Setting the white bear right: Willa Cather's use of folk narratives in ``O Pioneers!,'' ``My \'Antonia,'' and ``Shadows on the Rock''

Abstract

"Setting the White Bear Right: Willa Cather's Use of Folk Narratives in O Pioneers!, My A'ntonia, and Shadows on the Rock" examines Cather's incorporation of Marchen, legends, myths, and personal experience narratives in three novels concerning the immigrant experience in North America. Cather uses these folk narratives principally to emphasize two essential ideas. First, she uses them to show that the successful pioneer is one who adapts his or her Old World past to suit the needs of the New World. Second, and more importantly, she links the stories of the Nebraskan and Canadian frontiers with well-known narratives, such as myths, saints' legends, and fairy tales, to stress the significance of the pioneer struggle and the lives of those engaged in it.