Willa Cather (1873-1947) was born in Virginia during the Reconstruction Era and lived there during the early part of her life. She would later write a novel focused on continuing conflicts in the South and several short stories set in Pittsburgh and New York, where she spent most of her adulthood. Her acclaim as an American writer and Regionalist, though, was largely earned through the short stories and novels she set in the Great Plains, specifically Nebraska, where she lived from the age of nine until after she graduated from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. As a child, Cather found herself fascinated by the lives of the immigrant pioneers trying to survive by homesteading in the harsh climate of Nebraska. As the Realism movement grew, critics increasingly complained that her works were too sentimental and too focused on the past. Still, Cather earned the Pulitzer Prize in 1922, and her writing remained popular among readers throughout her lifetime. For a better understanding of Cather and her writing, please view the videos from PBS's American Masters series linked below.
It is now time to read three excerpts from Willa Cather's novel, My Antonía. The entire novel is told by Jim, now an adult, who knew Antonía as a child and young woman, though he later left Nebraska and went to work out East. The first excerpt is from the early part of the novel and describes the first time Jim meets Antonía. The second excerpt is set less than a year later and shows the changes that have already taken place in Antonía as she adjusts to her new life as a homesteader after her father's suicide. The final excerpt is the last section of the novel and describes Jim's final visit to Nebraska during which he meets Antonía's children.
As you read, make note of character and setting descriptions as well as the use of dialect. You will use these observations on a future assignment. Additionally, use the reading guide linked below to help self-assess your understanding of the text.