Andrew Cuevas Ms.

Martha Morton English II Honors January 14, 2014

My Antonia 1. Overall - how did you experience the book while reading it? I found the book quite interesting, especially since the author had divided the book into five sub-books. That was something I had never seen before, and it kept me interested throughout. Once I detected a love story theme between Jim and Antonia, I was hooked. 2. Were the characters convincing? I found the characters convincing, especially during the scenes where Antonia and Jim were together. You could feel the apparent chemistry that was between them. After Mr. Shimerda passes, the characters in the story retreat as a real family would, which draws the reader into the novel even more on an emotional level. 3. Which characters do you admire? I admired all of the characters, especially Jim. As a person devoted to his studying, he almost completely engulfs himself into school for the first two years after high school, then he leaves to Harvard. Another sad but admirable situation is when Antonia has a child with another man, who leaves her, and then she remarries. It saddened me because I was expecting Jim and Antonia to marry, but she did something against the norm of a supposed love story, which even deepened her character further.

4. What motivates a given characters actions?

Jims choice to leave for college was a challenge to him, especially since he had to leave Antonia. I dont know what I would have done. I believe in great education, but to choose that over someone you love is a tough decision I hope I never have to make. 5. Do any characters change in the novel? I assume all of them do in a way, the most noticeably being .Antonia. During and after the death of her father, you saw her really blossom into a woman, becoming independent in her own way. 6. Who would you like to meet from this book? I would love to meet Antonia. As she became a strong woman, I would ask her of her previous life in Bohemia, and how she can have the strength to endure her fathers death, and raise a family in the Nebraska prairie. 7. If you could become a character, who and why? I would want toe become Jim Burden. The life of a studious man who falls in love, but then leaves his love to go to school just interests be, but it would be a sad life. His eventual success intrigues me, and the fact that he eventually reunites in the end is amazing. 8. Is the plot well developed? I personally think the plot is very well developed, and I love how it for a little bit transitioned to the life of Jim in his school days. To me, the most developed part was the beginning, when Jim arrives and meets Antonia, and their friendship up until he leaves for school.

9. Is the story plot or character driven? The entire story is very plot driven, with the highlight being the separation between Antonia and Jim, not the individual characters. 10. Did you expect the ending?

In reality, I wanted Jim and Antonia to marry. But oh well, I found the ending alright at least. To me, the fact that he was able to visit her after all that time made it up in the end. 11. Would you rewrite the ending? Honestly, no. Even though, to me, the expected didn't happen, I was relieved that he eventually got to visit her in the end. 12. Quote a striking passage and explain it. She lent herself to immemorial human attitudes which we recognize by instinct as universal and true. I had not been mistaken. She was a battered woman now, not a lovely girl; but she still had that something which fires the imagination, could still stop ones breath for a moment by a look or gesture that somehow revealed the meaning in common things. She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last. All the strong things of her heart came out in her body, that had been so tireless in serving generous emotions. It was no wonder that her sons stood tall and straight. She was a rich mine of life, like the founders of early races. This quote, narrated by Jim, proves that he still has some feelings for Antonia, and that he finds her an extraordinary woman.