Emersonian Demeter: A Defense For Willa Cather

Willa Cather (1873-1947) is a quite controversial figure in American literature. Besides high commendations, she is criticized as an escapist. Because Cather's works cover wide aspects, while the critical stress of each school is different, this leads to partial opinions towards Cather and her literary works. Viewed by realism, Cather emerges as a writer who values sympathetic and selfless features of women; but viewed by romanticism, Cather emerges as a writer who exalts glorious egotism. These two comments seem irreconcilable. This thesis believes that we should analyze Cather's fictions in the tradition of American literature, and combine her life, experiences and consciousness with her works; and only in this way can we reveal the deep themes in her works and form proper understanding of Cather. In fact, the development of American literature is the combining process of realism and romanticism. It is out of this consideration, this thesis tries analyzing Cather's works by myth criticism. On the basis of reality, myth-archetype makes permanent exploration and pursuit of ideal, ego and the meaning of life. Therefore, it is convinced that Cather is not an escapist. With the imaginative creation and refinement, the material of her childhood and the changing social background have made her writing career to a peak. O Pioneers! is a milestone of Cather's literary creation, because in this book she first carried out the exploration of the wholeness of human beings and formed her own writing styles; and it was when writing this book that for the first time she showed satisfaction and would like to think she had fully depicted the prairie and her ideals. Since O Pioneers! has established Cather as a novelist of the first rank, this thesis chooses O Pioneers! to start the subject matter so as to make a defense for Cather by the comprehensive analysis of her protagonist Alexandra. Part One introduces the elements of Cather's creation-including her personal experience, social background, Emerson's influence on her literary vision and her literary background of myth. After introducing the necessity of myth criticism, Part Two lays emphasis on exploring the Emersonian themes by mythical approach and tries to reveal Alexandra's features embodied by the archetype of Demeter. The complexity and profundity of Cather's works rest upon their representation of such themes. Then Part Three makes a comprehensive assessment of Alexandra, that is,on one hand, Alexandra has been regarded as an Earth mother-Demeter who is identified with the land and devoted to it; on the other hand, she keeps her own identity and seeks her own desire. Since O Pioneers! has always been thought of as Cather's autobiography, the analysis of Alexandra reflects Cather's own thinking and desire. We may see Cather is indeed a progressive woman writer who has reflected the realities by her works. Therefore, the concluding part reassures Cather is not an escapist, and makes a defense for her position in American literature. On the basis of introducing the background knowledge, this thesis starts analysis by mythical approach, which solves the opposite opinions between realism and romanticism. To achieve greater originality, this thesis lays stress on the analysis of the material that other Cather critics have so far overlooked or have not given enough attention to and hopes to contribute to a better understanding of Cather's literary works and her position in American literary tradition.