Antonia Shimerda in My Antonia Essay Example

accurately portrays the intense despair experienced by Antonia as an immigrant. Jim's ability to perceive her torment accentuates the profound emotional distress she suffered. The phrase "heart breaking" symbolically captures Antonia's internal disintegration triggered by the immense sadness and agony caused by her father's passing.

The death of Mr. Shimerda had such a strong impact on her that it was overwhelming her emotions. After the coffin of Mr. Shimerda was closed, Jim Burden confesses, "I was scared to glance at Antonia" (p. 84). The word choice in this sentence reflects Jim's reluctance to look at Antonia due to his fear of witnessing immense pain and sorrow on her face. Jim's hesitation to witness this sadness expressed by Antonia demonstrates how deeply affected she was by her father's death. The way she conveyed her emotions through her expression and body language might have also caused great unhappiness and misery for Jim.

Antonia carried the weight of her father's death throughout her life, despite enduring grief and suffering. Before he left, she assured Jim that losing him would not sever the connection she had with her deceased father. Even long after his passing, Antonia considered her father a constant presence and frequently sought his guidance through conversation. As she aged, Antonia believed she knew and understood her father even more. Cather's passage skillfully depicts how Antonia embraced her father's death and surpassed sadness and pain through intricate descriptions and carefully chosen words (p. 233).

The concept of "he never goes out of my life" signifies that even after Mr. Shimerda's passing, his essence and spirit continued to reside within Antonia. Contrary to the tendency

of many Americans to move on and forget about deceased relatives, Antonia demonstrated her superiority as an immigrant by transforming her father's death into a means of gaining a deeper understanding of his life. She cherished the memory of her father as it held great significance for her. Antonia showcased the profound and difficult impact her father's death had on her, yet with time, she managed to overcome the pain.

Finally, Antonia's tough experience in Nebraska is emphasized when her fiance abandons her with a child to raise alone. Following this incident, Antonia's friend named Frances describes her as someone who rarely leaves home and the farm. Frances expresses concern that Antonia has settled into a life of being Ambroshc's drudge permanently (pp. 215-216). This detail highlights how isolated Antonia has become to distance herself from the misery caused by her fiance.

When someone isolates themselves, it is often because they feel extremely upset and lack the courage and strength to face others. Antonia's isolation from society highlights her profound misery and pain resulting from her fiance's betrayal and abandonment. This left her to raise their baby alone, causing not only grief and sadness for herself but also for those who cared about her. Jim became irritated with Antonia upon learning about her situation and voiced his disappointment: "I attempted to push Antonia out of my thoughts. I was deeply let down by her" (p. 216).

Jim, who is close to Antonia, attempted to erase her and her problems from his thoughts. He was deeply saddened by what happened with her fiance and desired to not think about her at all. The

use of the term "bitterly disappointed" illustrates how devastated Jim was for Antonia. He never expected someone as exceptional as her to be pitied instead of celebrated. Even Mrs. Harling shared her disappointment for Antonia, stating, "'My Antonia, that had so much good in her, had come home disgraced.'" (p. 28).

Antonia, renowned for her politeness and helpfulness, experienced embarrassment and humiliation when she came back home unmarried. The support she received highlighted the impact of her partner's betrayal on both her reputation and self-assurance. Nevertheless, she took comfort in lovingly nurturing her child as if they were married, never feeling any shame about it. Presently, the child is one year and eight months old and consistently receives exceptional care.

The speaker praises Antonia's motherly skills and acknowledges that she may not have the opportunity to marry and start a family, but they doubt this will happen. The speaker observes that Antonia's love for her baby is as strong as being married, implying that her child will become her primary source of affection and help her move on from her former fiance. This immense love highlights the importance of the baby. In contrast, Mrs. Harling's skepticism about Antonia's chances of marriage and family seems ironic since she eventually becomes a wife and mother of ten children in the novel's conclusion.

Antonia initially feels misery and sadness after her fiance abandons her with their baby, but she eventually develops affection for her child and progresses. Despite encountering numerous hardships, Antonia emerges as a resilient and content immigrant from Bohemia who effectively handles the challenges of residing in Nebraska. The passing of Antonia's father

and the abandonment by her fiance significantly impact the difficulties she encounters as an immigrant. Antonia serves as a reminder that ordinary individuals can triumph over diverse obstacles while staying authentic to themselves.