Term of Award
Summer 2018
Degree Name
Master of Arts in English (M.A.)
Document Type and Release Option
Thesis (restricted to Georgia Southern)
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Department
Department of Literature and Philosophy
Committee Chair
Caren Town
Committee Member 1
Gautam Kundu
Committee Member 2
Olivia Edenfield
Abstract
Willa Cather’s Nebraskan novels, O Pioneers! and My Antonia, have androgynous female protagonists that inspire their romantic partners to build financial security, pursue higher education, and seek geographical relocation in order to be successful men. Cather’s heroines are focused, determined, and confident whereas the men are restless, and purposeless. This thesis explores the interplay between Alexandra Bergson, Carl Linstrum, and Emil Bergson in O Pioneers! and Antonia Shimerda and Jim Burden in My Antonia to discover Cather’s purpose for using androgynous characters to motivate masculine success.
Recommended Citation
MLA
Research Data and Supplementary Material
No
