The Burdens: The Landscape Descriptions Of Antonia
I found books 2 and 3 to be particularly concerned with the American Dream, as many of the characters were growing up and moving away. The Burdens lose Jake and Otto to the west in the beginning, and soon after the Burdens move into town, Antonia becomes a servant for one of the neighbors. However, her servitude for the Harling family is short lived, and she soon quits and works for another family. She quit because the Harling family was disapproving of her social habits, especially that of going to dances. Although Antonia wanted to help support her family, her willingness to quit a job that tries to stifle her social suggests that she values enjoyment. Other characters, such as Jim and Lena, are much more work-oriented. Lena starts working
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While the first book was full of romantic descriptions of the land, the second and third books lack such detail. There are very few descriptions of the settings, likely because they take place in cities, which are common. The landscape descriptions of the previous books, on the other hand, showed readers a part of nature they had likely never seen before. The few descriptions that are included often take place at night, and the darkness does not lend a positive air to the city. The one passage that does include beautiful descriptions is when Jim, Antonia, and some of their friends go to the river. Compared to the rest of the books, this scene is very serene and happy. Although not all the conversation subjects are positive, like the death of Antonia’s father, the overall tone of the passage still remains pleasant. This suggests that country life, while sometimes difficult, offers something that city life cannot offer: the beauty of nature. The city may have some benefits, but the difference between the scene at the river and the scenes that place in the city reveal that country living is ultimately more
While the first book was full of romantic descriptions of the land, the second and third books lack such detail. There are very few descriptions of the settings, likely because they take place in cities, which are common. The landscape descriptions of the previous books, on the other hand, showed readers a part of nature they had likely never seen before. The few descriptions that are included often take place at night, and the darkness does not lend a positive air to the city. The one passage that does include beautiful descriptions is when Jim, Antonia, and some of their friends go to the river. Compared to the rest of the books, this scene is very serene and happy. Although not all the conversation subjects are positive, like the death of Antonia’s father, the overall tone of the passage still remains pleasant. This suggests that country life, while sometimes difficult, offers something that city life cannot offer: the beauty of nature. The city may have some benefits, but the difference between the scene at the river and the scenes that place in the city reveal that country living is ultimately more