O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!,novel by Willa Cather, published in 1913.
John Bergson, a strong-willed Swedish immigrant, struggles to build a farm on the Nebraska prairie, aided by his wife, their sons Lou and Oscar, and his favorite, the capable, intelligent daughter, Alexandra. At his death, Alexandra assumes responsibility for the farm and the family, since her mother lacks ingenuity or determination, and her older brothers are obstinate and plodding, while her brother Emil is a child of five. She possesses the heroic, creative quality of the passing frontier, and over a period of years her faith in the soil is rewarded by rich harvests. She is not satisfied by her increasing prosperity, however, for after the departure of Carl Linstrum, who seeks a career as an engraver, she lacks companionship in a society of weaker and meaner individuals. Emil is now a grown youth, sensitive and intelligent, for whom Alexandra has great hopes, but he has a secret affair...
[The entire page is 229 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
