Reflection "o' Pioneer"

The story that we read today was "from O Pioneers" and it took place in Nebraska during the time of the late 1800s(Cather). At this same time this new idea was sweeping the nation. This so called idea or movement was Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the idea that it was the people's destiny or fate to come to the United States and settle event thought they were kicking innocent Native Americans out and actually mass murdering them during what is now known as the Trail of Tears. This whole movement made the Americans or Europeans at the time rather think that they were so much better than everyone else and actually helped develop some of the issues of racism further. It was and still is a pretty controversial issue. The Americans not only performed what was basically a genocide but they also paid them off to go settle in places like Canada. Native Americans that made it through all of this got stuck in the parts of land that nobody wanted and were and still are living on these Indian Reservations in poor conditions. This makes some big problems and makes the Americans look arrogent and pretty much like terrible people. They felt this sense of self pride like they were so much better than everyone else which goes against both Emerson and Thoreau because both of them believed in equality and were against racism. The American settlers at the time did not reat people equal and were pretty racist to both blacks and Native Americans.

During the Story from O Pioneer, Alexandra and Emil ingage in an arguement on whether or not they should move out of their land in nebraska after the corn crops have failed. Alexandra was against moving because she still believed in the land as where Emil thought they needed to move and find better land. The story then takes a huge leep sixteen years later and it looks like they decided to go with Alexandra's beliefs and they stayed in Nebraska. The two remained patient and sixteen years later the land was succesful due to the new farming techniques and maybe they got to be better farmers. The land they owned has been paid off and they are benefitting and making a profit. At the end of the story Emil is killed becasue he is found laying in the orchard next to Marie. He was always a little bit shady and sketchy and seemed like he always wanted Marie even though he was in a different relationship. Frank finds them and shoots them(Cather)...

A realism characteristic is that choices are shaped from your enviroment which is similar to the raional period(Diamond). This shows through during this piece when Emil and Alexandra are making the choices of what to do with their land.

Cather, Willa. "from O Pioneers!." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 489. Print.

Diamond, Marie Josephine, ed. "realism." Encyclopedia of World Writers, 1800 to the Present. New York: Infobase Publishing, 2011. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= GEWW480&SingleRecord=True (accessed February 21, 2012).