History Literature / MyAntonia

* LanguageBarrier: When the Shimerdas came to Nebraska, they could use only several very basic (and not entirely correct) expressions. Mr Shimerda asks Jim to teach his Ántonia English and promises him to give his nice gun once Jim grows up. Jim narrates about their language lessons and mentions how the Czech language sounded to him when they talked to each other and he didn't understand. Mr Shimerda has a hard time in Nebraska, but he cheers up a bit when he befriends two Ukrainian guys.

* SuicideIsShameful: [[spoiler:Ántonia's father]] shoots himself because he was too homesick and couldn't bear the hard life. The Shimerdas are Catholic while other familes in the neighbourhood are mostly protestants. Jim's grandparents are sympathetic to the poor family and another Catholic explains to them that for the Shimerdas, the suicide is a terrible blow with extra layer of suffering.

* PrecociousCrush: Jim has a crush on Ántonia although she's about 5 years older, which is a significant difference for teenagers. Ántonia likes Jim as whe would love a younger brother and she is somewhat aware of his feelings. His crush continues into his adulthood as his marriage is implied to be very loveless.

* PurpleEyes: DudeMagnet Lena Lingard has deep violet eyes. She's one of the four immigrant hired girls who work in town and who are considered great beauties. Jim is of the opinion that the eldest daughters in the first generation of settlers like Ántonia Shimerda or Lena were extraordinary and actually the most interesting people of the family, even though their families often favoured younger children (as they had better chance of becoming truly American). Later in the story, Jim and Lena are in an implied sexual relationship.

* LanguageBarrier: When the Shimerdas came to Nebraska, they could use only several very basic (and not entirely correct) expressions. Mr Shimerda asks Jim to teach his Ántonia English and promises him to give his nice gun once Jim grows up. Jim narrates about their language lessons and mentiones how Czech language sounded to him when they talked to each other and he didn't understand. Mr Shimerda has a hard time in Nebraska, but he cheers up a bit when he befriends two Ukranian guys.

** Ántonia is not all that common in America, but it was ''very'' common Czech name for girls of that time.

* PrecociousCrush: Jim has one on Ántonia although she's much older and it continues into his adulthood as his marriage is implied to be very loveless. He even tells her kids. It's really creepy.

A novel by Willa Cather set in Nebraska, telling a story focused on first generations of new settlers.
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* AnImmigrantsTale

** Antonia is not all that common in America, but it was ''very'' common Czech name for girls of that time.
* BreakTheCutie: Ántonia is a lovely, active girl who has faced more than a fair share of troubles - severe winters in poverty, her father's suicide, working in the fields like a man, taking care of her younger siblings, escaping a rapist (though her gut feeling prevented her from being attacked), her fiancé's abandonment, becoming a single mother (which was stigmatizing) – but she remains unbroken. What a girl. What a woman.

* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Mr Shimerda]] feels too desperate and too homesick that he sees no other way. He AteHisGun and caused a great distress to his family.

* FriendToAllChildren: Antonia is a natural-born mother and great with all children who in turn all love her back and adore her stories and her cooking.

* KindheartedCatLover: Yulka, Antonia's younger sister, has a cat and plays with it often.
* LanguageBarrier: When the Shimerdas came to Nebraska, they could use only several very basic (and not entirely correct) expressions. Mr Shimerda asks Jim to teach his Antonia English and promises him to give his nice gun once Jim grows up. Jim narrates about their language lessons and mentiones how Czech language sounded to him when they talked to each other and he didn't understand. Mr Shimerda has a hard time in Nebraska, but he cheers up a bit when he befriends two Ukranian guys.

** Ántonia ends up having a family of eleven children.

* PrecociousCrush: Jim has one on Antonia although she's much older and it continues into his adulthood as his marriage is implied to be very loveless. He even tells her kids. It's really creepy.
* PurpleEyes: DudeMagnet Lena Lingard has deep violet eyes. She's one of the four immigrant hired girls who work in town and who are considered great beauties. Jim is of the opinion that the eldest daughters in the first generation of settlers like Ántonia Shimerda or Lena were extraordinary and actually the most interesting people of the family, even though their families often favoured younger children (as they had better chance of becoming truly American). Later in the story, Jim and Lena are in an implied sexual relationship.

* SuicideIsShameful: [[spoiler:Antonia's father]] shoots himself because he was too homesick and couldn't bear the hard life. The Shimerdas are Catholic while other familes in the neighbourhood are mostly protestants. Jim's grandparents are sympathetic to the poor family and another Catholic explains to them that for the Shimerdas, the suicide is a terrible blow with extra layer of suffering.
* TomboyishName: Ántonia also goes by Tony.

** Ántonia is a natural beauty and has beautiful brown eyes. Jim describes her eyes as "big and warm and full of light, like the sun shining on brown pools in the wood".
** Lena has deep violet eyes -- very unusual colour. She's considered a great beauty with an exotic, Scandinavian touch.

* BreakTheCutie: Ántonia is a lovely, active girl who has faced more than a fair share of troubles - severe winters in poverty, her father's suicide, working in the fields like a man, taking care of her younger siblings, escaping a rapist (though her guf feeling prevented her from being attacked), her fiancé's abandonment, becoming a single mother (which was stigmatizing) – but she remains unbroken. What a girl. What a woman.

** Ántonia is a natural beauty and has beautful brown eyes. Jim describes her eyes as "big and warm and full of light, like the sun shining on brown pools in the wood".

** Antonia is not all that common in America, but it was ''very'' common girls' Czech name of that time.
* BreakTheCutie: Ántonia is a lovely, active girl who has faced more than a fair share of troubles -– severe winters in poverty, her father's suicide, working in the fields like a man, taking care of her younger siblings, escaping a rapist (though her guf feeling prevented her from being attacked), her fiancé's abandonment, becoming a single mother (which was stigmatizing) – but she remains unbroken. What a girl. What a woman.

* MassiveNumberedSiblings: Ántonia ends up having a family of eleven children, and her eldest daugher Martha has her first baby boy.

** Lena has deep violet eyes -- very unusual colour. She's considered a great beauty with a touch of exotic, Scandinavian beauty.

* WhatBeautifulEyes: Lena has deep violet eyes -- very unusual colour. She's considered a great beauty with a touch of exotic, Scandinavian beauty.

* AerithAndBob: Tiny Sodderball Anyone? Not to mention that Antonia isn't all that common either.

* FirstPersonPeripheralNarrator: Jim Burden. His narration speaks mostly of the fascinating people around him than of his own life, though it is clear from some throwaway lines near the end of the book that he has had an interesting one.