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O Pioneers By Willa Cather Essay

1341 Words6 Pages

“O’ Pioneers,” by Willa Cather, follows a group of frontiersmen trying to survive in the harsh conditions of the untamed west. The story follows the Bergsons, particularly the main character, a girl named Alexandra Bergson. Throughout the story, Alexandra grows up to her full potential, and we are able to see her character grow just as rich and mesmerizing as Willa hoped to achieve. Alexandra is the character that Willa decides to revolve her story around and throughout the book, directs the reader toward the understanding that I had while reading this novel; this story is most likely in part, a fictionalized version of her own life experience. In Cather’s later writings, it was revealed that Cather was involved in a relationship with a woman, …show more content…

She wondered how they could have helped loving each other.” This seems to imply judgment on Marie and Emil’s actions. An affair was also socially unacceptable for this time period, and I believe Alexandra’s reaction correlates with the idea that society imposed on individuals about what was acceptable.

Coming to a conclusion regarding how these points pertain to Willa Cather’s life, specifically as it pertains to Cather’s homosexuality. In Cather’s personal letters which are part of her other written works, Cather explains in detail about her homosexual relationship with Edith Lewis. This type of relationship was considered very socially unacceptable. Given the current times we live in, homosexuality is only now becoming more accepted. How does this relate to my thesis that Alexandra and the book “O’ Pioneers” is in some fashion related to Willa Cather’s real life?

First, I feel that the strong willed feelings of Alexandra represents the type of characteristics Willa Cather might wish to express in her own life, but feels unable to do so due to the imposed social influences of her time . Since, it was likely difficult for Willa Cather to be open about her sexuality, she instead wrote this novel to personify the very traits that she may have been unable to express in her own life without extreme

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