Thursday, June 18, 2009
Begging your pardon
I'm not trying to make anybody mad here, begging your pardon and all, but I don't like Antonia (at least, not right now). Mr. Shimerda said "My Antonia". Would he speak so fondly of her now? Antonia has become more like her mother. And although we speak harshly of Mrs. Shimerda, was she always like this? Isn't she a victim too? And if she's just a __________, then why did Mr. Shimerda marry her in the first place? I mean, who's the idiot? So I have the impression Mr. Shimerda acquiesced and moved to America. What was he smokin'? And what did he contribute to the reality of prairie life? The book is a fascinating read and I'm anxious to see what happens next but who is the victim here? It's Yulka. And something I have thought about from the beginning. I know Jim was young when he came to live with his grandparents, but when does he begin to work? Everybody seems to work in this book except Jim. He was out riding around in his homemade cart carrying on with Antonia. Why wasn't he home helping his grandparents? He was living a privileged life and all he had to do was worship Antonia, observe and then write a book upon reflection. I don't know; maybe I need more roughage in my diet.
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I think Cather's idea is that if Mr. Shimerda stuck around, Antonia would have been spared these circumstances and the personality adopted in consequence. How can Antonia be the best she can be with Mrs. Shimerda and Ambrosch raising her? Also, I read the novel as alluding that Mr. Shimerda married because he knocked up the Mrs.
And I think your reading of Jim is right. He is more of an observer than a participant. I think the idea is to set him up as a foil to Antonia, he is a little lazy, and doesn't have to work, and gets to pursue education and poetry and plays and make speeches or whatever else he wants--which is what Mr. Shimerda had hoped for Antonia.
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