My Antonia
My AntoniaMy Antonia
My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a novel of family devotion. It takes place in the small western town of Black Hawk, Nebraska. The main character of the story, 'Antonia Shimerda, is thrust as a young girl from her own native country into the American prairies. While still a child, she must deal with the death of her father. He felt that he couldn't deal with the strains of his new life and support his family so he commited suicide.She is forced to do the work of a man and turns from a gentle young lady into a man, in some ways. The elements of fun in her childhood were few and far in between. 'Antonia's life is full of disappointment and she is forced to grow up much too quickly.The road she takes is full of ditches and bends but it clears and straightens in the end.
As soon as her father is buried, 'Antonia realizes that she now has a heavy burden on her shoulders. Since she is one of the eldest in the family, she must now work to put food on their table. Her mother is a complainer and can't speak English, her oldest brother, Ambrosch, is strong, mean and not well liked, the second oldest brother, Marek, is mentally and physically disabled and her sister, Yulka, is still a youngster. With the help of their neighbors, the Burdens, 'Antonia is able to establish a meager living for her family. She does this by working on her farm as well as the other farms in the area. While this work is very beneficial for the family, 'Antonia is...
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