85 pages • 2 hours read
Willa CatherO Pioneers!
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1913A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Essay Topics
In what way(s) does Alexandra embody the Nebraskan landscape? How does Cather personify the land itself? Include three quotes from the text to support your answer.
In what way(s) is Alexandra a subversive character? How does Cather complicate this characterization in the final chapters of the novel? What does this characterization reveal about Cather’s themes?
Why do Oscar and Lou fail to get along with Alexandra? Who or what is to blame for the divisions in the Bergson family?
What symbolic or thematic role does the character of Ivar play? Why does Cather include Ivar as a secondary character in the narrative?
Which character best exemplifies the pioneer spirit? Which character least exemplifies the pioneer spirit? Compare and contrast these characters with reference to themes of sacrifice and the value of land.
How does the immigrant experience inform the development of character, plot, and conflict in this novel?
Which character do you most relate to? Why?
How does Cather use the changing seasons as a symbol? What is her message about growth, change, and reflection, and why is that message important to the novel as a whole?
Related Titles
By Willa Cather
