The Relationship between the People and the Land in Willa...

The Relationship between the People and the Land in Willa Cathers O Pioneers For the first time, perhaps, since that land emerged from the waters of the geologic ages, a human face was set toward it with love and yearning This quotation cuts straight to the heart of Willa Cathers whole argument throughout O Pioneers!, which is that it is Alexandra Bergsons will to survive and continually adapt which makes her successful -the facts that her neighbours are unwilling to take up new ideas and technologies, they are unwilling to gamble, and, worse, unwilling to listen to those whose relationship with the landscape is harmonious and respectful (such as that of Ivar), mark them down as part of the legacy of ignorant,†¦show more content†¦Any difference or deviation is frowned upon in the most serious manner. Mrs Lees comment about hot water baths is that she cannot clean herself, cannot make a strong suds (page 54), so she pretends to conform. There is no tolerance for the traditional ways or for non-conformists. This disharmony within society is a greater division for Cather; it is a division between those who can only think within the constraints of the past and the present; there is n o evidence of a hunger for progress, only for the rapid accumulation of wealth (as demonstrated by Lous eagerness to sell out to Charlie Fuller.) Randall quotes Cather herself in this: A pioneer should have imagination, should be able to enjoy the idea of things more than the things themselves. Only this second category of people are those who own the land. Cather is making a case in this novel (and subsequently in the similarly themed My Antonia that the former sort of people areShow MoreRelated Relationships and Setting in Willa Cathers O Pioneers! Essay735 Words   |  3 PagesRelationships and Setting in Willa Cathers O Pioneers! O Pioneers!(1993) by Willa Cather begins on a blustery winter day, in the town of Hanover, Nebraska, sometime between 1883 and 1890. The narrator introduces four main character: the very young Emil Bergson; his older sister, Alexandra; her friend Carl Linstrum; and a little girl, Marie Shabata. Alexandras father, John Bergson, is dying. He tells his two oldest sons, Lou and Oscar, that he is leaving the farmland, and all of what he hasRead MoreWilla Cather s O Pioneers ! 1152 Words   |  5 PagesI am one of the only two males in the Intro to Women’s Literature class, I felt moved to touch on Willa Cather’s flipping of the gender roles in the book O Pioneers! I will be using my own opinion in this essay, along with textual evidence to back up my claims. I will also be establishing connections between Cather’s portrayals of herself within the themes and characters in the book. As we know, Willa Cather was very open about her sexuality and her feelings towards women. She dressed like a man forRead MoreHardships in O Pioneer Essay730 Words   |  3 PagesHardships in O Pioneer During the middle to late 1800s, thousands upon thousands of Americans, as well as foreigners, flocked to the mid-western part of the United States. They flocked to this area hoping to gain free or cheap land promised to them by the United States Government. Most of the pioneers left cities and factory jobs to venture out into the American prairies and become farmers. They left their homes, not only because the land was either free or cheap, but also because theyRead More Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Essay2249 Words   |  9 PagesAlexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Works Cited Not Included Alexandra Bergman’s lack of self awareness allows others to forget that she is a woman and, at times, even human, which continuously builds the wall of isolation that surrounds her. As a result, when she reacts to situations as a woman would, rather than as â€Å"she† should, those around her don’t know what to make of it. Because she has been such a steady influence for so many years, those around her do not understand that perhaps