1. Welcome to “the world of ideas”…

2. Today Review key themes & main ideas Review key themes & main ideas –Symbolism- the PLOW –Allusions- VIRGIL (maybe) –Gender Roles (maybe) Flesh out oral presentation/essay ideas Flesh out oral presentation/essay ideas

3. Symbolism The Plough, a key symbol in My Ántonia What do you think it symbolizes? What do you think it symbolizes?

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

7. Symbolism of the Plough Agriculture waning as industrialization rises Agriculture waning as industrialization rises American dream of immigrants American dream of immigrants Sense of energy- forward motion Sense of energy- forward motion –(Where is Jim on his life path at this point in the novel?) Plough + sun = life-giving, fertility Plough + sun = life-giving, fertility Setting sun of Jim’s childhood Setting sun of Jim’s childhood

8. Reminder…Allusion An implied, indirect, or direct reference, especially in literature; An implied, indirect, or direct reference, especially in literature; also : the use of such references also : the use of such references Previous example: “The Old Oaken Bucket” – poetry in the pocket of the suicidal tramp

9. More allusions in My Ántonia Virgil- The Aeneid, Georgics Virgil- The Aeneid, Georgics –“The best days are the first to flee.” –Celebration of farming life –Bringing the muse to his country –What is Jim’s recent insight from Virgil? Camille Camille –A novel/play about an ailing young woman who must choose between a man who loves her and a callous baron who wants her La Traviata La Traviata –“The Woman Who Strayed”, “The Fallen One” –Pretty Woman How do these allusions fit with the Themes in My Ántonia?

10. The muse How do you think the muse is functioning for Jim? How do you think the muse is functioning for Jim? …for Cather? …for Cather?

11. Reminder: Themes Nature as a character/force Nature as a character/force Immigration/Exploitation Immigration/Exploitation American Dream (values, beliefs, cowboys, and the frontier) American Dream (values, beliefs, cowboys, and the frontier) Coming-of-age Coming-of-age Town vs. Country Town vs. Country Role of Women, Gender relationships Role of Women, Gender relationships Nostalgia Nostalgia Fulfillment/Happiness/Fertility vs. Memories/Longing/Sterility Fulfillment/Happiness/Fertility vs. Memories/Longing/Sterility

12. Themes/motifs related to gender Role of women Role of women Fulfillment/happiness/Fertility vs. Memories/Longing/Sterility Fulfillment/happiness/Fertility vs. Memories/Longing/Sterility –Marriage, Love unfulfilled –Antonia?, Ole, Lena, Decent vs. Indecent work Decent vs. Indecent work –Lena, Tiny, Antonia

13. Gender Roles Can we make any generalizations about the way men or women are portrayed? Can we make any generalizations about the way men or women are portrayed? What do you think Cather’s intention might have been, in portraying gender in this way? What do you think Cather’s intention might have been, in portraying gender in this way?

14. Gender Roles How are women and men portrayed in the novel? How are women and men portrayed in the novel? Make a 2-column list of characters: Make a 2-column list of characters: –female characters in one column and the corresponding male character (spouse) in the other column. Label each of the characters with an descriptive word/phrase about the character in relation to others Label each of the characters with an descriptive word/phrase about the character in relation to others –Ex: “head of household”, “dominating”, “passive”, “motherly”, etc.

15. Lit Groups Gather with your Lit Groups to review the first 3 books of our novel… begin to share (or gather) examples from the text. This is time to gather evidence- so use time wisely!

16. Homework Read My Antonia Book IV Read My Antonia Book IV Next Class: The American Gothic! Next Class: The American Gothic!

25. Cather’s style “Unfurnished” “Unfurnished” –Cather compared it to throwing all the furniture out of a room and leaving it as bare as the stage of a Greek theater. –Eliminated many adverbs, used strong verbs –Verisimilitude- the appearance of truth; the quality of seeming to be true Imagery Imagery –Descriptions that appeal to the senses –Symbolism- Seasons, animals, plough