“People did change, and a change could be a bloom as well as a withering...” -Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road, page 137
This quote relates very well to the book O Pioneers! for, in the book we read about how the U.S. was for the Bergson family, how they sometimes changed for the better and for the worst, we can also see this in the way that new immigrants were treated. One theme of the book relates most to U.S. history and that is how the book compares how the foreign characters were treated compared to that of real-life immigrants from the late 19th century to the early 20th. During the 19th century and the early 20th, there was a spike in the number of immigrants to America from all over the world. During this time, …show more content…
during this spike many immigrants were stereotyped and considered lesser beings and through the book O Pioneers! By Willa Cather, we can see some of these themes of oppression. It showed how people were treated by the so-called native Americans (Colonial) and how the book relates to them. Through the character Ivar who just had strange traditions and was feared for them. Through how Oscar’s wife was ashamed of her husband’s descent because of how the new immigrants were seen as lesser. Then lastly, how the U.S. thought of the new immigrants compared to the old. Many interpret Willa Cather’s writing in this novel to be on how the immigrants were welcomed, but really nearly the entire book they were isolated barely any interactions with people who were not immigrants. The book is about hope in that if the Bergson family gave up they wouldn’t be where they were. The book is about isolation in how they only ever really interact with people who are like themselves, nearly all the nameless characters are most likely American. But this book is not about how they were welcomed, it’s about how they survived in their situation, at a time where they weren’t liked because of where they came from. They lived without discrimination because they were isolated, an example to go with this is none other than Ivar, he was isolated and he liked it that way, away from those who would say that he was crazy. There were people in the book who liked him, but most thought him insane, so he hid away. But wouldn’t you as well? Going back to the quote from the beginning we can see how it relates, the U.S. started as a nation of immigrants who were oppressed by those who thought they were better. But over time we went back to the very ideals we tried to break away from, it was our progress and change withering
This quote relates very well to the book O Pioneers! for, in the book we read about how the U.S. was for the Bergson family, how they sometimes changed for the better and for the worst, we can also see this in the way that new immigrants were treated. One theme of the book relates most to U.S. history and that is how the book compares how the foreign characters were treated compared to that of real-life immigrants from the late 19th century to the early 20th. During the 19th century and the early 20th, there was a spike in the number of immigrants to America from all over the world. During this time, …show more content…
during this spike many immigrants were stereotyped and considered lesser beings and through the book O Pioneers! By Willa Cather, we can see some of these themes of oppression. It showed how people were treated by the so-called native Americans (Colonial) and how the book relates to them. Through the character Ivar who just had strange traditions and was feared for them. Through how Oscar’s wife was ashamed of her husband’s descent because of how the new immigrants were seen as lesser. Then lastly, how the U.S. thought of the new immigrants compared to the old. Many interpret Willa Cather’s writing in this novel to be on how the immigrants were welcomed, but really nearly the entire book they were isolated barely any interactions with people who were not immigrants. The book is about hope in that if the Bergson family gave up they wouldn’t be where they were. The book is about isolation in how they only ever really interact with people who are like themselves, nearly all the nameless characters are most likely American. But this book is not about how they were welcomed, it’s about how they survived in their situation, at a time where they weren’t liked because of where they came from. They lived without discrimination because they were isolated, an example to go with this is none other than Ivar, he was isolated and he liked it that way, away from those who would say that he was crazy. There were people in the book who liked him, but most thought him insane, so he hid away. But wouldn’t you as well? Going back to the quote from the beginning we can see how it relates, the U.S. started as a nation of immigrants who were oppressed by those who thought they were better. But over time we went back to the very ideals we tried to break away from, it was our progress and change withering