So far in the novel, all we have really learned about Antonia is that she is very pretty and that she has moved to Nevada from across the ocean. She hasn't mentioned the reason for her family's relocating, but it leaves a reader to wonder. Antonia does, however, open up a little more in this chapter. She was able to meet Russian men in the town her family could easily communicate with. She rushed to Jimmy to explain her happiness. "The first time I see my papa laugh in this kawn-tree. Oh, very nice (Cather 26)!" Not only is the comfort her family is feeling in this new country great, but I also love the relationship forming between Antonia and Jimmy. They are both new in town and are able to bond over their similarities yet learn from each other's differences.
In chapter six, Antonia fills Jimmy in on a tradition in her family involving a gun passed down paternally generation to generation. She says, "My papa play for his wedding, and he give my papa fun gun, and my papa give you (Cather 31)." I don't know if she was trying to tell Jimmy that he was her future husband or what. It is possible that with Antonia's religion and it being the 1920's that her parents pick her future mate themselves because it is their tradition. These are only questions that can be answered through continuing reading.
A little action comes into the novel when Antonia and Jimmy end their nice trip into town with a scary interaction with a large snake. Jimmy describes the creature's size as being "circus monstrosity" (Cather 33). He was able to attack the snake and kill it, making him look admirable in Antonia's eyes. After dragging his snake all the way home, they measure it out to be about five and a half feet long, and it receives praise from several neighbors. Readers are able to tell that Antonia doesn't see Jimmy as a little boy anymore, but more as a friend with a blooming relationship.
[Bibliography]
Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004. Print.
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