The Inability to Provide for His Family, and Why it Drove Mr. Shimerda to Suicide My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a novel about Jim Burden and his relationship and experiences growing up with Antonia Shimerda in Nebraska. Throughout the book Jim reflects on his memories of Nebraska and the Shimerda family, often times in a sad ... and depressing tone. One of the main ways Cather is able to provoke these sad emotions within the reader is through the suicide of Antonia's father, Mr. Shimerda. His death was unexpected by everyone and it is thought that homesickness is what drove him to take his ...

• Word Count: 1256
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... society. Willa Cather doesn't portray the ideals of helpless, dependent women whose only purposes were to produce children. Willa Cather gave the women of My Antonia untraditional roles. In some respects, the female characters do assume the stereotypical qualities recognized by them. We are introduced to Jim Burden's grandmother ... the kitchen. She has directed Jim to the kitchen to take a bath, but none the less, she is baking cakes as well. Throughout My Antonia, much of what we find out about the grandmother is evident in her kitchen. For example, we learn about Mrs. Burden's fear o...

• Word Count: 2199
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School