My Antonia

Compare and contrast Ántonia Shimerda with Jim Burden’s wife. In what ways are they similar, and how do they differ?

What explains Ántonia’s close bond with her father? Why does Mr. Shimerda affect Jim so deeply?

What is the significance of the Russians’ wedding party story? Are there any commonalities between what enables people to survive in Russia and on the Nebraskan frontier?

How does the character of Lena Lingard highlight aspects of Ántonia’s personality? What purpose does Lena’s relationship with Jim serve in the novel?

What criticisms of the American-born townspeople does Jim express? In what ways does he share their values?

Mrs. Harling and Ántonia both have “strong, independent natures” (180). Compare and contrast the Harlings’ marriage with the Cuzaks’ marriage.

How does the novel present the differences between Protestantism and Catholicism in the lives of the Burdens and the Shimerdas, respectively? What is Jim’s attitude toward religion?

Find three examples of figurative language Cather uses to describe the Nebraskan landscape and analyze how her literary technique links the passage to the novel’s larger themes.