Sexuality And Gender Norms In My Antonia

A Dissolving Line: How the theme of Sexuality and Gender Norms is Presented in Willa Cather’s My Antonia

Like immigrating to a new country with different customs, perspectives of sexuality and gender roles of the characters in Willa Cather’s My Antonia either seek to stay with traditional norms or seek to revolutionize and change those norms. In the 19th to early 20th century, women’s role in society improved and played a more prominent role in progressing America. In My Antonia, however, Jim’s characteristics fit a more romantic, idealistic, and outdated view of society: while Antonia is a realist, Jim is a romantic idealist. Sexuality and gender norms in My Antonia can be seen through masculine characteristics of Antonia Shimerda, the feminine characteristics of Lena Liegard, and the inner thoughts of Jim Burden.

Sexuality and gender norms play a big role in comparing the masculine characteristics of Antonia Shimerda. In My Antonia, Antonia plays a lot of roles unexpected for women at the time, and as a result, developed characteristics usually seen as unfit for women in her time. In Book 1, Antonia eagerly offers a “little chased silver ring she wore on her middle finger” (Cather, 31). Antonia’s offering

Jim is an ideal romantic, causing him to dislike the idea of women encompassing masculine traits. When Antonia offers Jim the silver ring, he declines the offer, thinking that it was “reckless and extravagant about her wishing to give it to a boy she had never seen before” (Cather, 31). Jim highlights the term “boy” as he believes that it is his duty to present a ring to others, not the other way around. Jim also began to view Antonia as disagreeable, noting that she “ate so noisily now, like a man” (Cather, 116). As a result of Antonia’s working in the field, she develops visible male characteristics, conflicting with Jim’s idealistic views of