The title character Antonia is also a “working girl” throughout the course of the novel. After Antonia’s father dies, the community seems remarkably disappointed at the fact that Antonia steps up to the plate and begins working alongside Ambrosch. Antonia is described as having “her neck [coming] up strongly out of her shoulders, like the bole of a tree out of the turf. One sees that draft-horse neck among the peasant women in all old countries” (Cather 90). The latter part of this quote is important because it highlights the mental images that American immigrants have about the immigrants. The American immigrants believe they have a clear image of what peasant women look like in other countries and project this stereotype onto Antonia who they describe with very unpleasant terminology, comparing her to a stump and a horse.
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She marries Anton Cuzak. Anton and Antonio own a very successful farm. In fact, their farm is so prosperous that Anton has received many offers to buy the farm. For Anton and Antonia, these offers could be taken as an opportunity of returning to their homeland, but these offers are always turned down. Anton states, “I like to go back there once, when the boys is big enough to farm the place. Sometimes when I read the papers from the old country, I pretty near run away… [but] I never did think how I would like to be a settled man like this” (Cather 224). Commenting on the couple’s relationship, Burden notes, “the two seemed to be on terms of easy friendliness, touched with humor. Clearly, she was the impulse, and he the corrective” (Cather 221). As Burden stated, Antonia’s early years as an immigrant and working girl directly impact her uncanny ability to lead a home. The two are ultimately happy, successful, and dedicated to the land where they live, much to the shock of
She marries Anton Cuzak. Anton and Antonio own a very successful farm. In fact, their farm is so prosperous that Anton has received many offers to buy the farm. For Anton and Antonia, these offers could be taken as an opportunity of returning to their homeland, but these offers are always turned down. Anton states, “I like to go back there once, when the boys is big enough to farm the place. Sometimes when I read the papers from the old country, I pretty near run away… [but] I never did think how I would like to be a settled man like this” (Cather 224). Commenting on the couple’s relationship, Burden notes, “the two seemed to be on terms of easy friendliness, touched with humor. Clearly, she was the impulse, and he the corrective” (Cather 221). As Burden stated, Antonia’s early years as an immigrant and working girl directly impact her uncanny ability to lead a home. The two are ultimately happy, successful, and dedicated to the land where they live, much to the shock of