O'Pioneers is Still Modern

On the back of the copy of my novel it is stated that Willa Cather is "one of America's greatest women writers." This being said, many writers have not even heard of her. I certainly had not. Upon reading her most famous novel, O Pioneers!, I can say that she certainly is one of the most relevant of this period. Her writings on the pioneer lifestyle of the premiere generations of farmers trying to tame the wild land of the west still reflects, to a certain point, the struggles of modern farmers. The relevancy of the book is demonstrated through several ideas, including the struggle against the land to grow crops where very little life exists, the idea of families stay on the farms for generations, and the techniques being guarded for generations as the most valuable things the family has claim over.

The first aspect of O Pioneers! that carries over to modern day is the idea of having to fight to succeed, especially against the land. My grandfather is a farmer in New Hampshire. He gave up the life of prosperity and luxury to do something he really loves. He grows his own food through a relatively small garden and uses the animals to procure the land. This is the life hundreds of thousands of immigrants envisioned for themselves back at the turn of the 20th century. They wanted to have a life of peace and solidarity within a community of people who help each other out. The sense of community is best demonstrated by the community coming forward to help Emil when his kitten climbs up a pole on page 5. The whole of the town comes out to help Emil get his kitten back. This scene shows what a community this city is. Carl, another boy, immediately climbs the pole to get the kitten down. The sense of family goes beyond the actual family. This idea is also shown by John Bergson's desire to cultivate the land. On page 14, John's story is told of how he "spent his first five years on the Divide getting into debt, and the last six getting out." He was willing to sacrifice it all to give his family a better life, a common principal amongst farmers and immigrants at this time.

The thought of someone breaking away from this tight knit community at this time was considered preposterous. When Emil goes away to school, he knows it is only to return to the farm a few years later. There is an option to stay in the city, an option that was taken by someone in their family. One of John Bergson's younger brothers had long ago "given up the fight" and "gone back to Chicago" (pg 14). It is not a foreign concept, to return to the big cities, but it is one looked down upon. This is why the brothers are so surprised when Alexandra welcomes Carl back with arms wide open. He went out, tried the real world, and returned to the farm life expecting to pick up where he left off. Once one has left the farm, they are not easily welcomed back.

When John Bergson is on his death bed, he calls in his daughter to entrust her with the secrets of farming the land. The techniques of farming are held close to the chest. While Crazy Ivan is willing to tell Alexandra what he feels will work on the land, he would not tell this to just anyone. Ivan gives Alexandra advice that allows her animals alone to survive the harsh season. As was demonstrated by John, these trade secrets are passed on to children only. Crazy Ivan, who had no children, considered Alexandra worthy of knowing his family's secrets. This is a huge honor, something that is not lost on Alexandra.

All three of these tie into the modern farming issues. Every year, peoples' crops are killed from the land's inability to be tamed. Even this year in Florida, a frost so brutal came unexpected and claimed many citrus fruits from unsuspecting farmers. To say that we have the climate under control is delusional. Families are still expected to help out on the farms. My uncle dropped out of high school to help on the farm when he was in the ninth grade. When he told my grandfather five years later that he was not going to stay on the farm, my grandfather was heart broken. All of his children moved away. His grandchildren, myself mainly, go and visit to try and learn from him before the traditions are lost. All over the country, this is becoming all to common a practice. For these reasons, and many more, O Pioneers! is a very relevant modernist piece that should be enjoyed by people for generations both now and to come.


Works Cited
Cather, Willa. O Pioneers!. Bantam Books, July 2008: New York, New York.
My Grandfather's history, as told by Paul Edward Glazer.