Willa Cather and "The Storyteller": Hostility to the Novel in My Ántonia
Author(s): Richard H. Millington
Reviewed work(s):
Source: American Literature, Vol. 66, No. 4 (Dec., 1994), pp. 689-717
Published by: Duke University Press
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RichardH.
WillaCatherand "TheStoryteller":
totheNovelinMyAntonia
Millington Hostility
Roseobserved
thatitis beomeyearsago,Phyllis
thatwe
ofcritical
description
cause Cather'sworkresistsourcustoms
American
writer.
heras anindispensable
havebeenso lateinrecognizing
ofMyAntonia,
onebuiltupona striking
I hopetooffer
a newdescription
thatbookandWalter
1936essay"TheStorybetween
Benjamin's
affinity
theconstriction
against
Atthecenterofeachworkis a protest
teller."1
ofmodern
characteristic
ofexperience
life,andineachworkthatprotest
assoandexperiences
ofan attack
takestheform
upontheassumptions
visionof
ofthealternative
andanendorsement
ciatedwithnovelreading
oforalstorytelling.
Eachwriter
isat
bythetradition
meaning
exemplified
narrative
andforward,
oncelooking
backward
drawing
upona vanishing
modern
textual
tradition
todefine
analternative,
practice.
paradoxically
thatavoidswhat
MyAntonia
a wayofreading
Benjamin's
essaysuggests
thatseemto
intheapproaches
andassumptions
forme is unsatisfying
ofthenovel:honorific
built
accountsofits "form"
dominate
criticism
so rarefied
as toproduce
"memory,"
"cycles")
uponabstractions
("time,"
eitherat
a disembodied
Platonicidealofa book;a punitive
moralism,
ofsomepsychoanalytic
characteristic
JimBurden's
expenseorCather's,
andfeminist
as self-evident,
thatthebook
criticism;
thenotion,
treated
initspurposesandinthepleasures
nostalgic
is transparently
ornaively
givesus a wayto see
usedheuristically,
it offers.2
"TheStoryteller,"
toinfer
from
the
whatis boldestandmostinteresting
aboutMyAntonia,
of
it: the"form"
book'sbehavior
uponthepagetheethicsthatanimate
between
twokindsofnarcanbestbe described
as a contest
MyAntonia
rative-anintergeneric
forthepossession
ofJimBurden
andfor
combat,
ofthereader,
theallegiance
between
thestoryanditsvaluesandthose
ofthenovel.
X)1994byDuke
1994.Copyright
66,Number
4, December
Volume
American
Literature,
Press.CCC 0002-9831/94/$1.50.
University
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Literature
690 American
"The Storyteller"
useful-"counsomething
storycontains
everyauthentic
ForBenjamin,
is a personcapableofexchanging
thestoryteller
sel,"or"wisdom"-and
the
meansnotsimply
Benjamin
By"counsel"
thatwisdomwithothers.3
ofthestoryas a
thatsometalesyieldbutthefelteffect
moralsormaxims
thestoryteller's
art,partoftheexperibecomes,through
whole,which
then,a decline
of
registers,
storytelling
of
The
decline
ence thelistener.
(86)-and henceofcounselabout
ofexperience"
inthe"communicability
middle-class
life,especially
ofmodern
it-occasionedbytheconditions
into
inbothworkandleisure,from
thecommunal
life,withitsretreat,
clear
instorytelling
becomeespecially
theprivate.The valuesimplicit
media(eachassociated
thetwoprint
against
whenthestoryis measured
it:thenovel
ofthemiddle
class)thathavesupplanted
withthedominance
calls"information."
Benjamin
writing
andthejournalistic
ofthestoryto thenovelandthe
locatesthesuperiority
Benjamin
While
callsforth.
inthenature
oftheresponseeachmedium
newspaper
chastecomreticence-"that
and explanatory
a story'scompression
(91)-conferuponthe
analysis"
psychological
pactnessthatprecludes
eventsnowarrive
independence,
interpretive
an untrammeled
listener
theirstatusas "information"
robbing
"shotthrough
withexplanation,"
calls"amplitude"
andeffect
Benjamin
themoftheopennessofmeaning
ifthequalities
ofthe
-and evenitsreader,
placesitshearer
(89).4A story
ofthe
evoked-"inthecompany"
havebeensuccessfully
oraltradition
meditakesa storyin,almostcorporeally,
(100).A listener
storyteller
the
intohisownexperience";
finds
it"integrated
tatesuponitatleisure,
andthelistener's
to
impulse
isitsclaimuponthememory
signofitseffect
isa "solitary
bycontrast,
repeatthetaletoothers(91).Thenovelreader,
desiretoseize
bya fierce
thewriter
(87),isolatedevenfrom
individual"
oflife"thetextseemsto
"meaning
uponandpossesstheoverarching
"suspense,"
fuelsnovelistic
ofthisdesire,which
The intensity
promise.
ofourlackofthecounsel
a symptom
ofourmodernity,
is itselfaneffect
jealousreader,at
The novelcreatesa driven,
storiesoncecontained.
as thefire
upthematerial
andconsuming,
"swallow[ing]
onceconsumed
unfolding
and
in
for
the
plot's
(100),hungry
devourslogs thefireplace"
thatwillmakesenseofitall.Intheabsenceofa
fortheimplicit
analysis
thereadervicariofthemeaning
ofhisorherownexperience,
conviction
byBenjamin
thatthenovel'sending-construed
ouslyseeksthemeaning
upon
significance
retrospectively,
as analogous
tothedeaththatconfers,
a humanlife-willafford
itscharacters.
"Whatdrawsthereaderto the
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inMyAntonia691
totheNovel
Hostility
novel,"hewrites,"isthehopeofwarming
hisshivering
lifewitha death
he readsabout"(100-01).
Storytelling
thusemergesfromBenjamin's
essay,as it willfrom
Cather'sbook,as a distinctive,
locatedeconsociallyandhistorically
omyofmeaning,
valuablebecauseitdefines
an alternative
to thetelosdriven,intensely
private,
psychologizing
formofseekingthatcharacterizesmiddle-class
experience
andthatnovelreading-that
culture's
dominant
form-atonceexpressesandintensifies.
literary
Benjamin's
ofthestory
anatomy
includes
otherelements
thatwewillrecognize
when
we turntoMyAntonia,
elements
thatinvite
us tounderstand
storytellingbothas a narrative
form
andas implying
a stancetoward
experience,
a wayoflife,a culture.First,storieshavea richanddistinct
relation
to thematerial
conditions
thatproducethem.Storytelling
is intimately
connected
to particular
kindsofwork,notably
thatofthefarmer
and
theartisan(84-85). In analogyto agricultural
andartisanal
work,the
storyteller's
relation
to hiscraftis imagined
to be intimate
andbodily.
This"artisan
form
ofcommunication"
doesnot"aimto conveythepure
likeinformation
orreport"
but"sinksthething
essenceofthething,
into
inordertobring
thelifeofthestoryteller,
itoutofhimagain.Thetraces
ofthestoryteller
ofthepotter
clingtothestorythewaythehandprints
clingto theclayvessel"(91-92)-the metaphors
ofembodiment
sugas theywillinCather,
anexchange
ofmeaning
moredirectand
gesting,
primary
thanthenovel'ssubstitutions
anddisplacements.
Andthestory
is
as iftomarkandmeasure
notonlyintheteller
embedded,
itsusefulness,
butin thedistinctive
context
ofitstelling;
we customarily
hearabout
itsoriginal
occasionandtheresponses
itprovokes.
Second,storytelling
incultures
thrives
wheredeathis a distinctly
feltpresence,
anditsmoderndeclineis linkedto death'sincreasing
from
sequestration
everyday
Thisis becausedeathmakespossibletheemergence
ofthe
experience.
thefluxofindividual
storyfrom
themeaning
ofa human
experience;
life,
andthewisdom
orcounselthatattends
uponit,onlybecomeidentifiable
andtransmissible
at themoment
ofdeathorthrough
thefeltimplication
ofthatend.Thus"Deathis thesanction
ofeverything
thestoryteller
can
tell.He hasborrowed
hisauthority
from
death"(94). Finally,
incontrast
totheprudential
ofmiddle-class
economy
life,thestoryteller
givesaway
hisexperiential
inhisopenhanded
capital,suggesting
relation
totherean alternative
ceptivelistener
tothemarketplace's
customary
forms
of
"heis themanwhocouldletthewickofhislifebe consumed
exchange:
ofhisstory"
completely
bythegentleflame
(108-09).
I haveperhapsquotedenoughofBenjamin's
essayforthereaderto
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692 American
Literature
heartheelegaicnotethatgives"TheStoryteller"
itspowerandbeauty.
Butforall thepalpablenostalgia
ofthisevocation
oftheculture
ofpreindustrial
work,it is important
to see, as PeterBrookshas argued,
is notsimply
thatBenjamin
lamenting
a lostartbut"waging
a combatintheadvanceguardortherearguarditis hardtosay-against
whether
thesituation
ofanytextinthemodern
He is advocating
world."5
nota
return
totheland,theshop,orthestorycirclebuttherecovery
andreanimation,
through
theinevitably
literary
simulation
oftheoral,ofsome
ofthepossibilities
andvaluesthatstorytelling
generates:
a kindofwisdommorecapaciousthanexplanation;
an opening
up ofthecustomary
categories
ofmoral
judgment;
theanimation
ofanethicofcommunal
exinBrooks's
tothe
change-"narrative
as gift,"
words-as analternative
silenceandsolitudeofprivate
consumption.
Modernevocations
ofthe
oraltale,Brooksargues,donotexactly
tothenovel"
stand"inopposition
"thenovelto reclaimsomething
thatit has lostfromits
butchallenge
ofvoice."6
heritage:
thesituation
oflivecommunication,
thepresence
I willbe arguing
thatCatheraimsto achieveinMyAntonia,
through
oforalstorytelling
hersimulation
andtheattackon novelistic
values
andcultural
thekindofliterary
renovation
shesimultaneously
conducts,
Benjamin
hasinmind.7
Mypointis notthatCather's
bookis interesting
insofar
as itresembles
Benjamin's
admirable
essay,butthattheaffinitiesbetweentheworksencourage
us to identify
withnewclarity
My
Antonia's
interests
andpurposes,
tosee thatthebeautyitachievesand
toa vanishing,
heroic
itgenerates
atoncepaytribute
thepleasures
wayof
cultural
Whilethestrength
lifeandyieldanengaged
andpointed
analysis.
thekindofargument
withthe
ofmyclaimthatCathercovertly
conducts
in"TheStoryteller"
willfinally
articulates
novelthatBenjamin
depend
I amabouttooffer
uponthereading
(andwhileoneofthiscentury's
great
fora writer
who
leftist
intellectuals
mayseemlikea strange
companion
inalllikelihood
votedforWendell
wehavenotsufficiently
Willkie),
recogHerexperience,
critic
orhistorian.
nizedCatheras a cultural
bracketing
inNebraska
culture
andthefull-blown
theera ofsettlement
commodity
hertosee withunusual
therecent
ofliterary
NewYork,prepared
clarity
cultural
shapeofAmerican
history.
Indeed,her1923essayonNebraska
oftherichly
in TheNation,withitscriticism
ofthe"Americanization"
intheruralMiddleWest
culture
thatimmigration
cosmopolitan
produced
ofa generational
from
makersto
shift
anditsworriesabouttheeffects
towarda
as forBenjamin,
buyerssuggeststhatforCather,
"progress"
middle-class
amounts
to a kindofreculture
triumphant,
homogenous
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inMyAntonia
totheNovel
693
Hostility
a narrowing
ofexperience
which
gression,
against
MyAntonia
registers
As
this
be
an eloquentprotest.8 withBenjamin, may nostalgia,
butit
is nostalgia
complexly
conceived
andrigorously
deployed,
directing
its
celebration
ofthepasttoward
therefreshment
ofa worn-out
present.
TheStory
as a WayofMeaning
inMyAntonia's
The insetstoriesthatproliferate
extraordinary
opening
bookand,as Benjamin
wouldhavepredicted,
provide
itsmostintensely
remembered
moments
arenotornaments
incidental
to thecountry
setAntonia
of
local
Book
of
tingorneutral
instances
color.Rather,
One My
functions
as Cather's"TheStoryteller":
itestablishes
thestoryandits
andmatrix
ofethical
attendant
cultureas thebook'smodelofmeaning
value.Moreover,
thespecific
qualities
ofthesetales-thecompression
from
comoftheirlanguage;
theirfreedom
anddirectness
interpretive
onthespecific
orpsychological
their
context
mentary
analysis;
emphasis
oftheirtelling;theirconsistent
withworkand
connection
andeffects
ofstorytelling
is strikingly
death-suggestthatCather'sunderstanding
In orderto describethewaystorieswork
in accordwithBenjamin's.
within
thatis, Cather'simplicit
thetext-to delineate,
theoryofthe
andat a
story-I willlookbothat thebook'sfirst
sequenceoftellings
tellslateron.
particularly
interesting
storyAntonia
oftherelation
As ifinconfirmation
ofBenjamin's
notion
between
death
andtelling,
storytelling
properwithin
MyAntoniabeginswhena walk
ofher
an autumnal
withAntonia's
through
landscape
coincides
mastery
ThestoryofOldHatacanhardly
newlanguage.
be saidtohavea plotat
all.Thesinging
ofa dying
insectreminds
ofanoldbeggar
Antonia
woman
inherhomevillagewhowouldsingforpeoplewhogavehera placeat
theirfire;she tellsthistoJim,mentions
thatthechildren
savedtheir
cakesandsweetsforHata,andmakestheinsecta nestunderherscarf.9
Whatdoesthis"beginner's"
or
taleoffer
itshearer?
Nocodified
meaning
inthecustomary
message,noending
sense.Theforceofthistinystory
liesrather
initsorbitofsuggestion:
initshintsofthepresenceofdeath
ofmeaning
andthecommunity
createdbyourvulnerability
to it;inits
recordofthewaythatmutual
vulnerability
canengender
actsofgenerosity;initscorrelation
ofthecondition
oflossandtheoccasionofsong.
ForJim,
thelistener,
thestory
yieldsa gaininresponsiveness.
As heand
Antonia
encounter
herfather
ontheir
the
a
wayhome, tale,byproviding
fortheemblems
ofdeathhehasencountered
inthefields,
human
context
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694 American
Literature
makesMr.Shimerda's
sadnessarticulate:
"Theoldman'ssmile,as he
thatI neverafterward
listened,
wasso fullofsadness,ofpityforthings,
actthatBenjamin
places
actofmemory-the
forgot
it"(42). Antonia's
inJimananswering
actof
engendered
atthecenterofstorytelling-has
andremembrance.
Forthereader,
thestoryofOldHatais our
sympathy
inreading
MyAntonia:
andrecurring
experience
introduction
toa crucial
precisely
because
thatwe feelas present
an encounter
witha meaning
ofexplanation-the
byourcustomary
strategies
it defiescontainment
willcall"amplitude."
effect
thatBenjamin
storyfollows
closelyupon
MyAntonia'smostfamousfreestanding
Pavelreveals
thedelirious
Antonia's
taleofOldHata.Onhisdeathbed,
from
a neightheactthatdrovehimandPeteroutofRussia.Returning
byan immense
a wedding
partyis attacked
boringvillagelateat night,
thebride
packofwolves;PavelandPeter,intheleadsledge,aredriving
theothersledges.Neartheir
andgroom.Onebyone,thewolvespickoff
thebrideandgroomtotheonvillage,as thehorsestire,Pavelthrows
it
furnished
withincident,
rushing
wolves.Whilethistaleis spectacularly
thatbegintocomposefor
predecessor
elements
shareswithitssimpler
ofthestory.
First,wemight
animplicit
anatomy
thereaderofMyAntonia
inthespecific
circumstances
thetaleis embedded
noticehowconcretely
ofitstelling.
bythewindthatmakesJimimagPavel'sstoryis provoked
howling
andbytheanswering
inetheoutdoors
as a kindofdeathscape
andrageoftheteller;we note
ofthecoyotes;we witnessthedelirium
onPavel'sravaged
body.ForCatheras
thedistinct
effects
oftuberculosis
ofdeathgivesbirth
tostories;forheras
forBenjamin,
thefeltpresence
theoraltalemustplacethereader
toreanimate
forhima writer
seeking
"inthecompany"
oftheteller.The storyproper-itsautonomy
emphafrom
thesurrounding
sizedbyitsdemarcation
text,shorter
bya pageor
ofitsimmediate
context-hasthe"chaste
twothanCather'srendering
Whenone
butinvites
thought.
thatprecludes
explanation
compactness"
ofthistale,therearemanythings
meditates
uponthethemeormeaning
outtheresidual
wolfishness
tosay-thattheattackofthewolvesbrings
inbytheirparadoxical
inmen;thatliving
communities
areconstituted
forwhichonemustdie inorderto
sistencethatthereare somethings
conclusive
or
remainhuman-butno oneofthemseemsinterpretively
totheworkas a whole.
nonethekeytothetale'srelation
authoritative,
thesense
almostas a kindofatmosphere,
rather,
The storydelivers,
One
such
acts.
thatoneis inthepresenceofrichly
interprets
significant
butbyadding
a storynotbyeliminating
them,building
possiblereadings
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totheNovelinMyAntonia 695
Hostility
of
ofactionsandtheplenitude
a senseofthecomplexity
byaccretion
or "counsel."
"wisdom"
indeedcometo constitute
thatmight
meaning
of
reception
onJimandAntonia's
is correspondingly
Cather'semphasis
thetale,onthewaythestoryforthemis "neveratanend":onitsincalonthetiny
itproduces;
pleasure"
andpeculiar
the"painful
culableeffect,
createas theytellandretellthestory;on
thetwochildren
community
intothelistener's
putsit,to "sink"itself
thetale'spower,as Benjamin
"ina sledge
himself
toward
sleep,Jimfinds
consciousness,
as, drifting
a country
thatlookedsomething
through
drawnbythreehorses,dashing
(61).10
likeVirginia"
andsomething
likeNebraska
In betweenthestoryofOldHataandthetaleofPavelandPeter,
tothink
ofa readerwhoisbeginning
Catherprovides,
as ifforthebenefit
in
shaped
instructionthewaydifferently
ofstorytelling,
aboutthenature
We witness,in
kindsofmeanings.
makepossibledifferent
narratives
publiccelebration
andAntonia's
rattlesnake
ofan oversized
Jim'skilling
narraofoneofourmosttime-honored
ofhistriumph,
theemergence
allusions
echoes
of
romance,
an
with
quest
tives, allegory-complete
andan
ofsexualdangerandOedipaldisgust,
toprimal
evil,implications
"I hadkilleda big
initiation:
femalewitness-ofmasculine
appreciative
(50). ButCatherhasJimproducethe
snake-I was nowa bigfellow"
was
we needto cutthestorydownto size: therattlesnake
materials
wasanadequateweapon,hewasstill
oldandlazy,thespadeJimcarried
oftheepisodeis generated
bythegapbeTherealinterest
lucky.
pretty
ofthisadventure
andAntonia's
version
tweenJim'sdeflationary
private
of
quality
which
makesvisibletherigid,
derivative
stockheroicallegory,
the
against
whenmeasured
suchallegories
ofmaturity,
theirinadequacy
ofmasculinity
such
andironic
oftheactualexperience
accidental
quality
andshape.Weareinvited
toa skepcondition
queststoriesnevertheless
fordidactic
withtheir
fondness
ticalviewofsuchtendentious
narratives,
Andthecontrast
between
theway
andpredetermined
endings.
patterns
andinhibits
and
meaning
familiar
narrative
channels
thisoverly
maturity
and
storiesliberate
itteachesus thecognitive,
thewaythesurrounding
reticence.1"
valueofthestory's
characteristic
critical,
leapintothethreshing
Antonia's
storyofthetramp's
oddlybeautiful
up,bothintheway
summing
instructive,
seemstomesimilarly
machine
in
and thekindofmeaning
itcreates,thenatureand
itcreatesmeaning
ofthe
ofstorytelling
within
MyAntonia.Cather'snotation
possibilities
andonealwaysheard
voice-"deep,a littlehusky,
qualityofAntonia's
beneath
it"(176)-insists,as doesBenjamin,
onthe
thebreath
vibrating
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696 American
Literature
embodied
qualityofthestoryteller's
art,andherspecific
evocation
of
thecircumstances
ofthetelling-the
listeners
gather
aroundtherange
in theHarlings'
kitchen
helping
Antonia
maketaffy-puts
us in their
Moststriking
company.
to me is the"gestural"
qualityofmeaning
in
thisstory.
Thetramp's
sudden,
jaunty
leapintothemachine-hewaves
to Antonia
on thewayin-possesses, witha vengeance,
the"chaste
compactness"
towhich
Benjamin
attributes
thestory's
power.Benjamin
writesthatthedisappearance
oforalstorytelling
lets us see "a new
beautyinwhatis vanishing"
(87); Cather's
tramp,
wemight
say,creates
a kindofgrisly
beautybyvanishing.
The curiousartifacts
he leavesbehind-a penknife,
a wishbone,
somepoetry("TheOldOakenBucket,"
cutoutofa newspaper)-are
plausibly
emblematic
(ofdesire,theyearningtowardexpression)
butnotconclusively
explicable;
theythusrepresent,onemight
thedistinctively
suggest,
untrammeled
kindofmeaning
thatstorieslikethisonegenerate.
It is characteristic,
too,ofCather's
onthestoryas a wayofknowing
emphasis
thatitstelling
yieldsa scene
ofinstruction.
Whensensitive
NinaHarling
criesbecausethetramp
dies,
herusually
mother
indulgent
reproaches
hersternly,
tosend
threatening
herupstairs
whenever
Antonia
tellsstoriesfrom
thecountry.
Mrs.Harling'spoint,itseemsto me,is thatNinahasmadea crucialmistakeinthisbook,hadbettercorrect-andconfused
thekinda mother,
the
outcomeofthestorywithitsmeaning.
She is thusin dangerofmissinone'sencounter
ingthe"counsel"-which
inheres
withtheunsettling,
ofthestory-Antonia's
strangely
pleasurable
quality
telling
provides.
Mypointhasbeenthat,likeBenjamin's
essay,theactsofstorytelling
inBookOneofMyAntonia
so prominent
at oncedelineate
a distinctive
andteacha particular
narrative
practice
stancetoward
a way
experience:
ofexpressing
andseekingmeaning
inpeople,located
thatis embodied
inplaces,andmindful
ofdeath;thattrustssuggestion
morethanexpla"chastecompactness"
morethanteleological
nation,
structure,
responsivenessmorethan"interpretation."
Othersignsofthecultureoforal
as itwere-areeverywhere
inBook
storytelling-Benjaminan
affinities,
One.Thenovelproper
andspeaking:
"I first
beginswithhearing
heardof
Antonia"
is accompanied
thattellsus howtopronounce
bya footnote
her
name,as though
thisbookwillcontain
thatweourselves
willneed
things
to tell.Wearefrequently
alertedtothespecific
ofvoices-Jim's
quality
of"Selah"from
grandfather's
pronunciation
thepsalms,theforcehiscussilencegiveshisprayers
tomary
(13,85). Thebookis richinwhatmight
be calledthematerial
culture
ofstorytelling,
liketheChristmas
treethat
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Hostility
totheNovel
inMyAntonia697
resembles
the"talking
treeofthefairy
tale,"with"legends
andstories
branches."
are
further
that
nestledlikebirdsinits
There
signs Cather's
understanding
ofhowstoriesaregenerated
anticipates
Benjamin's.
Asin
Mr.Shitheinsettalesthemselves,
deathandexpressiveness
arelinked:
toJim,
oftalkandstoriesthatis a relief
merda'ssuicideprovokes
a flurry
from
thehabitual
ofhis
despitethesadnessoftheoccasion,
taciturnity
tiedto agrigrandfather's
house(111).Cather'sstoriesareconsistently
cultural
orartisanal
work,as whenOttotellsJimstoryafterstoryas he
rarewhen
makesMr.Shimerda's
coffin.
Storiesbecomecorrespondingly
taleofthe
theactionshifts
totowninBookTwoandmust,likeAntonia's
from
the
tramp
orthestoryofOleBensonandCrazyMary,be imported
terrain.
intoBlackHawk'sinhibitory
middle-class
country
recFromtheverystart,MyAntoniais fullofstoryteller
figures,
withthe
andbytheirassociation
ognizable
bothbytheiractsoftelling
inconfirmation
intheinsettales.As though
valuesCatherestablishes
ofBenjamin's
at oncemarksandis marked
notionthatthestoryteller
"inscribed."
The
byhiswork,a number
ofCather'stellersarenotably
first
directs
whoisJim's
trainconductor
guidetotheWest(andwhofirst
hasthestoryteller's
characteristic
hisattention
to Antonia)
generosity,
Thetraveler
hiswisdom
fortheir"confidence."
exchanging
is,alongwith
thefarmer
andtheartisan,
oneofBenjamin's
prototypical
storytellers,
initiation:
"He
andCather'strainman
sportsthesignsofhisextensive
woretheringsandpinsandbadgesofdifferent
fraternal
orderstowhich
he belonged.Evenhiscuffbuttons
wereengraved
withhieroglyphics,
andhe was moreinscribed
thanan Egyptian
obelisk"(4). OttoFuchs,
BookOne'smostprolific
storyteller,
wearshisinscriptions
onhisface,in
ofa scarandanincomplete
theform
leftear;hisfirst
actis totellJimthe
himto someofthealmost
storiesbehindthesescars,andtointroduce
voluble
a pairofexotically
stitched
boots-ofhiscowartifacts-notably
Fuchs'sworkhistory-hehasbeena cowboy,
a
boydays.Theitinerant
a bartender,
a miner,
a farm
stage-driver,
hand,andis a skilledcabinet
maker-isa compendium
ofstory-generating
trades.It is striking
that
thereis noplaceforhimwhenthefamily
movesintotown,andCather
associateshimnotonlywithpreindustrial
explicitly
workbutwiththe
absenceofthequalitiesofcharacter
to negotiate
required
successfully
a modemmarketplace
culture.
Jim'sgrandmother
observesthatOtto
has donehardworkeverywhere,
buthas"nothing
to showforit"(67).
remembers
the
of
Jim
faces OttoandJake,hisfellow
laborer,
as, forall
theirroughness,
"unprotected"
and"defenceless";
theylacka "practiced
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698 American
Literature
manner
behindwhichtheycouldretreat
andholdpeopleat a distance"
(83-84). LikeBenjamin's
storyteller,
thetwomenoperateontheirown
that
systemofexchange;theyhad"givenus,"Jimsayslater,"things
cannot
be bought
inanymarket
intheworld"
(144).
fullofveryfewwiseor educablecharWhilenovelsare customarily
actersandmanyvain,foolish,
grasping,
orevilones,thestory-centered
worldofMyAntoniais richin figures
ofwisdomandresponsiveness.
Jelinek.
Othersarenotable
Someofthemtellstories,
likeOttoorAnton
fortheirrespectforstories,likeFrancesHarling,
whois a kindofitininreverse,getting
in
erantstoryteller
to knowtheimmigrant
families
thesurrounding
theirstories.Stillothershave
countryside
bycollecting
withthekindofresponsiveabsorbedor expressthevaluesassociated
induce.
Jim's
grandfather
is,in
nessthatstories,according
toBenjamin,
andrespectthebeliefsofhis
hiscapacity
to entertain
theassumptions
tolerance
andopenness
immigrant
neighbors,
anexemplar
ofthecultural
ofinterest
ethics;he becomesa mediator
at thecenterofMyAntonia's
ofdisputesand,inhisprayer
at Mr.Shimerda's
ofcomgrave,a forger
ontheshaping
or
munalsympathy.
In contrast
to thenovel'semphasis
like
ofcharacter-onthemanufacture
ofselfhood-characters
warping
likea story,theirvery
andMrs. Harling
are alreadypresent,
Antonia
forothers:"Theyknewwhattheyliked,"
wayofbeinga kindof"counsel"
to imitate
otherpeople....
Jimtellsus, "andwerenotalwaystrying
a relish
joviality,
Deep downineachofthemtherewasa kindofhearty
I nevertriedtodefine
oflife,notover-delicate,
butveryinvigorating.
it,
ofit"(180).
butI wasdistinctly
conscious
worldofMyAntoniaas suffused
Weneed,then,to see thefictive
by
themaking
themaking
ofmeaning
thestory.ForCather,
is, at center,
narrated
ofa tale.Webegintomeasureevenconventionally
events,like
to be converted
intostories.
Mr.Shimerda's
suicide,bytheircapacity
as susceplikethetellerorheareroftales,is imagined
The landscape,
trackleftby
likethecircular
tibleto inscription
byhumanexperience,
inthe
thatbecomeslegibleand"stirring"
Indianriders,an "oldfigure"
ofa lightsnowfall
(62). All
obliquelightofsunsetor withthedusting
brieftransfiguofthebook'smoments
ofheightened
significance-the
moments
ofintensest
human
rationsofthelandscapethataccompany
theemergence
ofthehieroglyphic
plow,Blindd'Arnault's
connection,
withthequalitiesCatherattributes
to
pianoplaying-havean affinity
shortin
resistant
to explanation,
thestory:freestanding,
compressed,
butinscribed
duration
And,as we willsee, themore
uponthememory.
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Hostility
totheNovel
inMyAntonia699
indistinct
relation
to
ofJim'sgrowing
"novelistic"
narrative
up unfolds
andlosemeaning
inthe
thestory-centered
wayspeoplefix,hold,find,
Nebraska
landscape.
MyAntonia
as Counter-Novel
of
To say thatMyAntonia'sauthoritative
modelfortheachievement
meaning
is thestoryisnottosaythatthisnovelhasnosustained
plot.Its
be called
takesanironic
or"dialogic"
action,however,
shapethatmight
Ina reversal
itsosa "counter-novel."
ofthelogicofthebildungsroman,
tensible
novelistic
records
type,MyAntonia
Jim's
endangerment
byand
eventual
rescuefrom
Thiscounter-novel
maturity.
beginstotakeshape
as a cultural
andpersonal
reevenas theoralstoryis beingestablished
education
source.BookOnethusrecords,
as itsnovelistic
"action,"
Jim's
inthevaluesofthestory,
thestoryhadseizedandshapedto
as though
itsownpurposesthedevelopmental
matter
thathastraditionally
given
of
theformation
thenoveloneofitssupreme
subjects.Catherimagines
renders
Jim'sidentity
not,as thenovelofmaturation
customarily
it,as
is sponsoring
but
a questforwhatever
ofadulthood
thewriter
version
andmorestory-like:
anaccruas a processmuchlessrigidly
teleological
ingalertness,
nottobe demarcated
intostagesordefined
bycrises,to
leavesuponpeopleandtheirlandscape;an
theinscriptions
experience
enhanced
responsiveness
thatwilleventually
yielditsownactsoftelling.
Jim'searliestencounters
withtheNebraska
landscape
composea narrativeoftheshaping
ofa distinct
selfhood.
He first
perceives
theprairie
as a kindofblankness,
"nota country
atall,butthematerial
outofwhich
countries
aremade,"andfeels"erased,blotted
he had
out,"as though
himself
returned
toinfancy's
uninscribed
condition
ofconsciousness
(7farmis locatedat theveryedgeof
8). He feelsthathisgrandparents'
thesubstantial
world,thatitwouldbe easytofloatofftheedge,andhe
finds
hisfirst
ofhappiness
ina feeling
andcomfort
thatprecedes
feelings
"I was something
theformation
ofan individual
identity:
thatlayunder
thesunandfeltit,likethepumpkins,
andI didnotwanttobe anything
more.I wasentirely
thatsuggests
theacquisihappy"
(18).Ina moment
tionoflanguage,
ina nestintheprairie
JimandAntonia
snuggle
grassas
Jimteacheshertonamethethings
shepointsto.Theresponsivenessthedeepening
andexpansion
oftheself-thatcomeswithJim's
initiation
intothecultureofthestoryis theprimary
measureofhisgrowth,
but
hiseducation
the
by storybearsotherfruit
as well.As hetakesin-and
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Literature
700 American
and
thathadseemedempty
comesto seekout-stories,thelandscape
he askswhythe
becomeslegible,a kindofmeaning-scape:
unformed
whyprairie-dwelling
understands
withsunflowers;
roadsare bordered
fordetail,visittrees"as iftheywerepeople"(29); bepeople,hungry
traces,suchas thetrackleftbythe
comesalertto thealmostinvisible
hadleftupontheground.12
inhabitants
ofearlier
Indianriders,theliving
without
conflict.
isnotentirely
inthevaluesofthestory
education
Jim's
his
gift-giving,
oftheBohemians'
Jim'sworstmoments-hissuspicion
notions
to conventional
hisloyalty
resentments,
to xenophobic
liability
even
acceptance,
byhistemporary
aboutgender-areall conditioned
thrift,
propriety,
narratives-about
at so youngan age,ofthepowerful
opposethestoryin his
thedangerofotherness-that
self-discipline,
worldofBookOne, andwith
community.
Butin thestory-dominated
ofthesepurposeful,
ofwisdom,
theinfluence
ofitsfigures
theguidance
Thedevelopmental
actionofBook
is easilyovercome.
anxiousallegories
inwhatis,ineffect,
Jim's
itis,culminates
rendered
though
One,obliquely
suicideshowsus
ofMr.Shimerda's
ofa story.Cather's
depiction
making
theelements
thatmake
howa storycomesintobeing,as sheassembles
ofdeath,made
authority
an eventintoa tale:themeaning-generating
"hairand
ofitsphysicality-the
rendering
presentbythemostspecific
thebody
stuff"
stuckto thestrawinthebarn(98),theworkofcutting
of
itis frozen
(114);theplenitude
thepoolofbloodinwhich
loosefrom
act; theuncemeas peoplerespondto Mr.Shimerda's
talkgenerated
linesoftheroadway,
a curveinthesurveyed
teriedgravethat,byforcing
andyield
memory
thatwillprovoke
themarkuponthelandscape
provides
Within
thisepisode,Catherdistinctly
emphathisstory'sfuture
tellings.
of
oftheworkofresponsethatis theinception
sizesJim'sperformance
thenarrative
we
as itwere,forproducing
all stories-hispreparation,
aboutMr.Shimerda
andthinks"
AsJim"thinks
areengagedinreading.
he beginstofeelthattheoldman
as he sitsaloneinthewarmkitchen,
He "goesover"
before
hisreturn
toBohemia.
is therewithhim,resting
thattestihastoldhimaboutherfather
and,ina moment
allthatAntonia
himself
thedead
ofexperience,
finds
sharing
fiestothecommunicability
cameto me thattheymight
"Suchvividpictures
man'sconsciousness:
notyetfadedoutfromtheairin
havebeenMr.Shimerda's
memories,
inturn
ofconnection
him"(102).Thismoment
whichtheyhadhaunted
sees
that
it
was
"homeofthesuicide:he
Jim'sunderstanding
enlarges
andthathe wouldnothavediedif
sickness"thatkilledMr. Shimerda
thepunitive
viewofsuicide
hedismisses
he hadlivedwiththeBurdens;
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inMyAntonia 701
Hostility
totheNovel
intopossession
Wewitness
sponsored
byreligious
authority.
Jimcoming
ofthisevent-absorbing
its"counsel"-andthuscoming
ofthemeaning
senseofthatphrase.
ofageinthestorytelling
ofa selfioodshapedby
Jimarrives
inBlackHawk,then,inpossession
ofthebattlebetween
thestory
Cather's
version
story;withthatarrival,
newness
andthenovelbeginsinearnest.DespiteBlackHawk'srelative
culture
is infullflower
there.ForJim,themove
as a town,middle-class
Thetown,as
heinhabits.
totownmeansa changeinthemeaning-scape
ofmaking
Jim'scentralexperian ideological
structure,
has theeffect
riverbecomesanoccasional
"compensation"
encesmarginal.
Thenearby
andtheotherimofthecountryside,
whileAntonia
forthelostfreedom
the
as "hired
areredefined
girls."Mostsignificantly,
migrant
daughters
setofnarratives:
thepurposeoralstoryis displaced
bya verydifferent
intothemind
written
stories-nevertoldbutalready
ful,prudential
narrative
ofmaturity
normative
construct
theoverarching,
thattogether
inBlackHawk.
middle-class
culture
thatconstitutes
ofthese
theinfluence
is toconfront
To liveintown,Jimwilldiscover,
In everyrespect,Catherpresents
thecultureof
authoritative
fictions.
tothevaluesBookOnehastaught
BlackHawkas builtuponanopposition
Thetownis habitually
a placeofsilence
withstorytelling.
us toidentify
habits"perform
fatherhood's
"personal
andstasis,wheremenwithout
peoplesit"likeimageson their
(157) andmarried
prescribed
routines
insilencecourtship's
front
whiletheir
perform
teenagechildren
porches"
ofthedancepavilion
revealsthe
tediouspromenade
(196).The coming
refinement
is produced
bytheerasureofthebody:Jim
waymiddle-class
bodiesnever
noticeswhendancing
withgirlsofhisown"set"that"their
musclesseemedtoaskbutonethingmovedinsidetheirclothes;their
like
notto be disturbed,"
andtheyseem"cutoffbelowtheshoulders,
cherubs"
andphysical
graceoftheimmisexuality
(199).The emphatic
fora timeto enliven
grantgirls,showcasedbythedances,promises
BlackHawk'ssocialorderbymaking
families
losetheir
thesonsofproper
heads.But,whenSylvester
LovettcureshisobsessionwithLena Lina propertied
olderwidow-a goodpieceofland,as it
gardbymarrying
were-suchbrittle
movestoward
rebellion
areexposedonlyas predictablefluctuations
within
a definitive
narrative
ofpostponed
gratification:
was stronger
thananydesirein Black
"Therespectforrespectability
Hawkyouth"
(202).
education
himtodescribe
thelifeofBlackHawk
bystory
permits
Jim's
withstriking
evenas hestruggles
withitsauthority.
Hissummaacuity,
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702 American
Literature
itshousessuggests
thatBlackHawk,liketheworldof
tionoflifewithin
economy
ofmeaning:
thestory,
hasa distinct
The lifethatwenton in themseemedto me madeup ofevasions
andcleaning,
to savewashing
shifts
to savecooking,
andnegations;
modeofexisofgossip.Thisguarded
thetongue
devicestopropitiate
People'sspeech,theirvoices,
tencewas likeliving
undera tyranny.
andrepressed.Everyindividual
theirveryglances,becamefurtive
bycaution.
Thepeopleasleep
appetite,
wasbridled
taste,everynatural
ownkitchens;
inthosehouses,I thought,
triedtolivelikemiceintheir
ofthings
tomakenonoise,toleavenotrace,toslipoverthesurface
inthebackyards
inthedark.The growing
pilesofashesandcinders
processoflife
consuming
weretheonlyevidencethatthewasteful,
wentonatall.(219-20)
ofthestory:silence
Townculture,
then,is theinverseoftheculture
undoesexchange.
expression,
thrift
erasesvoice,restraint
inhibits
bodily
and
us connection,
thetownlivesbyboundaries
Wherethestoryoffers
wisdomofthe
thespeculative
opennessandencompassing
oppositions;
disciandprudence.
Andallthisself-scrutiny,
toanxiety
storyisreduced
exercised
butcuriously
empty,
teleological
pline,anddenialis distinctly
ofa purposethatis powerfully
immanent
butneverdefinedonbehalf
ofadultlife.
joylessness
exceptbythemanifest
theconI think,
renders
then,thatitmakessensetoclaimthatCather
andhislifeintownas a contest
trastbetween
Jim'slifeinthecountry
forms.
action
narrative
Thedevelopmental
betweentheircharacteristic
betweenstoryandnovel,to posas a struggle,
ofBookTwounfolds
andreluctance
sess JimBurden,as he learns,foralltherebelliousness
In BlackHawk
todo theproper
hisgrounding
instoryproduces,
thing.
thejoylessmasterplotspeopledonotmakeortellstoriesbutsustain
life
thesolidcareer,thequiescentfamily
theprudential
marriage,
Thereare,moreover,
a number
ofreamiddle-class
cultureprovides.
townlifeas distinctly
novelistic.
thatgovern
sonsto see thenarratives
the
LifeinBlackHawk,likelifeinthenovel,is aboveallaboutproducing
thecorrectly
formed
ofmaturity,
theauthorized
version
properending,
toenhance
aboutthenovel's
worries
character.
WhileBenjamin
tendency
oftheprivate
theenclosure
especially
self,Catheris, I amsuggesting,
ofitscomconcerned
aboutthewaythenovelassistsintheproduction
forbothwriters
thereclamation
orthodox
narrative;
maturity
munity's
culture
tothenovelistic.13
ofmiddle-class
beginswithresistance
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inMyAntonia703
totheNovel
Hostility
forth
inthe
figured
tothenovelis mostinterestingly
hostility
Cather's
a
andhiswife.The Cutters
together
comprise
ofWickCutter
narrative
associatedboth
andbehaviors
ofvalues,conflicts,
kindofcompendium
ofthenovel.
culture
andthehistory
ofmiddle-class
withthedevelopment
ofmiddle-class
a kindofsymptom
Cutterhimself
seemsto constitute
andcontradictions.
Cutter'sname
fluctuations
culture'scharacteristic
oftherise
suggest,afterMaxWeber,a briefhistory
andworkhistory
BlackHawk'smost
ofthemiddleclass: "Wick"is shortfor"Wycliffe";
is
Cutter
comesfrom
piousparents.
money-lender
viciousandsuccessful
Poor
from
valuesandquoting
tribute
tooldcountry
alsogiventopaying
beginto
hisvarious
characteristics
Takentogether,
Richard's
Almanack.
for
maxims"
Likecertain
novels,hequotes"moral
reekofthenovelistic.
of
"old
his
combination
calls
whatJim
into
prostitutes;
boysbutturnsgirls
seemstometosuggestthewaynovels
andlicentiousness"
maidishness
home
TheCutters'
andsexualscandaltogether.
tendtopurvey
morality
their"privacy,"
butthisbartoprotect
is protected
bya hedgedesigned
intheirdomestic
oftheothertownsfolk
rieronlyenhances
theinterest
ofthecreation
classicaccount
think
hereofIanWatt's
onemight
disputes;
Theirdomestic
subject.14
as thenovel'sascendant
of"private
experience"
adultery
preoccupations,
conflicts
centerontwoofthenovel'scustomary
andinheritance.
therapeof
toarrange
attempt
Clarissa-like
Aboveall,as hiselaborate,
inthemanner
ofBenjamin's
working,
is a plotter,
reveals,Cutter
Antonia
to createthegreatest
possiblesuspenseinthe
versionofthenovelist,
use of
readerofhisvariousepisodes,hiswife.His ingenious
implied
thetraintoKansasCity
trainschedules-hetricks
hiswifeintoboarding
andhopsthenextonebackto BlackHawk-recallsnotonlythenovelofbeinginor
oftimebuttheimportance
management
ist'sending-driven
is strucfiction.
Thewholemarriage
undertrainsinstandard
novelistic
versionofthenovel:it consistsofthesustained
turedlikeBenjamin's
inplot,ofanunderlying
sense
absorption
evasion,bymeansofa mutual
absorbsthe
Thisgoal-driven
completely
narrative
ofmeaninglessness.
bututterly
empty
Cuttersuntilit issuesin an ingenious,
spectacular,
suicideso as to ensure,by
ending:Cuttershootshiswifeandcommits
taking
hismoney.
surviving
her,thatherpeoplewillnotinherit
WhenJim,
advances,
ofCutter's
Antonia's
placeinbed,becomesthenear-recipient
a victim
isconstructing,
heis,ineffect,
thenovelCutter
entrapped
within
thenovelevokes
bothofsexualpredatoriness
andthe"ending-hunger"
WhileCutter
BlackHawk'srepresentative
middleandsatisfies.
is hardly
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Literature
704 American
heis
quality
tohisdeviance:
orthodox
classmale,thereisa stereotypical,
notion
ofmaturityandoneofthecosts,oftheconventional
a creation,
Hawksponsors
ofsexuality-Black
rigidly
focusedonthemanagement
to
in addition
battering,
andgrotesque
Jim'sdevastating
andenforces.
glimpseofwhatit is liketo be a "hiredgirl,"
an instructive
providing
inanyscheme
ofparticipating
raisessomedoubtsabouttheadvisability
in
atleastas itis manifest
sexuality,
thatissuesin"adult"
ofmaturation
BlackHawk.
As befitsa textcomposedofa contestbetweentwokindsofnarraImmediately
preceding
hastwoendings.
tive,BookTwoofMyAntonia
to thecultureof
initiation
narrative
is a return
thistwisted,
novelistic
LenaLingard,
andtwo
thestory,
Jim's
picnicbytheriverwithAntonia,
ofcrucial
waysthisepisodecounters
otherimmigrant
girls.Ina number
anestablished
sexual
narrative.
Thepicnic
beginsbybreaking
theCutter
thefourgirls
in a reversaloftheusualvectorofvoyeurism,
pattern:
intheriverbelow.
Jim,
swimming
toregard
thenaked
pauseonthebridge
helooks.
view,andtellhimhowpretty
toobtain
a better
Theymaneuver
intheepisode-inLena'sflushed,
excited
Thereis plenty
oferoticism
ofthedescriptions
ofthesetting;
inthegameof
face;inthesensuality
untendentiousness,
PussyWantsa Cornertheyplay-butitis relaxed,
instriking
of
tothefixed,
fetishistic
quality
contrast
widelydistributed,
forinstance,
destruction
ofhisenraged
sexualquesting.
Cutter's
(Think,
In contrast
to theobsessedpurposefulofJimandAntonia's
clothing).
thepicnic'spurpose-topickelderblossoms
ness ofCutter's
plotting,
forthereleaseofstories.These
theoccasion
forwine-becomessimply
ofagricultural
thehardships
life-display
tales-aboutfamily
history,
andteach.
thatstoriesembody
thereflective,
quality
generous-minded
outofa story-centered
vocabulary
The episodeendswitha moment
oftheplow,
ofthehieroglyph
theremarkable
ofmeaning:
appearance
uponthelandscape-which
"picture
writing
onthesun"-an inscription
andthevalueof"presence,"
ofthismoment,
thesignificance
confirms
ofmeaning
inhibited
andentrapped
as against
a notion
however
fleeting,
ofthismoment
andappreciation
Themaking
bypurposeorpermanence.
to thatsponsored
I amarguing,
a kindofcounter-maturity
represents,
as
be
under
the
it
bythenoveland town-maturity might experienced
ofthestory.
theguidance
inBookTwoproThe contestbetweenstoryandnovelthatunfolds
choosesthelifetrack
Jimostensibly
duces,then,a kindofstalemate.
accedesto his grandmother's
middle-class
culturerecommends-he
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Hostility
totheNovel
inMyAntonia 705
wishthathegiveupthe"improper,"
mixed-class
dances;heheadsforthe
University,
thenHarvard,
thenlawschool,thenthesuccessful
career;
he evenproducesthejoylessmarriage
we hearaboutinthe"Introduction"-but,as thepicnicepisodepredicts,
he neverfullyinhabits
his
orthodox
adulthood,
keeping
aliveallalonghiscommitment
tothestory
I havebeenadvancing
andits values.The notionofthecounter-novel
will,as I suggestbelow,guideus through
theinterpretive
controversies thatthenovel'slasttwobookshavegenerated.
Butit also helps
us see-or glimpse,
forheremytreatment
willbe cursory-thenarrativelogicofBookThreeofMyAntonia.Liketheothersegments
of
thenarrative,
thisbooklinksa stageofJim'sdevelopment-the
transitionfromadolescence
to adulthood-to
theinstitutions
andexpressive
it.Withitsemphasis
forms
hisculture
designates
toguidehimthrough
onliterary
onambition,
oncourtship,
ontheater-ontheineducation,
evitablemediation
or sublimation
ofdesire-thissectionofthebookat
ofidentity
andrecords
oncecontinues
Cather's
oftheproduction
analysis
thesacrifices
he makes
Jim'snearloss oftheworldofstorythrough
to a prudential
notionofmaturity.15
Still,evenas Jimmakesthedecisionsdesigned
tocarryoutthelifepattern
hehasbegun,therearesome
itspower
ofthenovelistic
is incomplete,
striking
signsthatthevictory
of
andartifacts
encouragingly
partial.
Againandagaintheachievements
or surprised
sublimation
are permeated,
punctured,
compromised,
by
tracesofmoresubstantial
orprimary
forms
ofemotion,
andthebook's
toneoftenveerstowardthecomicorparodic.
Jim'smemories
ofOtto
on thefarmkeepfinding
andJakeandhis experiences
theirwayinto
hisshrine-like
in
study,
pressing
Virgil's
pastoral
backtoward
itsorigins
evenas thesechildhood
aretouched
withthesimplifyactuality
figures
ingauraofart(262);Jimclings-as an "inestimably
precious"
sign,it
oftheself-to whatis, ineffect,
hisdiscovery
seems,ofthecontinuity
ofsublimation,
hisrealization
that,without
girlslikeLenaandtheBohemianMarystherewouldbe no poetrylikeVirgil's
(270). EvenGaston
andguardian
ofJim's
Cleric,thepriestofscholarship
ambitions,
betrays
mastered
tothevaluesofthe
signsofa primary,
incompletely
allegiance
as hespendshis"poetic
inspontaneous
"bursts
ofimaginative
story,
gift"
toomuchintheheatofpersonalcommunication"
talk,""squander[ing]
(261).Whatis beingcelebrated
inthistribute
to classicalpoetry,
then,
is notits"highart"status-itsopposition
tothe"lower"valuesofquotidian
culture-butitsmixedness,
itssustenance
byandoftheimpulses
storiesdifferently
embody.
WhenJimandLenago to thetheater,
too,
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706 American
Literature
theexperience
doesnotproduce
thedetached
pleasuresofappreciation
but,as theextended
account
ofattending
Camillereveals,utterandabsorbing
identification.
Mostdelightfully,
Lena'scompletely
sensibleand
sinceredisclaimer
ofanyinterest
whatsoever
inmarriage
at onceexplodesthelinkbetween
maleness
andambition
anddeflates
thescenario
ofnobleself-sacrifice
thatJimthinks
heis performing
whenhecomesto
tellherthathe willmovetoHarvard
withCleric.Story,
we realize,has
notbeenkilledoffbytheteleological
operations
ofthemiddlebooksof
MyAntonia;itis onlynapping.
TheVictory
ofStorytelling
The distinction
betweenstory-like
andnovelistic
waysofmeaning
that
Catherteachesprepares
us toreadthetwobooksthatbring
MyAntonia
toa close.Seenfrom
thepointofviewofstory,
narrative
Jim's
yieldsnot
a flight
from"real"adulthood,
nora lapseintoa vicarious
andpathetic
nora transcendent
buta deliberate
nostalgia,
leapintotheabstract
actof
I havebeendescribing
selfrescue.The counter-novel
comestofruition
whenitstealsthebook'smostnovelistic
"fall"and
moments-Antonia's
Jim's
determination
ofhowhewilllivehislife,thetwin"climaxes"
ofits
renders
themfrom
theperspecintertwined
storylines-anddefinitively
unfold
tiveofthestoryteller.
Thisis tosaythattwoantinovelistic
actions
comestoa close:asJim,
hisreturn
as MyAntonia
simultaneously
through
thereaderis equipped
tothestory,
breakstheholdofhisownorthodoxy,
thenovelreinforces
andthe
tobreaktheholdofthecultural
assumptions
habitsofinterpretation
itteaches.
the
The narrative
material
ofBookFour-Antonia
goesoffto marry
andpregto BlackHawk"ruined"
sleazyLarryDonovanandreturns
novelistic
does
novelistic
fare.Itspotentially
nant-is traditional
quality
fallis treatedsymthewoman's
not,ofcourse,dependuponwhether
no practiced
reader
or moralistically-there
is presumably
pathetically
tocondemn
onthedisposition
tosee this
whofeelsinclined
Antonia-but
climactic.
This
sexualscandalas (inplotterms)central,
transformative,
attitude-that
someutterly
or importantly
novelistic
significant
reprefirst
sentative
actionhasoccurred-is,infact,
Jim's
responsetohearing
inAntonia
He feels"bitterly
forbecoming
aboutAntonia.
disappointed"
herfor"throwing
herself
an "objectofpity"(298) andcannotforgive
thatassume
awayonsucha cheapsortoffellow"
(304)-bothreactions
hasassumeditsconclusive
thatAntonia's
storyis over,thathermeaning
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Hostility
totheNovelinMyAntonia 707
novelofadultery.
Thus,whenhereshape,as itwouldinthetraditional
heatfirst
showsnointerest
turnstoBlackHawkfora summer
vacation,
inseeingAntonia.
itisinterested
notindramaHappily,
BookFouris otherwise
engaged;
orexploring,
ofthisevent
significance
tizing
Tess-like,
theoverwhelming
responsetoit.Thisis acbutineducating
Jimoutofhisinitial,
novelish
ofstory.
theagency
Hisinterest
piquedbya picture
complished
through
ofAntonia's
at thelocalphotographer's
daughter
prominently
displayed
readthetraditional
studio-which
suggests
thatAntonia
hasnotadopted
ingofherpredicament-Jim
determines
toheartheactualstoryofher
sendshimoutto visittheWidowSteavens,
betrayal.
FrancesHarling
is markedly
ofthe
with"a remarkable
memory,"
who,as a "goodtalker"
storytelling
party.The Widowtellshim,inthemostdirectway,what
shehaswitnessed
andwhatAntonia
hastoldher.Thetale'sonlyembelifit canbe calledone,is herdepiction
ofherownresponse:
lishment,
I sat rightdownon thatbankbesideherandmadelament.I
"Jimmy,
localizesAntonia's
criedlikea youngthing"
telling
(313).The Widow's
aura
freesitfrom
itsnovelistic
cutsitdownto size;herrendition
story,
of
makes
itof"tragedy"
but
anditsburden socialrepresentativeness,
I thinkforthatveryreason-feelsad in an unusually
direct,personal
Jim,no
(ratherthanthematic)
way.Withtheassistanceofthisstory,
decidestovisitherthenextday.The
longer
inclined
towriteAntonia
off,
titleofthissectionofthebook,"ThePioneerWoman's
Story,"
emphain
sizesthecounter-novelistic
plot;thecrucialmoment thispieceofthe
is notAntonia's
buttheWidowSteavens'sstorynarrative
deflowering
savesJimfrom
hisdisposition
totakethenovelistic
viewof
which
telling,
Antonia's
life.16
forJim's
ofAntonia's
storycompete
Justas twopossible"treatments"
intheearlierpartofBookFour,so hisencounter
withAntonia
loyalty
kindsofreading.
is susceptible
to twodifferent
Seen froma novelistic
andendings,
the
investedin theproduction
ofmarriages
perspective,
toa singleoverwhelming
WHY
entireencounter
reducesitself
question:
ina
orwriting
DOESN'TJIMPROPOSE?17 Ifoneis thinking,
criticism,
forAntonia-"I'dhaveliked
novelistic
way,Jim'savowalofhisfeelings
to haveyoufora sweetheart,
or a wife,ormymother,
ormysister
thata woman
canbe toa man"(321)-mightindeedlooklikean
anything
ormaturity,
orresponsibility,
ora giving-in
evasionofadultsexuality,
to
middle-class
theright
ending.
propriety:
hisfailure,
thatis, to produce
to achieveproper
And,witha familiar
interpretive
twist,Jim'sfailure
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Literature
708 American
treatment
inone'sownconclusive
element
closurebecomesthecentral
attention
seemsto
thenarrative's
But,as before,
ofthebook'sending.
be focusedelsewhere.
the
ofstorytelling
tothisepisodewiththeunderstanding
Ifoneattends
butanactofrecovery.
itlooksnotlikeanevasion
bookhasbeenteaching,
itsfullcomplement
of
ofthisencounter
Whenwe restoretoouraccount
ofstoriesbetween
Jimand
ofanexchange
action,we see thatitconsists
tothewaytheirstoriespersistin
testimony
Antonia
andtheirreciprocal
Antonia's
finds
himself
notrehearsing
ThusJim
tooneanother.
mattering
disclosures
telling
his,offering
storybut,inresponsetoherquestions,
theepisode:
throughout
ofthestoryarescattered
ofhisown.Signatures
graveplot,oneofstory'sinscriptions
ittakesplaceon Mr.Shimerda's
to thewaymemory
andincludes
Antonia's
testimony
on thelandscape,
of
haskeptherfather
aliveand"real,"anddeepenedherunderstanding
cited,itemerges
him.Ifwe continue
thespeechofavowalI havealready
ofthewaythemeaning
notas a proposalmanquebutas a description
"The
intothelistener's
consciousness:
ofa storybecomesincorporated
all
mylikesanddislikes,
ideaofyouis a partofmymind;youinfluence
oftimeswhenI don'trealizeit. Youreallyare a
mytastes,hundreds
injustsuchstory-centered
terms:
responds
partofme"(321).Antonia
inherhasnotdam"disappointment"
shefeelsrelief
thatJim's
imagined
meaning-"Ain't
agedor erasedtheirjointpowerto holdandpreserve
Jim,howmuchpeoplecanmeantoeachother"(321);she
itwonderful,
childhood;
totellherlittle
girlthestoriesoftheir
mentions
hereagerness
aboutthosetimes.
herwhenhethinks
sheenjoins
Jimtoremember
ofstorytelling
helpsus
endswithwhatourexperience
The encounter
is takenin.Jim
ofthewaya story's
meaning
as a dramatization
recognize
handsandholdsthemagainsthisbreast,remembering
takesAntonia's
of
the"kindthings
theyhaddoneforme";he thusenactsthemetaphor
use to evoketheforceof
thatbothCatherandBenjamin
embodiment
I meant
He looksfora longtimeatherface,"which
alwaystocarry
story.
withme ... theclosest,realestface,underalltheshadowsofwomen's
in the
ofmymemory"
(322),thusmarking,
faces,at theverybottom
ofthismoment
uponconsciousness,
mostcareful
way,theinscription
continual
Antonia's
just
"presence,"
ensuring
and,withthatinscription,
ina finalexchange,
themindoftheteller.Antonia,
as storiesinscribe
ofsuchinscription,
telling
Jimthathe
inturnherachievement
confirms
heactually
comesbackornot.Ofcourse
willbe "here"withherwhether
because
itmight
be-indeed ithasbeen-objectedthatthisexchange,
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inMyAntonia709
Hostility
totheNovel
itfailstoproducea different
form
ofaction-something
for
contractual,
instance,
likea marriage-isnot"real."Butithasbeenmypointtosuggestthattoproduce
sucha reading
isprecisely
tofallintothehabitofthe
novelistic,
toattach
authenticity
onlytoorthodox
tosuccumb
to
endings,
a narrowly
purpose-driven
notion
ofwhatis significant.18
Readerswillnow,I hope,be prepared
tosee thecloseofMyAntonia
ofthekindofendinga
bythelightofthestory-as Cather'sinvention
novelcommitted
tothevaluesofstorytelling
might
have.BookFivehas
a heuristic
twostrains
ofinterest,
logic;itbrings
together
MyAntonia's
thereanimation
as a
oftheculture
ofstorytelling
andJim's
development
ina waythatinvites
character,
thereadertoexercisethewisdom
thatthe
storyteaches.Jim'sdecision
tovisitAntonia
afteranabsenceoftwenty
himsimultaneously
ofthestoryandto the
yearsreturns
to theculture
alternative
ofself-construction
thathadbeeninterrupted
narrative
byhis
environs
andbyhisconsequent
movetoBlackHawk'snovelistic
productionofthenarrative-sodeartothenovel-ofconventional
maturity.
ofthought
andfeeling
Signsoftheculture
ofstorytelling
anditshabits
in BookFive. An emblemofdeath'ssignifying
are everywhere
presovera deaddog-greetsJimas
ence-two ofAntonia's
boys,bending
he arrivesat thefarm.The Cuzakfarmitself
is emphatically
a placeof
Thisis truebothliterally,
thestrong,
interest
this
story.
through
specific
intheworkroutines
offarmlifeandAntonia's
exersequencedisplays
cise ofdomestic
ofplaces
skills,andallusively,
theevocations
through
ofgenerativeness-the
farm's
enclosed,Edenictopography
(341); the
fruit
ofthePlatonic
forth
cellar,reminiscent
children
cave,thattumbles
intothelight(338-39)-andthrough
intramural
echoesofearlier,
storyinthebookitself.19
linked
moments
liketheearlysettlers,
Antonia,
loves
herfruit
trees"as iftheywerepeople"(340);theorchard
full
sceneis of
thelight-painting
thataccompanies
theconnections
stories
Antonia
forge;
clearlypracticesa storytelling
versionofmotherhood,
usinga box of
photographs
to sparktheoft-told
talesherchildren
callfor;andCuzak
himself,
a displaced
urbanartisan
whotellsJim
hisstory"asifitweremy
businesstoknowit"(364)andwhose"sociability
was stronger
thanhis
instinct"
acquisitive
a different
ofthestory(366),comesfrom
branch
tellingtree.Twooftheseintramural
echoesseemto me distinctly
to
I havebeenmaking.
theantinovelistic
support
argument
First,theWick
is completed
inBookFive,butitsnovelistic
Cutter
narrative
matter
(the
elaborateendingoftheinheritance
plot)is contained
bystorytelling's
moreample,clarifying
as oneofAntonia's
sonstellsitas a
perspective,
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710 American
Literature
storyfortheamusement
andreflection
(twovaluesnotopposedinthe
table.Second,Antonia
worldofstory)ofthosegathered
at thedinner
sentimentality
and
strikingly
corrects
Jim's
wish-a vestigeofnovelistic
on
teleological
thinking-that
she hadnevergoneto townbyinsisting
attheHarlings.
thepractical
valueofallthethings
shelearned
a return
totheresources
Jim's
return
toAntonia,
then,is emphatically
oftheoralstory.The developmental
actionofBookFive-its rolein
Cather'scounterplot-consists
ofJim's
tovisitAntonia
andthe
decision
twointerlinked
consequences
ofthatdecision.Weneedfirstto notice
gapbetween
visitsis
howdifficult
Jimfinds
hisreturn.
Thetwenty-year
Antonia
"aged
produced,
he says,by"cowardice,"
hisdreadoffinding
andbroken"
fearthathisearlymemories
(327-28),andbyhisattendant
ofAntonia
willbe reduced
toillusions
When
Jimtakes
bya grimactuality.
is implied,
thisrisk,animportant
distinction
onethat,inmyview,helps
us see thatCatheris doingmorethanpaying
tribute
to thegloriesof
intheprudential
BlackHawk
memory.
Jim'sdreadcomesfrom
thinking
ofhismemories
as possessions
thatmustbe hoarded
way:he conceives
andlossesto
lesttheybe lost.Stories,as we haveseen,usememories
toshare
createa form
ofexchange,
tomakeexperiences
communicable,
decision
tovisitAntonia-torisklosingor
wisdom.
Jim's
long-postponed
inorderto makeitpresent-thusconchanging
theirpastconnection
he movesfrom
a significant
stitutes
indulgence:
choice,nota nostalgic
of
toexpenditure,
from
theeconomy
privacy
tointerchange,
from
thrift
observation
that
thenovelto thewayofthestory.Hencehisanti-plot
first
oneanother
takes
which
heandAntonia
themoment
glimpse
during
excited
"morecouragethanthenoisy,
passagesoflife"(331).
the
return
ofthestakesofJim's
helpsus register
Thisunderstanding
of
a crucial
ofAntonia
thatconstitute
forceoftherecognitions
part hisreIneachcase,whatJimsees is theinstruction
sponsetotheirencounter.
Thedescription
ofJim's
first
inthestory's
Antonia
offers
wayofmeaning.
terms.Sheis marked
herindistinctly
viewofherpresents
by
story-like
missa
little"grizzled,"
herexperience-sun-browned,
"flat-chested,"
ingteeth-butnot,as he hadfeared,erasedbyit. As he takesherin
ofa story
andas he first
hearshervoice,shebecomes,inthemanner
thusdemonstrating
that
as itis told,forcefully
anddistinctively
present,
more
the
more
in theworldofthestory,the
youget: her
youspend
inthefullvigourofher
andsheis "there,
"identity"
grows"stronger,"
battered
butnotdiminished"
personality,
(331-32).As Jimarticulates
ofmeaning
hisnewlyachieved
ofher,andoftheeconomy
understanding
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inMyAntonia
Hostility
totheNovel
711
sherepresents,
themetaphors
thathavebeenassociated
throughout
My
Antoniawiththewaystoriesmakemeaning
cometofruition.
Antonia,
likethestoryteller,
is aninscriber
ofconsciousness.
Jimrealizesthatshe
"hadalwaysbeenone to leaveimagesinthemindthatdidnotfadethatgrewstronger
hismemories
ofheras
withtime,"andhedescribes
a "succession
ofsuchpictures,
fixedliketheoldwoodcuts
ofone'sfirst
primer"
(352-53).20
Antonia's
wayofliving,
likethatofBenjamin's
storyteller,is a modeofrepresentation,
andthepassagecontinues
topresent
heras anengenderer
ofmeanings:
She lentherself
to immemorial
humanattitudes
whichwe recognize
as universal
byinstinct
andtrue.I hadnotbeenmistaken.
She was a
battered
womannow,nota lovely
girl;butshestillhadthatsomething
whichfirestheimagination,
couldstillstopone'sbreath
fora moment
incommon
bya lookorgesturethatsomehow
revealedthemeaning
things.
Shehadonlytostandintheorchard,
toputherhandona little
crabtreeandlookup at theapples,to makeyoufeelthegoodness
ofplanting
andharvesting
atlast.Allthestrong
andtending
of
things
herheartcameoutinherbody,thathadbeenso tirelessin serving
emotions.
generous
(353)
Thispassage'ssustained
evocation
ofthedynamics
ofstorytelling-significance
compressed
intogesture,
madelegibleuponthebody,
wisdom
the strongresponsesuchactsofexpression
evoke-revealsthatJim
inAntonia
an embodiment
oftheauthority
recognizes
ofthestoryand
thevaluesthatbelongto it. Andbecausehe is conclusively
espousing
thestoryas a formofactionanda stancetoward
experience,
thismomentofrecognition
andarticulation
the"climax"-toimport
constitutes
a novelistic
term-ofMyAntonia's
As capadevelopmental
narrative.21
ciousasJim's
ofAntonia
ofthelifeoftheCuzak
recognition
is,hisaccount
farm
thereadertosee stillmore:thatinhersingle-minded
permits
creationandsustenance
ofthisstory-rich
wayoflife,Antonia
is notjustthe
incarnation
oremblem
ofthisculture
butitsconscious
maker.
The understanding
ofthestorythebookhasbynowtaught
us, along
withJim,inturnprepares
us toengagethemoment
thathasbeenmost
orrevelatory
worrisome
tonovelistic
interpreters
ofthebook:Jim's
claim
thathewillhenceforth
takehisplace-psychically
andemotionally,
andas
literally
as histimepermits-within
Antonia's
family,
as oneof"Cuzak's
boys."Thisis a point,thatis, wherethereader'sstory-ourdecision
abouthowto takeMyAntonia-comespointedly
intorelation
toJim's.
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Literature
712 American
about
hisdecision
forAntonia,
earlieravowalofhisfeelings
As withJim's
fromthenovelistic,
lifelooksdangerous
hisemotional
howto conduct
haveseenitas a transparent
pointofview.Thuscritics
maturity-seeking
evasionof
a culpable
a
escape
from
adulthood,
actofregression,pathetic
thestory's
theactionofBookFivefrom
To follow
"healthy"
sexuality.22
Jim'sdecision
quitedifferent.
though,
is to see something
perspective,
toact
fantasy
butas a determination
emergesnotas a lapseintonostalgic
to
hisreturn
ofthestoryhasprovided:
totheculture
uponthe"counsel"
andvaluein
sourcesofmeaning
thattheauthentic
liveouttheknowledge
of
hislifehavenotassumed-andneednotassume-theconfigurations
and
ofemotional
development
thepatterns
maturity
orfollowed
orthodox
workto
novel'scultural
ithasbeenthenineteenth-century
moralgrowth
codify.23
counter-novel
thatCather's
theanti-ending
Jim's
choice,then,provides
conchosen,rigorously
thedefinitive,
fully
hasallalongbeenpromising:
ofmaturity,
andwithitthe
ceived-but,at last,quiterelaxed-defeat
formthatis maturity's
apolopremier
defeatofthenovel,theliterary
the
freesonefrom
heresy,
moreover,
gist,bythestory.To shareJim's
ofthis
orsymptomatic
ofmounting
anironic
reading
burden
considerable
affirmative
themassively
preevent:freesone,thatis,from
dismissing
the
from
inbothimagery
andtone,ofJim'sreturn;
ignoring
sentation,
ofthebook'scoda,inwhich
Jimcuresthedeimplication
confirmatory
outintotheprairie
to townbywalking
pressioncausedbyhisreturn
leftuponthelandscape
bytheoldroadtohis
andreading
theinscription
from
thedelight
missing
thebooktakesinscandalizfarm;
grandfather's
oriented-how
full
howfuture
andfrom
tonotice
failing
ingthenovelistic;
As
ostensible
"interests"-is
this
ofplansandreawakened
regression.
at the
next,irrelevant
thequestion
ofwhathappens
Benjamin
remarks,
Andthereisanaction
endofa novel,is alwaysaliveattheendofa story.24
recorded
or follows
thatfollows,
production,
Jim'schoice-Jim's
from,
WhenJim
we havejustcompleted.
intheIntroduction,
ofthenarrative
he is notappropriating
hiswork,appending
"My"to "Antonia,"
retitles
oftheact
hisperformance
herstorybutemphasizing
or commodifying
in
ofpersonalexpression
thatplaceshimamongthestorytellers-that,
his
of
self-construction
narrative
thestorytelling
by
sense,"completes"
hasallalonglacked)
Antonia,
he,unlike
an audience(something
finding
forwhathehascometoknow.25
waytounderstand
then,givesusa richer
"TheStoryteller,"
Benjamin's
to describethepurposethatobliquely
Cather'sprojectinMyAntonia,
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Hostility
totheNovel
inMyAntonia
713
animates
thisattackontherigidandjoylesspurposefulness
sheassociateswiththenovel-andwiththat,a waytodescribethespecific
form
andtheconceptual
rigorofitselegaicmodernism.
Justas Jimchooses
to liveina newwaybyreclaiming
a roleintheculture
ofthestory,so
a novelrefreshed
Catherconstructs
andreanimated
byitsdialogue
with
theoralstory;intaking
us backtotheplaceofstorytelling,
sheinvites
herreadersto imagine
therevision
ofthepresent.Bookandcharacter
alikebreakfreeofmiddle-class
culture's
masternarrative
ofmaturity,
normalcy,
andhealth(a narrative
Catherhadeveryreasonto distrust).
The boldnessofherstorytelling,
bothwhenshewroteandat present,
from
ofso manycritics
canbe inferred
thedetermination
tomoralizeforthereader-bynow
tonovelize-herbook.MyAntonia's
"counsel"
we might
converted,
say,intoa listener-isnota definitive
messagebut
theroominess
ofa newlyopenandinwhatBenjamin
calls"amplitude":
andrigidly,
relation
dependent
totheplotsthathavecome,toonarrowly
ofvirtue.
todefine
andthelineaments
theshapeofhappiness
Smith
College
Notes
1
2
The Case ofWillaCather,"
inModernism
Phyllis
Rose,"Modernism:
Reed. RobertKiely(Cambridge:
Harvard
Univ.Press),123.See
considered,
O'Brien's
Sharon
TheCaseAgainst
"Becoming
Noncanonical:
WillaCather,"
American
40 (1988):110-26,fora compelling
Quarterly
about
argument
inthefluctuations
theroleplayedbygender
ofCather's
literary
status,and
see twoessaysbyDavidStineback
("NoStoneUntumed:
PopularVersus
Professional
Evaluations
ofWillaCather,"
7 [1982]:167-76,and
Prospects
"TheCase ofWillaCather,"
CanadianReview
ofAmerican
Studies
15[1984]:
ofCather'streatment
385-95),forfurther
criticism
within
theacademy.
a number
oflinksbetween
Judith
Fryernotices
account
ofstoryBenjamin's
tellingandCather'snarrative
tacticsinFelicitous
Space:TheImaginative
Structures
ofEdithWharton
and WillaCather(ChapelHill:Univ.ofNorth
Carolina
Press,1986),chaps.7-9. Fryeruses Benjamin's
essayas partof
a valuablebutdiffuse
ofthequalities
treatment
ofCather's
work.Myhope
is thata moresustained
andpointed
application
of"TheStoryteller"
will
yielda fuller,
morespecific
account
oftheengagements
andpurposes
ofMy
Antonia.
Fora useful
history
ofthecritical
reception
ofMyAntonia,
seeJohnJ.
Murphy,MyAntonia:TheRoadHome(Boston:Twayne,
1989),9-20. Eachof
theseinterpretive
hasbeenmaintained
positions
withconsiderable
intelligenceandingenuity.
The richest
examplesofwhatI wouldcallthe"ab-
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714 AmericanLiterature
3
4
5
6
stract"
strain
influential
include
piecesbyJamesE. Miller,
"MyAntonia:A
Frontier
DramaofTime,"American
Quarterly
10 (1958):476-84;Terence
"TheDramaofMemory
Martin,
inMyAntonia,"
PMLA 84 (1969):30411; DavidStouck,WillaCather's
Imagination
(Lincoln:
Univ.ofNebraska
Scholes,"HopeandMemory
inMyAntonia,"
ShenanPress,1975);Robert
doah14 (1962): 24-29; and,mostrecent,SusanRosowski,
The Voyage
Perilous:WillaCather's
Romanticism
(Lincoln:Univ.ofNebraskaPress,
1986).Suchreadings
imply,
I think,
unconvincingly
detached
answersto
thequestion
ofwhatpurposes
motivate
MyAntonia.
Twostrong,
provocative,"tendentious"
ormoralistic
readings:
BlancheGelfant's
extraordinary
essay,"TheForgotten
Reaping-Hook:
Sex inMyAntonia,"
American
Literature
43 (1971):60-82; andJeanSchwind,
"TheBendaIllustrations
to
MyAntonia:
Cather's
SilentSupplement
toJim
Burden's
Narrative,"
PMLA
100(1985):51-67.Theassumption
ofnostalgia,
extremely
widespread
and
advanced
without
is disputed
usually
argument,
byRose,135-37.Theproblemwiththeseabstract
or accusatory
readings
usually
manifests
itselfas
an oddityofemphasis:
someelement
ofthetextbecomesforegrounded,
ina waythatwouldstrike
erased,orironized
other
readers
as surprismany
ing.SharonO'Brienmakesanargument
forseeingthebookas a conflicted
orindeterminate
andPointofView:Teaching
textin"Gender,
Sexuality,
My
Antoniafroma Feminist
inApproaches
Perspective,"
toTeaching
Cather's
ed. SusanJ.Rosowski
MyAntonia,
(NewYork:MLA,1989),141-45;I am
ofCather's
hereonthecoherence
insisting
intellectual
project.
Walter
"TheStoryteller:
ontheWorks
Reflections
ofNikolai
LesBenjamin,
ed. Hannah
Arendt
kov,"inIlluminations,
(NewYork:Schocken,
1969),86.
inthetext.
Futurereferences
In Benjamin's
academicliterary
terms,muchpresent-day
interpretation
theurgetoexplain,
toaccount
wouldbe alliedwith"information"-with
for
inthemeditative,
sense
thanwith"interpretation"
fully-rather
exploratory
inwhich
heusestheword.
1 (1987):27. ConPeterBrooks,"TheStoryteller,"
YaleJournal
ofCriticism
remark
onthenature
ofBenjamin's
sideralsoFredric
Jameson's
nostalgia:
"thereis noreasonwhya nostalgia
conscious
ofitself,
a lucidandremorseonthegrounds
ofsomeremembered
less dissatisfaction
withthepresent
furnish
as adequate
a revolutionary
stimulus
as anyother"
plenitude,
cannot
andForm[Princeton:
Princeton
Univ.Press,1971],82).
(Marxism
of"TheStoryteller"
Brooks,27,37. Brooks's
andapplication
has
explication
beenextremely
tomeinunderstanding
theforce
ofBenjamin's
helpful
argument.Hereismoreofhissummation
ofthepurpose
oftheessay:Benjamin's
ofthestory
isanattempt
ortocreate... a certain
endorsement
to"restore,
attitude
ofreading
thatwouldmorecloselyresemble
thatwould
listening,
elicitthesuspension
ofmeditation
rather
thanthesuspenseofconsumption,
andthatwouldforeground
theexchange,
thetransaction,
eventhetransference-inthefully
sense-thatcantakeplaceintheoffer
psychoanalytic
ofnarrative"
andreception
(28).
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totheNovelinMyAntonia 715
Hostility
realist
novelthatCather
ontheclassicnineteenth-century
Whiletheattack
on
inherlatertheoretical
andcritical
commentary
is conducted
willmount
authenaboutwhatconstitutes
behalf
ofa different
agenda-asanargument
inaccordwith
elements
arestrikingly
"imaginative"
art-its central
tically
ofa
ofdetailcharacteristic
Herdisdainforthemultiplication
Benjamin's.
distrust
Benjamin's
modelofrealism
parallels
orjournalistic
photographic
of"information"
onWriting
1968],11,
[NewYork:Knopf,
(see WillaCather
fora strategy
ofcompression,
condensation,
39, 70, 101);herpreference
ofthe
hisaccount
ofthe"chastecompactness"
andsimplification
parallels
sharea distaste
fortheinfection
oralstory(see 39, 40, 102);bothwriters
offiction
(see 41,86,103)andanappreciation
bythelogicofthecommodity
theanimation
ofvoice(see 56-57).Noteespecially
ofwriting
thatcaptures
in"TheNovelDeoftheauthentically
"created"
thewayCather's
definition
ofa story
upon
depends
claimthattheimpact
resembles
Benjamin's
meuble"
"Whatthateludesmereexplanation:
theachievement
ofa kindofpresence
one
namedthere-that,
everis feltuponthepagewithout
beingspecifically
ofthething
notnamed,
presence
might
say,is created.Itis theinexplicable
divined
oftheovertone
bytheearbutnotheardbyit,theverbalmood,the
to
orthedeed,thatgiveshighquality
emotional
auraofthefactorthething
itself"
thenovelorthedrama,
as wellas topoetry
(41-42;see also5-6, 15).
1923,2368 "Nebraska:
The EndoftheFirstCycle,"
Nation,5 September
Willa
voteis drawnbyJamesWoodress,
aboutCather's
38. Theinference
A Literary
Univ.ofNebraska
Press,1987),491.
Cather:
Life(Lincoln:
1977),39. Futurereferences
Mifflin,
9 MyAntonia,
1918(Boston:Houghton
inthetext.
ofthistale,suchas
10 Fora lucidargument
explanatory
readings
against
overly
"Kindling
Peterman's
byGelfant,
see Michael
thatmostfamously
provided
inRosowski,
theImagination:
Approaches,
TheInsetStoriesofMyAntonia,"
Space,
(Felicitous
156-62.Judith
Fryer
arguesforthe"oral"styleofitstelling
brief
commena thoughtful,
untendentious
281-83).GeorgeDekkeroffers
Romance
Cambridge
Historical
(Cambridge:
taryonthistaleinTheAmerican
Univ.Press,1987),258,as doesPhyllis
Rose("Modernism,"
133-34).
11 Gelfant
myth,
69-70. Perhaps
to initiation
notestheepisode'ssimilarity
the
to "psychological
analysis"
invitation
thereis also, in thehyperbolic
snakeproffers
totheeducated
jokeat theexeye,ananticipatory
writhing
thatour
reading
key-to-all-mythologies
penseofthekindofsympotomatic,
forexplanation
Mypointis notthatthere
enthusiasm
urgesus to supply.
isn'tsexualdisgustinJim'sresponse-liketheotherelements
oftheepiinone'saccruing
sodeitneedsto be included
thatin
understanding-but
I
thiscontext
explanatory
privilege.
itsexistence
failstoconfer
anyunusual
think
andinrevealing
thefamous
hook"dream,
which
is similarly
"reaping
theexplanatory
worksinananalogous
way.Bothepisodesinvite
conclusive,
it.
urgeinordernottoreward
12 Fora thoughtful,
alternative
account
oftheroletheinsetstoriesplayinthe
ofJim's
see Michael
157-62.Hermione
Lee also
Peterman,
identity,
shaping
7
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716 American
Literature
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
thenarrative
ofBookOneandthe
elements
discussestherelation
between
DoubleLives(NewYork:Pantheon,
ofidentity
inWillaCather:
development
1989),140-44.
in
of maturity
On the alliancebetweenthenoveland theconstruction
seminal
essay,"Sparsee Richard
Brodhead's
America,
nineteenth-century
America,"
Representations
inAntebellum
andFiction
ingtheRod:Discipline
lifeinBlackHawk
ofmiddle-class
21 (1988):67-96.Cather's
representation
culture,
ofmiddle-class
accounts
oftheshaping
otherinfluential
anticipates
(NewYork:NorTheCulture
ofProfessionalism
Burton
Bledstein's
notably
inTheFall
oftheidealofprivacy
Sennett's
analysis
ton,1976)andRichard
chap.8.
1978),especially
Vintage,
ofPublicMan(NewYork:reprint,
andLos Angeles:Univ.ofCalifornia
See TheRiseoftheNovel(Berkeley
Press,1959),chap.6.
as
I amindebted
ofJimandLena'scourtship
discussion
hereto Gelfant's
"sublimated"
(67).
toAntonia,
buttheWidow-notAntonia
assumedtorefer
Thistitleis often
oflocalsettlers.
or"pioneer,"
generation
ofthefirst,
-is a member
allofwhich
regard
it
thisquestion,
waysofanswering
Forseveraldifferent
see Gelfant,
as central,
"MyAntonia,
JimBurden,
71-72;Judith
Fetterly,
inGender
NewDirections
oftheLesbianWriter,"
Studies:
andtheDilemma
Green:Bowling
Green
in Feminist
ed. Judith
Spector(Bowling
Criticism,
"TheDefeat
StateUniv.PopularPress,1986),52-55;DeborahLambert,
53
inMyAntonia,"
American
Literature
andSexuality
ofa Hero:Autonomy
oftherelation
amongmarriage,
exploration
(1982),687. Foraninteresting
in theNovel:Contract
andthenovel,see TonyTanner,
Adultery
contracts,
Univ.Press,1979),3-18.
andTransgression
Johns
Hopkins
(Baltimore:
onthebook'sown
is confirmed
Theauthenticity
ofthismoment
ofexchange
descriplandscape
byoneofthelight-suffused
termswhenitis accompanied
ofheightened
thebook'sothermoments
tionsthatconsistently
accompany
seemsespecially
Thisparticular
moment
oflandscape
painting
significance.
tothe
to emphasize
theideaofarticulation,
whichI havearguedis central
thesetting
sunandtherising
between
scene'saction.Suspended
moon,ina
stalk
little
treeandshockofwheat,everysunflower
light,"
"every
"singular
drewitselfup highandpointed;the
andclumpofsnow-on-the-mountain,
seemedtostandupsharply"
(322).Thereis an"unveryclodsandfurrows
inthescene-Jim's
element
wishtobe a boyagain
settled"orincomplete
notbecausethisis a
andthathiswaycouldendthere-butitis disturbing
initswishfora
ofregression
butbecauseitsuggests,
conclusive
symptom
in
confidence
thatJimdoesnotyetunderstand
Antonia's
conclusive
ending,
orabsentpeoplepresent.
thepowerofstorytelling
tomakepastexperiences
ofJim's
See thediscussion
below.
return,
nontendenIn eachcase,as befits
thelogicofthestory,
thisis a distinctly
a whisper
ofthefallthatis its
tiousform
ofallusion.
WegetEdenwithout
toexiting
the"fruit
cave."
telos,andnosenseoflossattaches
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Hostility
totheNovelinMyAntonia717
20 Benjamin
identifies
thewoodcut
as,despite
itsuseinprinting,
a premechanical medium-amedium
ofthehand-in"TheWorkofArtin theAge of
Mechanical
Reproduction,"
Illuminations,
219.I suspectthatitis justthis
artisanal
thatCather
hasinmindhereandthatthisaccounts
quality
forher
commissioning
oftheBendaillustrations
as well.See theaccount
ofCather's
inSchwind,
attitude
toward
thesedrawings
52-53.
21 Thispassage'sconsistent
invocation
ofthelanguage
ofstorytelling
makes
suspicious
orironic
readings
ofthismoment,
which
see itas a descentinto
sentimentality;
as a maleappropriation
ofAntonia,
as inherreduction
toan
iconicearthmother
ora staticemblem;
as anevasionofdeepersexualfeelings,hardto sustain.
As SharonO'Brienhasargued,Cather's
presentation
ofAntonia
buta revision
ofa stereotype:
hereis nota rehearsal
"Antonia
EarthMother,
Shimerda,
viewedbysomeas anarchetypal
is a storyteller
whopourshercreativity
intonarrative
as wellas nurturing"
"'The
(O'Brien,
ThingNotNamed':WillaCather
as a LesbianWriter,"
Signs9 [1984]:596).
Foranespecially
blunt
andaccusatory
interpretation
oftheseclosing
scenes,
see Lambert,
687-90.Theinterpretive
storiesteachcanhelpus
openness
avoida puristic
kindofargument
here.Thefactthat
tribute
is inflected
Jim's
hisagrarian
byhispersonality-his
aesthetic
categories,
sentimentality
hardly
erasesor"undermines"
thepassage'sendorsement
ofstory.
22 BlancheGelfant's
version
ofthisargument
remains
themostpowerful,
speandsubtle.See 76-82.
cific,
23 Initslackofinterest
inidentifying
standard
adultsexuality
withtheachieveortheculmination
mentofhappiness
ofpersonal
growth,
MyAntoniaantheworkofcultural
criticssuspicious
ofthenarrative
ticipates
ofsexual
orexpression
achievement
middle-class
culture
promotes.
See MichelFoucault,TheHistory
ofSexuality,
vol. 1, trans.RobertHurley(NewYork:
Vintage,
1980)andStephen
Heath,TheSexualFix (NewYork:Schocken,
andSusanGubar,inNo Man'sLand: ThePlace
1984).SandraM. Gilbert
in theTwentieth
Vol.2: Sexchanges
oftheWomanWriter
Century,
(New
Haven:YaleUniv.Press,1989),chap.5, arguethatCather's
workis shaped
into
throughout
byhersensethatstandard
adultsexuality
delivered
women
cultural
roles.
entrapping
24 Hereis Benjamin's
infull:"there
remark
is nostoryforwhich
thequestion
as to howitcontinued
wouldnotbe legitimate.
Thenovelist,
ontheother
hand,cannothopeto takethesmallest
stepbeyond
thatlimitat whichhe
invites
thereadertoa divinatory
realization
ofthemeaning
oflifebywriting
"Finis"(100).
25 Fortheappropriation
see Schwind,
55.
argument,
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