Welcome to “the world of Welcome to “the world of ideas”… ideas”…

TodayToday

Review key themes & main ideasReview key themes & main ideas– Symbolism- the PLOWSymbolism- the PLOW– Allusions- VIRGIL (maybe)Allusions- VIRGIL (maybe)– Gender Roles (maybe)Gender Roles (maybe)

Flesh out oral presentation/essay Flesh out oral presentation/essay ideasideas

SymbolismSymbolism

The Plough, a key symbol in The Plough, a key symbol in My My ÁntoniaÁntonia

What do you think it symbolizes? What do you think it symbolizes?

The PloughThe Plough

In relation to: In relation to: Jim’s life path?Jim’s life path? Agrarian lifestyle/industrialization?Agrarian lifestyle/industrialization? Immigrant experience?Immigrant experience?

Symbolism of the PloughSymbolism of the Plough

Agriculture waning as Agriculture waning as industrialization risesindustrialization rises

American dream of immigrantsAmerican dream of immigrants Sense of energy- forward motion Sense of energy- forward motion

– (Where is Jim on his life path at this (Where is Jim on his life path at this point in the novel?)point in the novel?)

Plough + sun = life-giving, fertilityPlough + sun = life-giving, fertility Setting sun of Jim’s childhoodSetting sun of Jim’s childhood

Reminder…AllusionReminder…Allusion

An implied, indirect, or direct An implied, indirect, or direct reference, especially in literature; reference, especially in literature;

alsoalso :: the use of such references  the use of such references

Previous example: Previous example:

““The Old Oaken Bucket” – poetry in The Old Oaken Bucket” – poetry in the pocket of the suicidal trampthe pocket of the suicidal tramp

More allusions in More allusions in My ÁntoniaMy Ántonia Virgil- Virgil- The Aeneid, GeorgicsThe Aeneid, Georgics

– ““The best days are the first to flee.”The best days are the first to flee.”– Celebration of farming lifeCelebration of farming life– Bringing the muse to his countryBringing the muse to his country– What is Jim’s recent insight from Virgil?What is Jim’s recent insight from Virgil?

CamilleCamille– A novel/play about an ailing young woman who must choose A novel/play about an ailing young woman who must choose

between a man who loves her and a callous baron who wants between a man who loves her and a callous baron who wants her her

La TraviataLa Traviata– ““The Woman Who Strayed”, “The Fallen One” The Woman Who Strayed”, “The Fallen One” – Pretty WomanPretty Woman

How do these allusions fit with the How do these allusions fit with the Themes in Themes in My ÁntoniaMy Ántonia? ?

The museThe muse

How do you think How do you think the musethe muse is is functioning for Jim? functioning for Jim?

……for Cather?for Cather?

Reminder: ThemesReminder: Themes Nature as a character/forceNature as a character/force Immigration/ExploitationImmigration/Exploitation American Dream (values, beliefs, cowboys, American Dream (values, beliefs, cowboys,

and the frontier)and the frontier) Coming-of-ageComing-of-age Town vs. CountryTown vs. Country Role of Women, Gender relationshipsRole of Women, Gender relationships NostalgiaNostalgia Fulfillment/Happiness/Fertility vs. Fulfillment/Happiness/Fertility vs.

Memories/Longing/SterilityMemories/Longing/Sterility

Themes/motifs related to Themes/motifs related to gendergender

Role of womenRole of women Fulfillment/happiness/Fertility vs. Fulfillment/happiness/Fertility vs.

Memories/Longing/SterilityMemories/Longing/Sterility– Marriage, Love unfulfilled Marriage, Love unfulfilled – Antonia?, Ole, Lena, Antonia?, Ole, Lena,

Decent vs. Indecent workDecent vs. Indecent work– Lena, Tiny, AntoniaLena, Tiny, Antonia

Gender RolesGender Roles

Can we make any generalizations Can we make any generalizations about the way men or women are about the way men or women are portrayed?portrayed?

What do you think Cather’s intention What do you think Cather’s intention might have been, in portraying might have been, in portraying gender in this way? gender in this way?

Gender RolesGender Roles

How are women and men portrayed in the How are women and men portrayed in the novel? novel?

Make a 2-column list of characters:Make a 2-column list of characters:– female characters in one column and the female characters in one column and the

corresponding male character (spouse) in the corresponding male character (spouse) in the other column. other column.

Label each of the characters with an Label each of the characters with an descriptive word/phrase about the descriptive word/phrase about the character in relation to otherscharacter in relation to others– Ex: “head of household”, “dominating”, Ex: “head of household”, “dominating”,

“passive”, “motherly”, etc.“passive”, “motherly”, etc.

Lit GroupsLit Groups

Gather with your Lit Groups to review Gather with your Lit Groups to review the first 3 books of our novel… begin the first 3 books of our novel… begin to share (or gather) examples from to share (or gather) examples from the text. the text.

This is time to gather evidence- so use This is time to gather evidence- so use time wisely! time wisely!

HomeworkHomework

Read My Antonia Read My Antonia Book IVBook IV

Next Class: The Next Class: The American Gothic! American Gothic!

Cather’s styleCather’s style

““Unfurnished”Unfurnished”– Cather compared it to throwing all the furniture Cather compared it to throwing all the furniture

out of a room and leaving it as bare as the out of a room and leaving it as bare as the stage of a Greek theater. stage of a Greek theater.

– Eliminated many adverbs, used strong verbsEliminated many adverbs, used strong verbs– Verisimilitude- the appearance of truth; the Verisimilitude- the appearance of truth; the

quality of seeming to be true quality of seeming to be true ImageryImagery

– Descriptions that appeal to the sensesDescriptions that appeal to the senses– Symbolism- Seasons, animals, ploughSymbolism- Seasons, animals, plough