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1、_WillaCatherUnit 16 NeighbourRosickyBrief IntroductionWillaCather(WillaCather,1873-1947),Americannovelist,shortstorywriter,poet.“The greatest woman writer since the founding of the United States ” “ A defender of spiritual beauty in the process of material civilization. ”ShewasborninVirginia,theageo
2、fninewiththefamilymovedtoNebraska,andgrewupintownsinthewesternprairies.InherchildhoodshemovedtotheMidwestNebraskawithhisparents.AftergraduatingfromtheUniversityofNebraskasheservedassecondaryschoolteachers,reportersandeditors. In 1944, she was a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts, the highest gol
3、d medal eligible hospital. Her work is known as American Literature pearl. Chronicle1873 -December7,borninBack Creek Valley, Virginia.1883-movestoRed Cloud, Nebraskawithherparents.1895-graduatesfromThe University of Nebraska, Lincoln.1896-takesaneditorialjobatthemagazineHomeMonthlyinPittsburgh, Penn
4、sylvaniaandwritesreviewsforthePittsburghLeader.1900-livesinWashingtonforafewmonthsandworksasacorrespondentfortwoPittsburghmagazines,andinMarchshereturnstoPittsburgh,whereshebecomesahighschoolteacheratCentralHighSchool.1902-travelsinEuropewithIsabellaMcClung.1903-publishesabookofpoetry,April Twilight
5、s,andmeetsEdith Lewis.1905-publishesacollectionofshortstoriesThe Troll Garden.1906 -movestoNew York City,whereshetakesapositionasmanagingeditoroftheMcCluresmagazine.1908-meetsandbefriendsNewHampshireregionalwriterSarah Orne Jewett,whobecomesagreatinspirationforherlaterworks.Shealsobeginstoshareanapa
6、rtmentwithEdithLewis,andtheylivetogetheruntilherdeath.WorksApril Twilights (1903)The Troll Garden (1905)Alexanders Bridge (1912)O Pioneers! (1913)The Song of the Lark (1915)My Antonia (1918)One of Ours (1922)A Lost Lady (1923)Archbishop (1927)The Professors House (1925)Shadows on the Rock (1931)Sapp
7、hira and the Slave Girl (1940)Thesenovelsannouncedherthemesofstrongwomen,thefightagainstprovinciallife,andthedyingofthepioneertradition.Writing features of Willa Cather s workslfullofvitalityandphilosophyandthefiguresarevivid.lnovelswithoutfurniture“lWillaCathersreviewandreappearNeighbour Rosicky Ne
8、ighbourRosickyisashortstorybyWillaCather.ItappearedintheWomans Home Companionin1930,underthetitleNeighborRosicky.In1932,itwaspublishedinthecollectionObscure Destinies.Part 1“NeighbourRosicky”isthestoryofa 65-year-old Czech farmer, Anton Rosicky,whonowresidesinNebraskawithhiswifeandsixchildren.Thesto
9、rybeginswithAntonat Dr. Ed Burleighs office,wherehelearnsthathehasabadheart.Thedoctorinformshimthathecannolongercontinuetoworkthefields,andshouldsticktolessstrenuouschoresaboutthehomeandbarn.TheRosickyfamilyskindnessisreflectedinDr. Burleighs (whomthefamilyreferstoas“Dr.Ed”)recollectionofthehospital
10、ityshownintheirhomeafterdeliveringaneighborsbaby.Hefeelssorryforthem,astheyneverflourishinlifedespitetheircompassionforothers.Part 2On his way home from the doctors, Rosicky stops at the general store to buy fabric and candy for his wife. Before returning home, he stops to admire the graveyard that
11、borders his property. The snow reminds him that winter brings rest for nature and man.Whenhearriveshomeheexplainstohiswifethathisheart“aintsogoodlikeitusedtobe.”Togethertheyrecalltheirlovingmarriage,andthedifferencebetweenthemselvesandtheotherfarmersinthearea.TheRosickysprefertolivehappyandkeeptheir
12、childrenhealthy,ratherthanhavingmoneyandsellingtheircreamofftoacreamery.Part 3Outofworry, Mary travelstoseeDr.BurleightofindoutmoreaboutRosickysheart.Afterhervisit,shetalkswithherboystomakesurethatheisnotdoinganythingtoostrenuous.Finally,Rosickystopsfightingandgivesintothedoctorsorders.Rosickyspends
13、histimethatwinterstayingindoorsdoingcarpentryandtailoring.Hekeptallofhistoolsinonashelfin“Fatherscorner.”Whilesewing,hebeginsthinkingabouthispasttailoringinNewYorkCitywhenhefirstcametoAmerica.Althoughhiswageswereadequate,hedidnotsaveanymoneybecauseheloaneditouttofriends,wenttotheopera,andspentitongi
14、rls.Hewasunhappyinthecity,andrealizedthatheneededtobeincontactwiththeearth;soattheageof35,hemovedwesttoNebraskatostartanewlifeasafarmer.Part 4Rosickysoldestson,Rudolph,andhis“American”wife,Polly,rentafarmcloseby.RosickyisworriedabouttheirmarriagebecausePollyisacitygirl,notusedtohavingtobeonafarm.Hei
15、sconcernedthatbecauseofPollysunhappiness,Rudolphwilltakeajobinthecitywherehecanmakemoremoney,andshecanbearoundthelifesheisaccustomedto.RosickyofferstoloanthemthefamilycartogointotownonthisandfutureSaturdayevenings.Tomakesuretheygooutthatnight,RosickyalsodoesthedishesandcleansupthekitchenforPolly.Par
16、t 5OnthedaybeforeChristmas,RosickyisremindedofhistimeinLondon,wherehewasfacedwiththedifficultiesoffindingfoodandshelter.Hebeginstoworryaboutthecropsandiftheywillbeabletohandlethetoughwinterthatisaheadofthem.MaryattemptstolightenthemoodbyremindinghimofayearinwhichtheheatdestroyedthecropsaroundtheFour
17、thofJuly,andhowheshowednodespairatthattime.rNewYearsdinner.Thisisfollowedbynumerousstoriestoldbackandforthamongstthefamily,oneofwhichrecountsanepisodewhenRosickywasinLondonandstoleagoosefromhislandlady.Afterwards,hefeltsuchguiltthathesearchedthecitytofindawaytoreplaceit,eventuallymeetingwealthyCzech
18、swhogavehimthemoneyheneeded.Pollyisextremelymovedbythisstory,anddecidesthatshewantstoinviteRudolphsfamilytotheirhomefoPart 6Attheendofthestory,Rosickyimaginesthefutureofhischildrenandhopesthattheydonotsufferlikehedidthroughoutthebeginningpartofhislife.RosickygoestoRudolphsfarmtohelphimtendtothealfal
19、fafield.Thestrenuouslaborcauseshimtohaveaheartattack,andPollycomestoRosickysaidandcallshim“Father”forthefirsttime.Sherealizesthathisgratefulnessandcompassioncomesacrossasalovethatnoonehasevershownherbefore.RudolphandPollylatertakeRosickybacktohishome,wherehediesthenextmorning.Attheendofthestory,Dr.B
20、urleighstopsatthegraveyardwhereRosickyisburiedtopayhisrespects.HereflectsonRosickysfulfillinglifeandhowit“seemedtohimcompleteandbeautiful.”RosickyasImmigrantBoyhoodinruralBohemia(age12)TeenageyearsinLondonsCheapside,poortailorsapprentice(age12-20)single,youngadultlifeinNewYork,tailor,learnedEnglish(
21、age20-35)laterlifeasNebraskafarmer,afamilymanandlandowner(age35-65)ConflictsImmigrantlifeVSModernismstructureCountryVSCityImmigrantVSAmericanAworkofmodernism,triestounifyabrokenworldthroughthelifeamanwhobridgescontradictions.ThemesLiterary CriticismWillaCathermigratedin1883withherfamilytotheplainsof
22、Nebraska.Thismovegaveherfirsthandexperienceinordertowritestoriesoftheimmigrantexperience.CliftonFadiman,inareviewofCatherswork,states“noonehasbettercommemoratedthevirtuesoftheBohemianandScandinavianimmigrantswhoseenterpriseandheroismwonanempire.”In“NeighbourRosicky”Catherportraysa realistic image of the immigration and settlement process,throughAntonRosickysstory.ShespecificallyrepresentstheCzechimmigrantidealswhichareindependence,hardwork,familyunity,andfreedom.TheendThankYou!
