Titling Book One of My Antonia "The Shimerdas" was very smart of Willa Cather because that is all it was about. I guess getting to know Antonia's family was important because the experiences she went through as a child will make her who she is as she grows up. Major events, such as Jimmy moving to Nevada, Mr. Shimerda's suicide, and Jimmy and Antonia's blooming relationship, occurred in Book One.
It was a great informational opening to a novel. Book One has already hit upon several major topics of this time period, like the roles of a family, the difference between foreigners and locals, and the importance of religion and humanity. Antonia's life changed drastically when her father died. She now had to take on the male role of working on the farm to make the family money, and was now unable to attend school. Antonia told Jimmy, "I ain't got time to learn. I can work like mans now (Cather 76)." She also shares an insecurity of hers at the end of Book One involving the looks and disrespect that she receives from others. I would like to hear more details in Book Two of this topic because I think it was a major issue back then that is still lingering today. Finally, Grandma and Grandpa Burden teach their family patience, respect, and generosity, all traits a human being should strive to have, through the word of the Lord. They also do this through the actions and examples they use for the Shimerda family.
As far as characters go, I really like Jimmy's grandma, Mrs. Burden. She is a very respectful and generous woman. She has raised a house full of boys, not to mention putting up with all the disrespect from the Shimerda family. Don't even get me started on them. The Shimerda's have proved to be selfish and rude, but that could all go back to the outer shell that they feel the need to have in order to be a foreigner in the United States.
[Bibliography]
Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2004. Print.
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