Understanding O Pioneers! and My Ántonia A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents

Subjects:

• Literature » American Literature

Reviews:

• Meyering's casebook should prove a valuable asset to undergraduate students of both history and literature. The book opens with a very brief analysis of Cather's two novels, and then, more important, it offers historical materials related to the fiction: documents of Cather's own prairie experiences, things that hampered the progress of early pioneers such the invasion of locusts, the struggle to establish new communities, and the contrast in roles and expectations of men and women who expended these efforts. ...designed to invite young scholars to mull Cather's themes of "the passage of time and the (healing) power of memory" and to pursue knowledge about the places, eras, and issues relevant to American culture.
  —Choice January 2003
• In addition to critique, students will find period and modern selections on topics related to the American frontier. This accesible volume will help readers place Willa Cather's work in the context of her time and appreciate her continuing relevance.
  —Curriculum Connections Spring 2004
• ...bring issues presented in the novels, up to the present day, highlighting the enduring relevance of the works. Most of the excerpts are brief and accesible but also timely and interesting, making them ideal for assignments.
  —School Library Journal January 2003
• The topics may interest social studies teachers as much as the literary analysis will interest literature teachers. Recommended
  —Gale-Reference Reviews September 2002

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Fleeting Moments of Beauty: A Literary Analysis of O Pioneers! and My Ántonia
• Everyday Life on the Plains
• The Coming of the Railroad
• Another Country, Another Language: Foreign Born Pioneers
• Women on the Frontier
• The Disappearance of the Family Farm
• Index