In Antonia's situation, Jim didn't mean much other than friend, teacher and security. In Antonia's case, Jim's definition was "friend." Jim was his first friend in America. Both came from an outside region, so they had similarities. Antonia was also four years older than Jim. Even today, it is looked down upon to marry a younger man, so Antonia never really thought of Jim as a boyfriend. For Antonia, Jim was also a teacher. When JIm and her family first met at their home, it was clear that Antonia would be most likely to succeed in English. Her mother asked Jim to teach her daughter English on the first day. That day, Jim was Antonia's teacher. Finally, Jim's family cared about the Shimerdas. As practicing Catholics and good people, the Burdens provided the Shimerdas with the knowledge needed to survive in the country. Without the burdens, the Shimerda would most likely have died in their cave. When Mr. Shimerda committed suicide, the Burdens hired Antonia; this allowed Antonia to receive food and the Shimerdas to receive income. In Antonia's mind, she was grateful to have a friend like Jim Burden, but it was very different for her.