will stay dry long enough to get the corn in?”
Willa Cather’s Nebraska is beautiful. Her lyrical descriptions made me think about the loveliness of rolling fields of corn and wheat, and how pretty the trees are alongside the Platte River, which runs through most of the state.
For example: “July came on with that breathless, brilliant heat which makes the plains of Kansas and Nebraska the best corn country in the world. It seemed as if we could hear the corn growing in the night; under the stars one caught a faint crackling in the dewy, heavy-odoured cornfields where the feathered stalks stood so juicy and green.”
Or, “There were none of the signs of spring for which I used to watch in Virginia, …. There was only spring itself; the throb of it, the light restlessness, the vital essence of it everywhere: in the sky, in the swift clouds, in the pale sunshine, and in the warm, high wind – rising suddenly, sinking suddenly, impulsive and playful like a big puppy that pawed you and then lay down to be petted. If I had been tossed down blindfold on that red prairie, I should have known that it was spring.”
Wow.
Cather’s characters were alive and interesting. How could you help but not love Jim, so innocent and naive, and his grandmother and grandfather, so wise and so loving. Wouldn’t you want to be part of the evening gatherings at the Harling’s home, where they sang and played games? All of these folks were honest, down-to-earth Nebraska farmers, maybe not worldly, but good and kind.
And then there was, of course, Antonia. I don’t think there is a character in any other book that I love more than Antonia. I loved her as a child, having to take on so much responsibility because her parents really didn’t or wouldn’t. I loved her as a hard-working farm girl after her father died. I even continued to love her as she spread her wings a bit after coming to work in town. Who wouldn’t have wanted to dance a bit after such a difficult life?
But I think I liked her best in the last book, Cuzak’s Boys. She had so clearly found peace in her world, which would probably drive us insane. She had molded all of those children into wonderful people. And she loved her simple husband and her difficult and simple life. And throughout all of those years, she had loved Jim Burden in a way that wasn’t jealous or resentful. And furthermore, he loved her back. What a fine and beautiful friendship.
A couple of things made me sad. I was sad that it seems that Jim never married. I didn’t really get the impression from Cather that he didn’t marry because he was pining for Antonia. I think he was just so intent on his intellectual life that he didn’t find a life companion. Perhaps he was happy that way, but he so loved being around family that I couldn’t help but feel sad for him.
The other thing that made me sad was when Jim and his grandparents moved to town, and Otto and Jake didn’t go with them. Jim tells us, “Months afterward we got a card from Otto, saying that Jake had been down with mountain fever, but now they were both working in the Yankee Girl Mine, and were doing well. I wrote to them at that address, but my letter was returned to me, ‘Unclaimed.’ After that we never heard from them.”
One other thing: Cather tells us that Mr. Harling was a grain merchant and cattle-buyer. She says, “He controlled a line of grain elevators in the little towns along the railroad to the west of us, and was away from home a great deal.” I’m sure my sisters will agree that she could be talking about the stretch of Highway 30 between Grand Island and Columbus.
I can't help myself. I give it a 10 out of 10.
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I must admit that I enjoyed My Antonia much more than I expected to. I did have to readjust my thinking, however, because it became apparent early on that there wasn’t going to be much (as my students used to say) action in the book. It is definitely a study in character and setting. In fact, the setting really is a character.
ReplyDeleteLike Kris, I was brought back to my growing up in Nebraska. In many ways, not much changed between the period Cather was writing about and the 50s and 60s when I lived there. The weather is ever-present as a concern. It’s blazing hot and humid in the summer, bitter cold in the winter. Because it’s a state that depends on farming, the weather matters, and, as in the book, farmers—and thus everyone—are very attentive to weather changes. (As an adult who hasn’t lived in Nebraska for many, many years, I still know the weather forecast not only for where I live but for where my siblings and my friends live.)
In the novel, the setting isn’t just a backdrop; it informs much of the characters’ actions. Some of them found the setting to be a comfort, and others couldn’t wait to get off the farm and into town. That resonated with me, as well. When I left Nebraska for good, I was very aware that there were many family members who would never understand how I could not stay in the place they loved so much.
The characters reminded me that there are, without doubt, traits that are pretty common to Midwesterners. We are a tough lot! We are also, I think, practical and hard-working. That was certainly the case with the people in My Antonia. There wasn’t much complaining about their situations. They either dealt with it or moved on. They accepted the hardships with grace.
I appreciated that we got to follow Antonia though her life. It was not without struggles, but, in the end, she seems satisfied and fulfilled. It reminded me that, as Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Antonia didn’t have an easy life, but she found love and contentment—because she looked for it.
I enjoyed reading this, and I would give it a 8 out of 10.
Kris said this is her favorite book of all times. The death of Nelson Mandela has gotten me thinking about my favorite, which I taught for very many years, Cry, the Beloved Country, which is set in pre-Apartheid South Africa. If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend it. It, like My Antonia, is populated with characters who remind us that, even in the midst of hardship, there are many good people in this world.
I enjoyed this book very much as well. It really did make me nostalgic for NE. As an adult I find that area much more beauitful than I did when growing up there.
DeleteI did love the characters. Jim, his grandparents, Otto and Jake and of course Antonia. But oh my, I thought her mother was a challenging character. As I read thru the book and her mother would strike me as a not nice person, I kept telling myself that she had a hard life. But when she tried to hide the cow from Jim and his grandfather it became clear to me that she was simply not a nice person. Jim's grandparents were so very kind.
I was captivated by the first book and that was my favorite part. I loved the story about the encounter with the snake. And the blizzard. Life during that time on the prairie was so quiet I can't quite wrap my mind around living thru those simple times. Hard work yes, but so little to stimulate one's mind. The book portrayed the family as peaceful and content with life. I actually felt disappointed when they moved into town. I was enjoying the peace and quiet!
In the second book I enjoyed the character of Frances. We had a career woman that wasn't a prostitue on the prairie! I enjoyed her friendship with Jim. The entire Harling family was fun to spend time with. Mr. Harling was ahead of his time with his alcohol lamp (not sure what that is) and french cofee pot in his bedroom!
The author really never lead us to believe that Antonia and Jim would be romantic with one another. And yet as time went on and he was not married I wondered if it might happen. But I thought the final part of the book was just right and showed what a genuine friendship and love Jim and Antonia had for one another. I loved that in the end he was going to become friends and spend time with Antonia's sons.
I found Cather's writing to be beautiful. I enjoyed the book so much I've bought it as a Christmas gift for a friend of mine that grew up in Strasburgh NE, very near Columbus. She grew up on a farm and speaks fondly of life then. She will love this trip back in time that the book will take her on.
I had another thought/reaction to this story. I have always told myself I would have loved to live on the prairie during the time that the west was being settled, I always thought I would enjoy cooking on a wood stove and "putting up" fruits and vegetables every fall, and so forth. The book reminded me that there was absolutely nothing romantic about being a settler. It was hard work. It's hard to say how I would have responded since it is such a different place and time from my actual life. Still, I suspect I wouldn't have had so much joy as Antonia.
ReplyDeleteHappy dance! Character, character, character! What a great book to cozy up with on a winter evening. My Antonia reminded me of the stories my uncle told me about his boyhood in rural, upstate NY. He would have liked this book. I think growing up in a rural area helps to relate to parts of the story. Otherwise, it might seem like the people are too simple.
ReplyDeleteWhat I appreciated most about Cather's writing was her ability to describe the scenes. I appreciated this less during the bride gets eaten by the wolves scene, but generally I loved the descriptions.
Like Kris, I liked Cuzak's Boys best. I laughed out loud when Antonia thought Jim was there because someone died. Sounds like my family.