The Anxieties Of Immigrant Pioneers In Willa Cather’s My (?)ntonia

My (?)ntonia by Willa Cather(1873-1947)tells the story of (?)ntonia,a Bohemian immigrant,through the eyes of Jim Burden,a middle-aged lawyer with Virginian ancestry.Having gone through several major setbacks,she managed to carve out a niche for herself on the Nebraska prairie.While most critics interpret this novel as a eulogy to American frontier myth,this thesis,dealing with what they have overlooked,explores the anxieties of immigrant pioneers in an attempt to unveil Cather’s genuine concern for the European immigrants and their struggle in the American West.By drawing on sociological,social-psychological and historical studies,along with close textual analysis,this thesis attempts to examine Cather’s most enduring pioneer text-My (?)ntonia.Putting the novel in its historical,cultural and societal context,this thesis explores the anxieties that immigrant pioneers experience in the process of taming the wilderness by looking at Cather’s bond with European immigrants,their anxieties over economic prospect and lost identity.This thesis is divided into five parts.Introduction includes literature review of Cather and My (?)ntonia.The significance of this study is also illuminated in this part.Chapter One of this thesis clarifies the link between Cather and her subjects.My(?)ntonia can be categorized as a novel of immigrants for it faithfully demonstrates the anxieties of immigrant pioneers by using a frame narrative.Her childhood in Nebraska and associations with the immigrants not only allow her to empathize with them,but also inspire her literary imagination.The thesis also points out that the subjects in her writing refer to the European immigrants who boast the virtues of grit,perseverance and a strong passion for art and their own culture.Chapter Two explores immigrant pioneers’anxiety over their economic prospect.For immigrants in pursuit of economic betterment,American West offers rich resources and land at an inexpensive price,but the frontier life is also full of risks and difficulties.The discrepancy between high expectations and grim reality can result in the anxiety of European settlers who are obsessed with the uncertainties of their future.By analyzing the manifestations of economic anxiety,this chapter argues that (?)ntonia is not a stereotyped and heroic figure in a frontier myth.Chapter Three addresses with immigrant pioneers’anxiety over their loss of identity with reference to identity theory and social identity theory.This chapter contends that nostalgia is used by immigrants as a means to cope with their identity anxiety.Nevertheless,too much nostalgia can be detrimental to the immigrants’health and lead to their depression and even suicidal acts.Lastly,this thesis concludes that the construction of the frontier myth tends to play down the struggles of immigrant pioneers by eulogizing their pioneering spirit.Studying the anxieties of immigrant pioneers helps to reveal the true predicament in immigration and better understand the European immigrants as what they really are.Hopefully the re-evaluations of the reading of My (?)ntonia will offer new insights into American literature,and American immigrant literature in particular.