Antonia's Trials and TribulationsWhy do many immigrants undertake the long and usually expensive move to America? Is it the widely idolized idea that Americans are wealthier and have better opportunities? Additionally, is the price some people pay worth the risk? In My Ántonia by Willa Cather, Ántonia faces hardships as a young child, including language barriers, poverty, harsh living conditions, and the death of her beloved father. However, as Ántonia grows into a woman, she faces struggles of a social nature, such as the division of social and economic classes, as well as social opprobrium. While immigration to America can open many doors for immigrants, it also has many obstacles. Similarly, Ántonia faces many adversities after emigrating 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 to Nebraska with her family in search of better opportunities. Mrs. Shimerda moves her family, against her husband's wishes, because she believes there is more land and money for her sons and better husbands for her daughters (Cather 96). It is here that she meets Jim Burden, a neighboring orphan who arrives on the same train as her. Antonia and Jim quickly form a strong bond and become best friends. However, as they grow older, their lives take different paths that separate them. While Jim went to school, he continued his studies and became a lawyer; Antonia must stay put and work to help her family. Soon, Antonia falls in love with a man who leaves her single and pregnant. As a result, the town turns its back on her and she must return to work on the family farm. Finally, ...... middle of paper ......nia. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Print.Dykema-VanderArk, Anthony M. “A Glimpse of My Ántonia.” Literary Resource Center. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Information Resource Center. Internet. November 14, 2011. Gerber, Philip. “Chapter 3: The Brilliant Challenge.” Willa Cather. Philip L. Gerber. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1975. Twayne's United States Authors Series 258. Literary Resource Center. Internet. November 14, 2011. Miller, JR. E, Jacques. My Antonia: a frontier drama of time. American Quarterly. X.4. (Winter 1958): 476-84. Rep. In Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism: Excerpts from reviews of the works of novelists, poets, playwrights, short story writers, and other creative writers who died between 1900 and 1960, from the earliest published critical assessments to current assessments. Ed. Paula Kepos and Dennis Poupard. Flight. 31. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1989. 33-33. Print.