Adhering to Traditions

胡争艳

【Abstract】Willa Cathers novels mainly describe pioneers lives and American society in Westward Movement. Through My Antonia， Willa shows her adherence to pioneering spirit and European traditions.

【Key words】My Antonia； pioneering spirit； European traditions

Willa Cather， one of the most outstanding American writers， is interested in portraying pioneers lives and American society in Westward Movement. Her work My Antonia is a song of pioneers during this movement. In the novel， Willa eulogizes pioneering spirit and expresses her sorrow to vanishing European spirits and traditions. This paper tries to analyze how Willa adheres to pioneering spirit and European traditions through plots design in My Antonia.

When My Antonia was published in 1918， Westward Movement was over. The disappearance of frontier caused Willas uneasiness， for she worried that pioneering spirit will vanish with frontiers. In response， she arranges Antonias leaving for town. Being far away from lands， Antonia seemed to lose her pioneering and rebellious spirits. When Jim was hurt by Wick Cutter， Antonia just cried outside and packed up silently. In this period， Americans began to pursue luxurious life and young generation abandoned traditional values. Willa expresses her anxiety by Antonias addiction to dance—“she talks and thinks nothing but Vannis tent”. Willa criticizes capitalistic corruption on simple people and expresses her concerns with the fall of civilization by arranging Larrys cheating to Antonia.

Willa makes Antonia return to lands soon， for she cherishes the good time that she spent in Nebraska prairie. Antonia looked like two different people in the two different places. She regained pioneering spirit from lands and created her new life soon. She told Jim：“Id always be miserable in a city. Id die of lonesomeness. I like to be where I know every stack and tree， and where all the ground is friendly.” It is the land that provides Antonia with courage and strength. Countering to Antonia， Jim felt lonely and was depressed by material life， though he had gained success in a prosperous city.

Except pioneering spirit， Willa Cather treasures European traditions as well. At the beginning of the 20th century， “Melting Pot Theory” was quite popular in America. During the composition of My Antonia， President Wilson advocated immigrants giving up their original characteristics to melt with American mainstream culture. As a writer with strong social consciousness， Willa made her response in My Antonia by asserting that immigrants should persist in their cultural identity. However， in order to adapt to new environment， immigrants should not just indulge in their old time or abundant their identity absolutely. They should integrate into American civilization meanwhile keep their traditions and identities.

Without finding his cultural identity in the new world， Shimerda suffered desperate loneliness. He first smiled after coming to America when he met two Russians. Because Russia and Bohemia share similar cultural characters and their languages sound the same. Unfortunately， one Russian died and the other left. Shimerda felt gloomy and was often lost in thought sitting in his wood house. A strong sense of losing culture identity costs his life. And， Lina gave up her Norway identity totally but gained no happiness. Her movement from a village to a town， then to a metropolis indicates not only “the process of American industrialization and the realization of American dream”， but also her total Americanization. Antonia valued Bohemian traditions as well as her father. She insisted in teaching her children Bohemian and Bohemian customs. Through their children， Antonia maintained Bohemian traditions in the overwhelming white society. Meanwhile， Antonia tried to integrate into American modern civilization. She learned English from Jim at her first coming to America. In town， she mastered basic life skills which were used to manage her big family. Through Antonia， Willa realized her American dream—integrating into American culture as well as carrying forward pioneering spirit and preserving European traditions.

My Antonia reflects Willa cherishes traditional values in capitalistic society and concerns with modern civilization. Her expectations of sustaining pioneering spirit when Westward Movement is over and promoting ethnic groups traditional culture when melting pot theory is overwhelming in America come true through Antonia.

References：

[1]Chen Xu.A Study of the American Western Fiction.Beijing： Peking University Press，2004.

[2]Liang Yaping.American Literature.Shanghai：Donghua University Press，2004.

[3]Willa Cather.My Antonia.New York：Simon & Schuster，Inc.， 2004.

[4]Zhou Baodi.A Survey of Major English-Speaking Countries.Chongqing：Chongqing University Press，2004.