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Library's collection Library's IT development CancelThe thesis is a study of Willa Cather's My Antonia. It focuses on the life
of two pioneer women, Antonia Shimerda and Lena Lingard in facing and
overcoming their harsh life until they finally could achieve a happy and successful
life. Due to this reason, the writer is triggered to know what kinds of difficulties
that the two pioneer women have and how they overcome them. In the analysis,
the writer applies literary devices, namely, characterization and setting of place.
Finishing the analysis, the writer finds out that Antonia and Lena, although having
different characters, have one similarity, that is, they both are strong women.
Antonia and Lena live in the prairies when they were little girls and in the prairies,
they have to face the harshness of the new land, Nebraska. Both of them can
survive from the harshness of Nebraska by being strong and independent women.
They are willing to sacrifice their own needs in order to help their family.
Furthermore, after they grow up and move to Black Hawk town, things do not
become easier for Antonia and Lena. Both of them still have to face people's
negative judgment toward the pioneer women and their love affairs with towns
men do not work well. There, Antonia and Lena can survive through their
difficulties because both of them are willing to learn something new in the town
and they have great self-confidence in facing other people's judgment. Yet, they
also can survive because of the helps of their friends, neighbor and their family.
The fact that Antonia finally can live in happiness with her husband and her
eleven children proves that Antonia succeeds in handling all of her difficulties.
Meanwhile, Lena also finally can build a good house for her mother and she
becomes a successful dressmaker and runs her own dress-shop. It shows that Lena
is able to survive through her harsh life and reveal her dreams as a dressmaker. As
a conclusion, the way Antonia and Lena face and overcome their harsh life in
Nebraska and the success of searching for a better life is answered in Antonia
being able to be a good house wife and a good mother for her children, and Lena
being able to become a successful dressmaker.