Similarities Between The Bible And Willa Cather

The Bible and Willa Cather
Willa Cather, a firm Christian believer, incorporates her religious background into her novels. In “Four Letters: Escapism,” it says, “Religion and art spring from the same root and are close kin.” This quote shows Cather’s belief of religion and relates it to art in a literary sense.
The novel O Pioneers! Also has a prevalent undercurrent of biblical themes, regarding events that happen in her novel and how she writes it. Cather’s use of religion brings a deeper meaning to O Pioneers!.
In the novel, Ivar is a religious prophet, and as a person who does not belong in the world he is born in. Ivar shows a connection to the land, that he is as old as the land is, and that he has a spiritual relationship with it. Ivar also
Ivar is known for his visions and although they were unusual where he is now, Ivar states that where he is from visions are not unusual. Likewise, Ezekiel went to Israel to warn and teach the people of God’s ways despite others ridiculing him.
Thematic echoes of the Bible can be found all throughout “O Pioneers!” from Moses’ journey to the land of Eden. Alexandra is similar to both Noah and Moses. Alexandra went against the expectations of women in her period and became the person in charge. Similarly,
Moses went against the pharaoh and went on to free and lead the Jewish people to the promised land (Burke). Like Moses, Alexandra had to lead her family to success and the promised land, but the journey to Eden has trials and loss of faith. Her brothers had trouble believing in her ability to lead them to success, like some of Moses’s followers losing patience and faith in God and eventually leaving the group. When the farm faces a drought, many other farms around them lose faith and go. Alexandra’s brothers want to go, but she has faith in its fertility and stays at the farm. While on their journey, Moses and his followers faced many different trials such as
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