An Interpretation Of My Antonia From The Perspective Of Narratology

Willa Cather(1873-1947)was an American woman literature giant in the 20 thcentury,and her masterpiece My Antonia was brilliant both in content and narrative techniques.This paper intends to interpret My Antonia from the perspective of narratology.Specifically,switch between internal and external focalization helped to make suspense,shorten the distance between narrator Jim and the characters,and convey Cather's recognition to the pioneering spirit�self-reliance,perseverance,and bravery,via narrator Jim.Because of his obsession with old life in Virginia and Nebraska,Jim shadowed his narration in dark touch of nostalgia;While Cather voiced implicitly that one shall try to reconcile with past and live at the moment by those seemingly unimportant stories.Moreover,Cather further manifested her advocate for feminist idea by Jim's admiration for the success of immigrant girls,typically Antonia.Meanwhile,order,duration,and frequency worked harmoniously to highlight what Cather valued most�the pioneering spirit and living at the moment.Conclusively,Cather conveyed her recognition to the pioneering spirit and advocate for the awakening of feminist idea by a series of narratological techniques.