Willa Cather Romanticism

Willa Cather, in her story, “O Pioneers”, utilizes several different philosophies of life to tell a realistic story about immigrant life and struggles on the plains of late 1800’s Nebraska. The story is centered on the character of Alexandra Bergson, her family, friends and neighbors and her struggle to raise her three brothers on the family farm during harsh times. Cather’s use of romanticism, realism and naturalism helps to tell the story from the eyes of the characters and shows clearly her philosophy of life. It has been stated that the character of Alexandra was based upon Cather’s view of herself and her own beliefs. The land and its effect on the characters living on the plains is a central theme in the telling of the story. In the opening of the story, the little town of Hanover is described as “trying not to be blown away” during one season of drought and windy weather. This use of symbolism was what Cather used to tell how the conditions and the many natural forces had an effect on the town people. It represented how the characters resisted against nature to produce crops and a living on the plains. Several …show more content…
One event that is romanticized is the meeting between Marie and Emil and the effect that they have to each other and the characters around them. What began as a cute flirtation between two children later grows and develops into adult passion and tragedy. Even during their murder at the hands of a jealous husband, Cather is able to romanticize their last moments together under a star filled night under a tree in a orchard. Cather used a reoccurring theme of a dream to tell how the tough and steady Alexandra was actually romanticizing of being loved and taken care of by a stronger person. The dream sequence of this strong, handsome male lifting and carrying her strongly suggests that the writer is a