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Post by Mrs. Patterson on Aug 29, 2013 13:56:38 GMT -5
Maeve: Antonia
Hannah: Mr. Shimerda
Please describe and defend your character's view on the following issue (in the first or third person, as you prefer):
Mr. Shimerda's homesickness and eventual suicide and its effect on Antonia's life
Direct support from the book would greatly strengthen your description and defense.
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Post by Maeve on Sept 2, 2013 11:06:43 GMT -5
As the novel unfolds, Cather reveals the constant suffering of the Bohemian family in the new country. Life in America becomes difficult for the Shimerdas due to the fact the foreigners had not adjusted to the new language, culture, or living lifestyle. Mr. Shimerad believed the new life would bring prosperity, yet instead his new life brought homesickness and depression. Eventually, Mr. Shimerad was unable to adjust to the unbearable new life, forcing him to commit suicide. The death of Mr. Shimerad influenced his daughter's life because she felt obligated to support her family financially by working in the field. Antonia quickly realizes that life in the west came with a hardworking price. Antonia describes her tough life to Jim when she says, “If I live here, like you, that is different. Things will be easy for you. But they will be hard for us” (Cather 90). Clearly, Antonia admits her new life appeared as a constant struggle. Antonia believes the Americans possessed an easier lifestyle in comparison to herself because they are accustomed to the language, culture, and lifestyle unlike her family. Perhaps if Mr. Shimerad did not become depressed and lived, Antonia's life could have experienced a different prosperous life. Unfortunately, Antonia's future changed and she faced many challenges to help support her family by replacing her father in the field.
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Post by Hannah on Sept 2, 2013 18:21:03 GMT -5
Mr Shimerda: I know m death has been hard on you, but you must understand that I just could not continue living the way we were. I came here at your mother's insistence to make you and Ambrosch rich, yet look at the state we were living in! Outside of our family, I had no one. The Russians left, they were one the few thing about this country that brought me joy. There weren't any other settlers from Bohemia and because of that, I had limited ways of communicating with the other settlers; I was just so... alone. You and your siblings were nothing but children, your mother could not understand my despair about this country; she was always too busy complaining about our conditions. You always managed to brighten my day Tony. Without you I would never have held out for as long as I did. Remember how used to beg me to play the violin, and how I'd refuse? It was too painful. I had so many happy memories of playing for celebrations and friends; here there were few friends and even fewer celebrations. It got the point where I was in physical pain just sitting in our house. My moral was weakened by that harsh winter; I knew I could not go on. I'm sorry for the grief I've caused our family, but I felt as though there was no way out of my suffering. There was no way I could go on.
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