With the mention of Antonia saying that the ducks’ feathers “always reminded her of soldiers—some uniform she had seen in the old country, when she was a child,” Cather reveals a different aspect of Antonia’s personality (266). This characterization is used to show Antonia’s innate sentimentality, contrasting the more brazen side to her. She feels a deep emotional attachment to her homeland, even after years and years of separation. Antonia is nostalgic, and her bolder, sharper edges are rounded out by her softer affection for her home country. This skillful usage of characterization draws out Antonia’s gentleness from her
