Stages of Life in My Antonia
In the past, critics have demoralized and brutalized every writer they could get their pen on. This is seen from criticisms of Henry Adams to William Butler Yeats. These critics critique everything about the writer and his/her works. For instance, many critics criticize Willa Cather's novel, My Antonia. Their criticisms lie on the basis that My Antonia is based on cyclical themes with no structure holding each of My Antonia's books. In other words, as a collection of five different accounts remembered by the main character, Jim Burden, My Antonia is characterized by a loose plot structure, yet common themes are expressed through the cyclical nature, including the cycle of the seasons and the stages of life.
According to James E. Miller Jr.'s " My Antonia; A Frontier Drama of Time," Willa Cather's novel, My Antonia, is "defective in structure" (Bloom 51). Its structure is basically based on Cather’s point of view. Her point of view tells the story of the main character, Jim Burden, who remembers specific moments in an abstract pattern in his life about his Antonia. This is so because the collection of books that make up the novel, My Antonia, is about Willa Cather; the narrator's idea of what and to what point Jim Burden remembers. Miller also states that the novel "lacks focus and abounds in irrelevancies" (Wells 1). This is due to the fact that Cather didn't provide a consistent character portrayal throughout her novel. Another critic, Kim Wells, asserts Miller's opinion on the novel because as he states the novel has many "variations from a theme" (Wells 1). For instance the section about the hired girls and also the part when Peter and Pavel, two lonesome Russian Settlers, tell Jim and Antonia a tragic tale that horrifies and fascinates the children. (1. THIS IS A SENTENCE FRAGMENT. 2. INSTEAD OF PARAPHRASING, USE A DIRECT QUOTE.) This tale was about when Peter and Pavel drove a sled with a bridal couple across dark, snowy Russian country and were attacked by hordes of ravenous wolves, where the wolves killed both the bride and the groom. These examples are "divergences which weaken the overall structure of the novel" (Wells 1).
Even though both critics say that the novel has a loose structure, they also state that the only thing that resembles any type of structure is the constant use of cyclical themes.
He is apprehensive about seeing Antonia, fearing that she will no longer be the idealized person who exists in his memory. Jim is not let down when they meet, as even though she is now a “battered woman … but she still had that something that fires the imagination, could stop one’s breath for a moment” (226). Age has not dampened the spirit that Jim was drawn to throughout his youth and now his adulthood. He speaks about her through a lens of true love and respect, telling her children that he “couldn’t stand it if you boys were inconsiderate [towards Antonia] … I was very much in love with your mother once, and I know there’s nobody like her” (222). Jim refers to Antonia as a “rich mine of life,” and it is clear that Antonia’s type of richness is more valuable in Jim’s eyes. Through her, he is able to realize that tangible fiscal wealth is far less precious than the impalpable beauty of emotional connection and
My Antonia, by Willa Cather, is a book tracing the story of a young man, Jim Burden, and his relationship with a young woman, Antonia Shimerda. Jim narrates the entire story in first person, relating accounts and memories of his childhood with Antonia. He traces his journey to the Nebraska where he and Antonia meet and grow up. Jim looks back on all of his childhood scenes with Antonia with nearly heartbreaking nostalgia. My Antonia, is a book that makes many parallels to the sadness and frailty, but also the quiet beauty in life, and leaves the reader with a sense of profound sorrow. One of the main ways Cather is able to invoke these emotions in the reader is through the ongoing theme of separation. Willa Cather develops her theme of separation through death, the changing seasons, characters leaving and the process of growing apart.
Cather mends a special relationship between Jim and Antonia that is formed and broken throughout her novel My Antonia. The two characters meet at young age and begin to develop a ------- friendship. Jim teaches Antonia the language and culture of America while Antonia shares her culture and morals. Soon their respective friendship turns into a brother-sister relationship, an ardent love but not intimate.
The landscape and the environment in Willa Cather's, My Ántonia, plays several roles. It creates both a character and protagonist, while it also reflects Cather's main characters, Jim and Ántonia, as well as forming the structure of the novel. Additionally, it evokes several themes that existed on the prairie during the time in which the story takes place. Some of these themes that directly relate to the novel, which are worth exploring, are endurance, hardship, and spirituality. Additionally, the symbolism of the "hot and cold" climate will be examined, revealing the significance it has on the novel in an overall manner. The analyses will further explain Cather's construction of the novel, which is based on three cycles: the cycle of the seasons, the cycle of life and physical development and lastly, the cultural cycle.
They say cell phones are the easiest way to communicate with one another remotely. Imagine how people could communicate with their family when they are far away, without cell phones? Cell phones give weather conditions. For example, if a person gets an alert or receives the weather condition on his or her cell phone, this helps to warn of situations on the roads. Cell phones help to record incidents like shooting, fighting, or crashes. However, despite the advantages of cellphones, cell phones are a major cause of car accidents. According to the NSC National Safety council) “Cellphone usage causes 1 in 4 car accidents”. On the other hand, people can know the weather conditions without using cell phones on the roads while they’re driving. For example, they can watch television weather before leaving their homes. This can help drivers easily know the situation on the road. When it comes to communicating with people, one can connect people without using cell phones in other ways, for example, by sending a letter or an email to the people whom they want to contact. . Back in the centuries before the coming of the cell phone, people didn’t complain about not having cell phones, but nowadays almost everyone uses cell phones. Is the use of cell phones while driving more important than our lives? No. Using cellphones during driving is very dangerous because it distracts people’s minds. Cell phones should
Dreams are nothing but our innermost desires. We are made to pursue these dreams and have them be the driving force in all we do. Jim Burden is no different; like everyone, he has dreams, and he does his best to pursue them and fulfill them. Or does he? Jim writes the story of Antonia through his own life. He is plagued with the disease of romanticism. He cannot move on; though time will move, Jim's thoughts and emotions are rooted in the past. Frances Harling said it right when she said, "the trouble with you, Jim, is that you're romantic." Jim is a romantic, a dreamer who never acts. Many things contribute to Jim's romanticism, his experiences, his emotions, and his actions; however as no one could suspect, it helped him mature and appreciate loves lost.
It is a huge responsibility to drive a car and one which should not be taken for granted because it is associated with the lives of others. By speaking on cell phones while driving, such a responsibility is treated with impunity and the dangers ignored.
William Cather showed a great amount of information about the "old wild west" and the expansion of the United States. In My Antonia, Jim Burden told a story of his childhood, the people in his life, and the struggles he and his surroundings faced during this time.
Mark Borgard says that there is two reasons people use their cell phones while driving. The first reason is for multitasking. Nowadays, people think that they are supposed to be able to do many things at a time. Technology has revolved so much and made it easier to multitask. People think that the technology changing is a good thing, but it just makes everything more dangerous. The second reason is in consideration. Many people don’t think that there stupid ch...
Reverse engineering has become a controversial topic in the software industry. In 1999, Sony filed a suit against Connectix alleging copyright infringement concerning a Macintosh emulator of the Sony Playstation known as the Virtual Game Station. This emulator allows Macintosh users to play Playstation games without a Sony Playstation. A federal judge ruled in favor of Sony, and issued an order that Connectix halt its sales of the emulator. The next year Connectix appealed the ruling, and the Federal Court of Appeals reversed the original ruling. Video game business in the United States alone is a billion dollar industry and legal decisions such as this one have huge ramifications not just for the game industry, but for the entire software industry as well. In order to determine the right decision, one has to examine different ethical perspectives ranging from determining what action results in the most happiness of the stakeholders involved to what inherent rights each individual stakeholder is entitled to.
Erik Erikson developed the eight stages of life theory. Erikson’s theory focuses on the development from birth to death, social context, and interpersonal relations during each stage of life (McAdams, 2009). In the same manner, each stage of life is comprehendible in three levels, such as the body, ego, and family and culture. The eight stages of life are infancy (trust vs. mistrust), early childhood (autonomy vs. shame and doubt), childhood (initiative vs. guilt), childhood (industry vs. inferiority), adolescence and young adulthood (identity vs. role confusion), young adulthood (intimacy vs. isolation), mature adulthood (generativity vs. stagnation (or self-absorption)), and old age (ego integrity vs. despair).
There are more than 3.4 billion cell phone users worldwide, making cell phones more common than computers ("Social Isolation and New Technology”). Cell phones are a modern phenomenon with a greater impact than the Internet in society today. Increased mobility, access to a new technologies and the ability to travel throughout the world with an added sense of security has afforded us the opportunity to explore all that life has to offer. “The Cell-phone has become the preferred channel of basic communication between teens and their friends, other many people with cell calling a close second and texting”( "Social Isolation and New Technology”). It is unbelievable when you walk in street and you see five year old kid using a cell phone. “More than 75% of 12-17 year-olds now own cell phones”( "Social Isolation and New Technology”). That there are many people said they more likely to texting than talking on phone. Using a cell phone has increased in society more than any other technology. However, using a cell phone while driving has proven to be a bad idea. The high potential for distraction causes people to not pay attention to the road. The consequences have so for been an increase in the rate of accidents and deaths related to cell phone use while driving. Using a cell phone while driving is not only limited to talking; it also includes texting while driving. The problem has become so serious that many states have laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving. Because research has shown that talking on a phone, texting and using hands free devices is distracting and dangerous it only makes sense for every state to ban cell phone use while driving.
Most people who remember this incident might not know that the cause of it was a cell-phone. This accident, however, is just one example of the dangers that are involved when someone uses their cell phone while operating a motor vehicle.
Cell phones should be used with caution at all times and not when operating a motor vehicle. It is a huge responsibility to drive
Distracted driving is another large problem that is occurring with the abundance of cell phones. Distracted driving is defined as a type of inattention that occurs while driving that removes attention from the road, to another activity instead (1). The incidence Rate is 231,052 accidents cased by drivers using cell phones and texting this year (2). This is becoming more and more prevalent recently. In 2009 the number of crashes involving cell phon...