Gender Roles In Willa Cather's O Pioneers

Willa Cather’s O Pioneers! was published in the midst of the industrial revolution. She definitely attempted to make a radical statement by establishing the main character in her book as a strong female, with her book coming out during a time when gender roles were constantly being challenged, but there are quite a few hits and misses that Cather made if she tried to make Alexandra out to be the quintessential pioneer. To be a pioneer means to be the first to discover or explore a certain area, be it a physical area or area of knowledge. Alexandra was certainly a pioneer when it came to taking care of her land, but the area she lacked innovation in was technological advancement. The story of Alexandra emerged almost as a direct result of the rising women’s movement of the late twentieth century. Cather bridged the gap of the typical male and female gender roles, using Alexandra as a prime example. She had mother-like instincts when it came to farming, treating her land with love, care, and respect. “Anyone thereabouts would have told you that this was one of the richest farms on the Divide, and that the farmer …show more content…
However, she takes it a bit far on occasion when she experiences her unpredictable, erotic fantasies. “Sometimes, as she lay thus luxuriously idle, her eyes closed, she used to have an illusion of being lifted up bodily and carried lightly by someone very strong….and he carried her as easily as if she were a sheaf of wheat (Cather 131). She would often lose herself in these erotic fantasies, which shows that Alexandra possessed a sense of vulnerability that opposes the natural characteristics of a true pioneer. Alexandra seemed to know this, though, and after such fantasies she would shake off the romantic thoughts and return to her life as a rugged individual, often pouring buckets of cold water on