Rosicky Day In Park Place Analysis

This topic is seen further on in the story, where Anton Rosicky recalls when he first decided to get out of the city and move back to the country. Rosicky decides that he is fed up with life in the big city, and longs to return to the country, where he was raised for much of his life. He touches on his mother’s death, and his upbringing by his grandparents. After this, the narrator recalls that, “After that Fourth of July day in Park Place, the desire to return to the country never left [Rosicky]. To work on another man’s farm would be all [Rosicky] asked; to see the sun rise and set and to plant things and watch them grow. [Rosicky] was a very simple man. He was like a tree that has not many roots, but one tap-root that goes down deep” (Cather 9).

She touches on the fact that Rosicky does not have any desire to become a wealthy landowner, he only wishes to follow his dreams of going back to the country. Cather also uses phrases like “to plant things and watch them grow.” This phrase is written with a peaceful, yet optimistic tone and is used to to provide readers with the sense of serenity that she associates with the American Dream. In the latter part of the passage, Cather refers to Anton Rosicky as “a very simple man.” She makes the point that Rosicky is perfectly happy living a simple life as a farmhand. He doesn't feel the need to own his own land or be a businessman. She also uses a simile to compare Rosicky to a tree with one big, long, sturdy root. In doing this, Cather displays her beliefs that a person with a couple of sturdy roots will be happier than one with many roots, as they are less distracted with trying to spread themselves