For Wednesday's class, you'll be reading Willa Cather's "Neighbor Rosicky," published in 1932. Although Cather's work was published later than most of the works we're reading this quarter, it narrates life during the earlier period we're studying. Cather's work, including her most famous book, the novel My Antonia, focuses on the pioneer ethos and America's idea of western expansion and farm life. Cather grew up in Nebraska, and many of her works, including "Neighbor Rosicky," are set there. Cather's early work was heavily influenced by Henry James. However, after being admonished by Sarah Orne Jewett, Cather began to write more autobiographically, situating her stories in the pioneer landscape she knew intimately. Cather's work, which is distinctly apolitical (or even conservative at times), forms a contrast to that of Hamlin Garland, the other author you're reading for Wednesday, who was deeply invested in enacting social change through his writing and depictions of the difficulty of life on the farm.
I find that the dialogue in both Hamlin Garland, “Under the Lion’s Paw” and Willa Cather's "Neighbor Rosicky" to be challenging. They are like trying to read Jim's dialogue in Huck Finn. Its interesting how authentic a writer will make his/her work. The dialogue, alothough challenging to read, does not make it so the reader cannot understand.
ReplyDeleteIn Hamlin Garland's, "Under the Lion's Paw," he portrays the struggle of life in the West. It wasn't any easy place to live and people had to work hard to make a life for themselves and their families. From a historical perspective, the West was meant as a fresh start for families often times sending the men first and then sending for their families. The govternment offered the Homestead Act and other acts to encouraging settling that open space and conquering the west.
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