The Unconventional Power and Independence of 1800’s Women In order to understand Cather’s novel My Ántonia, it is essential to look at her female characters, their actions, relationships, and characteristics. Ántonia and Lena were two very powerful examples of the immigrant women that Cather used, to show the inner strength of women and the power they can have in their lives that comes along with that strength. To begin, all of the women that Cather uses are anything but typical woman; they are women with a strong will like Ántonia Shimerda. Antonia was not portrayed as a character with an easy life. She actually had a very difficult one with many life changing events like her father’s death, being a hired girl, and having an illegitimate
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As she matures into radiant womanhood she has many admirers but stubbornly falls in love with an unprincipled man she feels sorry for. After he leaves her unwed and pregnant, she overcomes her disillusionment, determined to make a better life” (23). This shows the strength that Ántonia had by explaining the hard times in her life. Ántonia was regarded as very stubborn and independent. Her strength came from her stubbornness so that she could overcome the hard times in her life and make a good life for herself, without falling into stereotypes that women are weak. When Ántonia returned to Black Hawk while she was pregnant, she never told anyone of her struggles. When Ántonia finally went into labor, Jim tried to help Ántonia and remarks, “ I went right in, and began to do for Ántonia; but she laid there with her eyes shut and took no account of me” (Cather 190). This is an example of where Cather shows Ántonia’s inner strength and independence. Even after being taken advantage of and not following societal traditions with …show more content…
In an article published by Connie Prarie, it says “Women’s God-given role, it stated, was as wife and mother, keeper of the household, guardian of the moral purity of all who lived therein”, meaning that a woman’s goal in life was to marry, have children and serve her husband and kids (Hartman 1). Lena Lingard was a woman who did not follow this custom. When Lena and Jim spent a lot of time together in Lincoln, she says, “‘Well, it’s mainly because I don’t want a husband. Men are all right for friends, but as soon as you marry them they turn into cranky old fathers, even the wild ones” (Cather 174). Lena is not always this independent because she fell into the typical stereotypes when she was younger, however as she grew, she defied these. Especially in this quote, Lena has power over herself and what she wants in her life by not getting married, which is very non-typical for an 1800’s woman. Cather used characters like Ántonia and Lena with strong wills and independence to show the power that these women had, not necessarily in society, but within their own
As she matures into radiant womanhood she has many admirers but stubbornly falls in love with an unprincipled man she feels sorry for. After he leaves her unwed and pregnant, she overcomes her disillusionment, determined to make a better life” (23). This shows the strength that Ántonia had by explaining the hard times in her life. Ántonia was regarded as very stubborn and independent. Her strength came from her stubbornness so that she could overcome the hard times in her life and make a good life for herself, without falling into stereotypes that women are weak. When Ántonia returned to Black Hawk while she was pregnant, she never told anyone of her struggles. When Ántonia finally went into labor, Jim tried to help Ántonia and remarks, “ I went right in, and began to do for Ántonia; but she laid there with her eyes shut and took no account of me” (Cather 190). This is an example of where Cather shows Ántonia’s inner strength and independence. Even after being taken advantage of and not following societal traditions with …show more content…
In an article published by Connie Prarie, it says “Women’s God-given role, it stated, was as wife and mother, keeper of the household, guardian of the moral purity of all who lived therein”, meaning that a woman’s goal in life was to marry, have children and serve her husband and kids (Hartman 1). Lena Lingard was a woman who did not follow this custom. When Lena and Jim spent a lot of time together in Lincoln, she says, “‘Well, it’s mainly because I don’t want a husband. Men are all right for friends, but as soon as you marry them they turn into cranky old fathers, even the wild ones” (Cather 174). Lena is not always this independent because she fell into the typical stereotypes when she was younger, however as she grew, she defied these. Especially in this quote, Lena has power over herself and what she wants in her life by not getting married, which is very non-typical for an 1800’s woman. Cather used characters like Ántonia and Lena with strong wills and independence to show the power that these women had, not necessarily in society, but within their own