About this product

Product Information

Willa Cather's novels Oh Pioneers! and My Ántonia are at once accurate representations of life on the midwestern prairies in the era of their first settlement and continuations of a literary tradition that stretches back to Virgil and other classical writers who celebrated nature and pondered humanity's place within it. Both novels are given full literary treatment here with close examination of the timeless themes of love, loss, the transience of youth, and the influence of the land itself on people's lives. For readers who want to go beyond the subjects of these novels, to enter the places and eras Cather immortalized in her writing, this casebook also situates the two novels within their historical contexts with a rich array of documentation. Letters and journals from the late 1800s and early 1900s help readers understand the hardships and rewards of everyday life on the plains. Poignant personal accounts as well as government reports document the special challenges women and immigrants faced on the frontier. Readers will also be able to explore how the issues in Cather's novels continue to shape American culture today. Reports from congressional hearings and personal interviews give varied perspectives on the disappearance of the family farm and an USDA timeline chronicles the causes and ongoing ramifications of this important issue. Students and their teachers will find a wealth of valuable information for their classroom discussions and research projects in this interdisciplinary casebook. Each topic chapter offers ideas for oral and written exploration as well as lists of further suggested readings. Students will not only gain a better understanding of Cather's novels here, but will be able to make connections between their thematic concerns and contemporary social issues.

Product Identifiers

PublisherBloomsbury Publishing

ISBN-100313313903

ISBN-139780313313905

eBay Product ID (ePID)1975219

Product Key Features

Educational LevelHigh School, Elementary School

Number of Pages248 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication NameUnderstanding o Pioneers! and My Ántonia : A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents

Publication Year2002

SubjectSubjects & Themes / Historical events, General, American / General

TypeStudy Guide

Subject AreaLiterary Criticism

AuthorSheryl Meyering

SeriesThe Greenwood Press Literature in Context Ser.

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height0.6 in

Item Weight17.5 Oz

Item Length9.2 in

Item Width6.1 in

Additional Product Features

LCCN2001-050103

Dewey Edition21

Reviews"Meyering's casebook should prove a valuable asset to undergraduate students of both history and literature. The book opens with a very brief analysis of Cather's two novels, and then, more important, it offers historical materials related to the fiction: documents of Cather's own prairie experiences, things that hampered the progress of early pioneers such the invasion of locusts, the struggle to establish new communities, and the contrast in roles and expectations of men and women who expended these efforts. ...designed to invite young scholars to mull Cather's themes of "the passage of time and the (healing) power of memory" and to pursue knowledge about the places, eras, and issues relevant to American culture." Choice, "Meyering's casebook should prove a valuable asset to undergraduate students of both history and literature. The book opens with a very brief analysis of Cather's two novels, and then, more important, it offers historical materials related to the fiction: documents of Cather's own prairie experiences, things that hampered the progress of early pioneers such the invasion of locusts, the struggle to establish new communities, and the contrast in roles and expectations of men and women who expended these efforts. ...designed to invite young scholars to mull Cather's themes of "the passage of time and the (healing) power of memory" and to pursue knowledge about the places, eras, and issues relevant to American culture."- Choice, "...bring issues presented in the novels, up to the present day, highlighting the enduring relevance of the works. Most of the excerpts are brief and accesible but also timely and interesting, making them ideal for assignments." School Library Journal, "In addition to critique, students will find period and modern selections on topics related to the American frontier. This accesible volume will help readers place Willa Cather's work in the context of her time and appreciate her continuing relevance."- Curriculum Connections, "The topics may interest social studies teachers as much as the literary analysis will interest literature teachers. Recommended"- Gale-Reference Reviews, "...bring issues presented in the novels, up to the present day, highlighting the enduring relevance of the works. Most of the excerpts are brief and accesible but also timely and interesting, making them ideal for assignments."- School Library Journal

Target AudienceElementary/High School

Number of Volumes1 Vol.

IllustratedYes

Dewey Decimal813.52

Lc Classification NumberPs3505

Table of ContentIntroduction Fleeting Moments of Beauty: A Literary Analysis of O Pioneers! and My Ántonia Everyday Life on the Plains The Coming of the Railroad Another Country, Another Language: Foreign Born Pioneers Women on the Frontier The Disappearance of the Family Farm Index

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The Greenwood Press Literature in Context Ser.: Understanding o Pioneers! and My Ántonia : A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents by Sheryl Meyering (2002, Hardcover)