The Trials and Tribulations of ÁntoniaWhy do many immigrants make the long and usually expensive move to America? Is it the widely idolized idea that Americans are richer and have better opportunities? Furthermore, is the price some pay worth the risk? In My Ántonia by Willa Cather, Ántonia faces hardships as a child, including language barriers, poverty, harsh living conditions, and the death of her beloved father. However, as Ántonia becomes a woman, she faces struggles of a social nature, such as the division of social and economic classes, as well as social contempt. While immigration to America can open many doors for immigrants, it is equally fraught with obstacles. Likewise, Ántonia faces many adversities after her emigration from Bohemia to Nebraska, which makes her a stronger person. My Ántonia is a novel that captures the struggles of early European immigrants and settlers. Antonia, a young Bohemian immigrant, moves with her family to Nebraska in search of better opportunities. Mrs. Shimerda moves her family, against her husband's wishes, as she believes there is more land and money for her sons and better husbands for her girls (Cather 96). It is here that he meets Jim Burden, a neighboring orphan who arrives on the same train as him. Antonia and Jim quickly form a strong bond and become best friends. However, as they grow older, their lives take different paths which lead them to drift apart. While Jim goes to school, he continues his education and becomes a lawyer; Antonia must stay and work to help support her family. In a short time, Antonia falls in love with a man who abandons her unmarried and pregnant. As a result, the town turns its back on her and she must return to the family farm to work. In the end,......middle of paper......nia. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.Dykema-VanderArk, Anthony M. “An Overview of My Ántonia.” Literary Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Literature Resource Center. Network. November 14, 2011.Gerber, Filippo. "Chapter 3: The Light Challenge." Willa Cather. Philip L. Gerber. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975. Twayne United States Authors Series 258. Literary Resource Center. Network. November 14, 2011.Miller, JR. And, James. My Antonia: a frontier drama of the time. American quarterly. X.4. (Winter, 1958): 476-84. Rpt. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism: Excerpts from criticism of the works of novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers, and other creative writers who died between 1900 and 1960, from the first published critical assessments to current assessments. Eds. Paula Kepos and Dennis Poupard. vol. 31. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1989. 33-33. Press.