My Antonia, by Willa Cather is the story of a young pioneer woman of Bohemian migrants. The book takes its readers through her life of hardship, love, and courage. Through one girl's life, My Antonia shares the trials, strength, and perseverance of the early pioneers of America.
Chapter one starts out with the flashback of a young orphan boy moving to his grandparents' farm in Nebraska. The young boy, who narrates the story, is called Jimmy. He travels from Virginia to Nebraska with another farm hand and companion, Jake. As they travel along, Jimmy explains that both of them were excited and prepared for the adventure ahead. However, he describes the journey as an uncomfortable ride. "I tried to go to sleep, but the jolting made me bite my tongue, and I soon began to ache all over. When the straw settled down, I had a hard bed." Yet ironically, with all his trouble in moving from Virginia to Nebraska, he does not feel homesick. In fact, he is the opposite. "I don't think I was homesick. If we never arrived anywhere, it did not matter. Between that earth and that sky I felt erased, blotted out. I did not say my prayers that night: here, I felt, what would be would be."
Even though the first chapter of the first part is short and does not describe Jimmy in hardly any detail, the reader can get a feeling of who he is through his thoughts. Jimmy seems to be a thoughtful and quiet boy with spirit and a little curiosity. He is also very imaginative, and he loves nature and the great outdoors. "I had the feeling that the world was left behind, that we had got over the edge of it, and were outside man's jurisdiction. I had never before looked up at the sky when there was not a familiar mountain ridge against it. But this was the complete dome of heaven, all there was of it." His attitude towards the end of the chapter creates a relaxed and peaceful tone.
No comments:
Post a Comment