Willa Cather

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at a range of Cather's short stories and novels that show that there are certain common characteristics in her works. These include common themes, common settings, common characters, and a common writing style. The paper looks at each of these features, utilizing various examples of Cather's work, including: "A Lost Lady"; "Lucy Gayheart"; "My Antonia"; "O! Pioneers"; "The Song of the Lark"; and "The Troll Garden".

From the Paper:

"One of Cather's common themes is based on the struggle of women, with Cather often presented undervalued, but heroic female characters. This is seen in the novel A Lost Lady, which details the life of Marian Forrester. Marian is married to an older man and they live in a small Midwestern town. Initially, it is seen that Marian is not well-respected by her husband and really only seen as a trophy wife. Marian proves her worth as a wife when her husband becomes ill, where she continues to take care of him. At the same time, Marian is not presented as a perfect woman, as she does begin having an affair because her husband is not capable of meeting her needs."

More papers on Willa Cather:

• Book Review # 120269 : "Myths Perpetuated in Willa Cather's "My Antonia"
• Analytical Essay # 60473 : "Willa Cather's "O Pioneers!"
• Analytical Essay # 9192 : "O Pioneers" by Willa Cather"
• Book Review # 93899 : "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather"

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