Throughout the 19th century, Europeans fled their native country to America to seek better opportunities. Although conditions in America were far greater than back home, it did not mean hardships disappeared. In fact, it was the complete opposite. In "My Antonia," a book by Willa Cather, the author describes the difficulties that European immigrants encountered in the Midwest of the United States, as well as how their determination and will to persevere in the face of adversity shaped their pioneer spirit.
One of the most paramount hardships European immigrants faced when arriving in America was the language barrier. Language barriers are a huge issue as it makes it difficult to communicate with your neighbors and more susceptible to being
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Antonia and her family lived in a small, cramped sod house on the Nebraska prairie, where the walls were made out of dirt and the floor was bare earth. While living there the family had to endure harsh winters and blistering summers and lacked the modern conveniences that many other Americans had. Another issue they ran into was the scarcity of food. In Chapter 10, this is illustrated by the author when the Burden’s visit the Shimerda’s residence. “Mrs. Shimerda snatched off the covers of two barrels behind the door, and made us look into them. In one there were some potatoes that had been frozen and were rotting, in the other was a little pile of flour” (Cather, 52). The Shimerda’s food was rotting and they did not have enough money to purchase any cows or chickens. They were willing to work in the fields, but the horrific weather would make them unable to. Even in the face of these challenges, European immigrants like Antonia showed an incredible amount of resilience and perseverance, which characterized their pioneer spirit. The family of Antonia, for instance, put a lot of effort into strengthening their living situation and eventually built a new house and farm. In order to maintain her family, Antonia herself worked tirelessly at any job she could