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O Pioneers

Inspired by the Walt Whitman homage to the rugged individualism and perseverance of the American West and its pioneers, Willa Cathers’ O Pioneers demonstrates these qualities. The heroes in O Pioneers are the rugged frontier people who forged the American West. We find that those who are closest to the land and one with it are the real heroes and survivors responsible for the birthplace of American self confidence. Characters like Alexandra, Emil and Marie, Lou and Oscar and others demonstrate a variety of values that symbolize pioneer existence. These include self confidence, rugged individualism, inner strength and resourcefulness, and courage and endurance. The pioneers’ love of the land is best illustrated in the character of Alexandra Bergson. These pioneers exhibit endurance, vitality and optimism or they would not survive. Bergson is heroic in that above these qualities she shows great concern for the well-being and dignity of her fellow pioneers.

Alexandra is surrounded by a variety of rather dull and weak family members and friends. She recognizes the supreme power and beauty of the land with spiritual devotion. She understands that to endure it takes passion, optimism, self confidence, inner strength and courage. She is aware that many individuals are not of the stuff that can endure the frontier. As she explains, “But the great fact was the land itself, which seemed to overwhelm the little beginnings of human society that struggled in its somber wastes” (Cather 9).

We see the tragedies that often prevail among the pioneers, from the havoc wrecked on them by nature to the struggles faced by young couples in love. The love story of Emil and Marie is tragic. We see in the character of the bitter boy that Alexandra describes, not all of the pioneers are able to endure. Some of them lack the resourcefulness to endure against the harsh demands of pioneer existence and the land.

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O Pioneers. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 06:04, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1686031.html