Antonia embodies the philosophy that happiness comes from within, that it “comes as naturally as sleep.” Antonia, like many women and immigrants in the earlier twentieth century, faces unquestionable hardships throughout the story as she adjusts to a new life. Yet, the quintessence of her character remains relatively unchanged every time Jim revisits her. Jim first describes Antonia as an eager companion and someone who “had opinions about everything, and she was soon able to make them known” (Book I, Chapter IV). The author characterizes her as a vibrant child and full of energy, qualities exhibited by confident and happy children despite the fact that Antonia is in a new environment and possesses a limited understanding of English. Happiness