Andrew writes:
I have constantly witnessed as an unbiased spectator on the sidelines, as I know you have too, the loss of all pre-distinguished morals and all human manner due to the immense influence that desperation brings upon our state of being. I believe it is this unbiased view that allows me to understand the justification of such unacceptable actions in terms of our societal norms as well as understand the disapproval of the individual that receives the negative half of the result produced through such actions. Being a young, still learning individual, I can give no solidified preference on my stand point of this matter, and if I did it I would not be able to explain it with satisfactory reasoning, but I believe Will Cather expressed her own view in this matter in subtle techniques and descriptions within her book “My Antonia”. Using the plot of a struggling immigrant family attempting to adapt to a new lifestyle, we are constantly given a sample of the Shimerda’s effects from struggle. These samples are those such as Mrs. Shimerda’s huge tantrum during the mid-winter visit as the Burdens find out the poor shape the Shimerdas are in as they are forced to live in caves and live off spoiled and rotten food. We get a taste of how this desperate situation has influenced Mrs. Shimerda when she immediately goes over to the Burdens to complain about such hard times by vigorously points at the rotting food and empty supply as proof of her desperation. This event is simulated less forcefully in other encounters between the two families such as when Mrs. Shimerda receives a free pot from Mrs. Burden after complaining about not having one of her own. Yet it is important to realize the different reactions we get from the characters in the book who endure the punishment of a neighbor’s desperation. Jim, being the youngest and possibly the most naïve, was probably the most offended and annoyed by the Shimerdas as he even “hope to never see them again” at one point. However, we also witness Mr. Burden, a man wise enough to even “predict the weather”, as he is more forgiving of the Shimerdas offensive actions as he seems to understand the pain they are being through. I believe it is no coincidence the difference in wisdom and opinions of this matter and that maybe Willa Cather just may be more forgiving than she is critical of such actions driven by times of trial.
Nina responds in the comments!
I must agree that, at times, tough situations can drive a person to go to desperate measures and forget themselves, and that the reactions to the resulting actions are varied. On the other hand, I must disagree that the characters that you mentioned lose "all pre-distinguished morals and all human manner." Mrs. Shimerda is a good example of a person who forgets themselves when under stress and turns to jealous remarks about other people. However, she is originally a selfish person and might have been impolite in instances before this; she was the one who wanted the family to move in the first place. I thought that she was being rather rude, but I wouldn't go so far as say that her remarks are completely "unacceptable." How acceptable they seem depends on how you look at it. Sometimes it is necessary to try to understand where she is coming from. The family is barely surviving when before they had been living a comfortable life; this is a very upsetting idea to contend with. In the end though, Mrs. Shimerda is not a bad person; she thanks Jim’s grandfather graciously for allowing her to keep the cow, and she gives his grandmother her precious dried mushrooms for all the help that she had received. In short, I think that Mrs. Shimerda is a self-interested person who can sometimes forget her place. Her remarks are merely shallow jabs to make herself feel better and they do not inflict any true harm.
ReplyDeleteA better example of this concept of losing oneself might be Peter and Pavel, who turned to sacrificing their own friends to save themselves. They were shunned for years for this despicable act; this is an action worthy of the title “unacceptable.” Even with such a story like theirs, I must agree with you that Cather tends to sympathize with the people like the Ukranians. She stresses the suffering that they went through for their past, has Pavel confess, and emphasizes Jim, “the youngest and possibly the most naïve,” and Antonia’s feeling of wanting to protect the two immigrants from the sharp criticism of other people. However, I am a little confused how you came up with this conclusion with the examples that you have. In your writing it seems that you are more critical of these actions than sympathetic. I think it would be a good idea to explore more about how Cather wanted these behaviors to be seen.
Nina