An Ethical Literary Interpretation Of O Pioneers!

Willa Cather(1873-1947) is a prominent female writer in the first half of the 20 th century in American literature. She is renowned for her vivid portrayal of the life in American mid-western frontier, establishing an important status in the history of American literature. As a representative work of her Nebraska frontier series, O Pioneers! earns Cather a great fame. In this pithy novel, Cather eulogizes the undaunted pioneering spirit through a detailed description of the main characters and their painstaking efforts to reclaim the wild land.O Pioneers! is embodied with various ethical factors which are worth examining and researching. This thesis aims to undertake a systematic study of Willa Cather's ethical pursuit from the perspective of ethical literary criticism by exploring the ethical factors in this novel from four layers of relationships, namely, man-society, man-nature, interpersonal and man-self relationships. Moreover, the ethical significance of this novel is also intended to be illustrated.This thesis consists of six parts, with four chapters coming between the introduction and conclusion.The introductory part gives a brief introduction of the background information of Willa Cather and her literary works, the significance of this thesis and the research of O Pioneers! both at home and abroad. In addition, the theory of ethical literary criticism is also briefly introduced, which functions as the theoretical basis for further discussion.Chapter One decodes Cather's pursuit of truth in man-society relationship. In O Pioneers!, on one hand, Cather's mixed feelings, namely, the dissatisfaction with the indifference of the city and yearning for its advanced culture, is truly addressed, reflecting her authentic attitude towards the society of her time. On the other hand, the female protagonist Alexandra succeeds in constructing an affluent and ordered community which is also an embryo of Cather's ideal society, articulating Cather's praise for a harmonious relationship between man and society.Chapter Two focuses on man-nature relationship, reflecting Cather's pursuit of beauty in terms of this layer of relationship. Set in Nebraska prairie, O Pioneers! contains abundant natural scenes which are closely associated with the pioneers' life, making it possible to explore the relationship between man and nature. By criticizing old John's affront to land as well as his three sons' rapaciousness towards nature, and simultaneously, by molding Alexandra and Ivar as defenders of nature, Cather expresses her disapproval of anthropocentrism and appeal for the harmonious coexistence with nature.Chapter Three mainly discusses Cather's pursuit of goodness in interpersonal relationship. Based on the family and love relationships, this chapter, through a comparative analysis of complicated relationships among the main characters, concludes that Cather advocates an interpersonal relationship which rests on rational love, goodness and mutual understanding.Chapter Four conducts a systematical analysis of intrinsic man-self relationship. The female protagonist Alexandra experiences a transformation from rejecting femininity to awakening her female identity. Through a thorough investigation of Alexandra's dynamic mind-transcending process, this chapter unveils Cather's appeal for the sublimation of personality in man-self relationship.The last part is the conclusion. Grounded on the theory of ethical literary criticism, this thesis summarizes the abundant ethical factors which convey Cather's moral beliefs and ethical pursuit in O Pioneers!, and thus points out her efforts to purify social atmosphere, coordinate interpersonal relationships, advocate nature protection and pursue self-improvement. This thesis can bring certain practical significance to the construction of humanistic spirit and harmonious society.