O Pioneers!

In Part 1 of O Pioneers!, Cather depicts the brutal but hopeful ethos that informs the pioneer experience.

The characters who live in Hanover have mostly developed a hardness. Carl is bitter that humans would be foolish enough even to think of the Nebraska land as amenable to their control. As a young man, Carl is already thinking of a future away from Nebraska because the turmoil and insecurity of homesteading seem fruitless and overtaxing. Though Alexandra is more hopeful for the future and inspired by the land, she is hard in her own way; Cather describes her as appearing to be on constant lookout for a problem. She is familiar with conflict and hardship and has had to mature beyond her years through the nature of farmwork and her father’s untimely death. Though beautiful, she is mostly referred to in terms of her strength, intelligence, and work ethic, which were more conventionally “male” characteristics during this time period. Alexandra subverts gender norms and stereotypes: She doesn’t have the opportunity to focus on dreams of motherhood or homemaking because she is so consumed by the family’s survival.

The tough exterior of the older characters contrasts with the innocence of the children. Emil is sensitive, fearful, and sweet—all traits that stand in stark contrast to the more determined adults. Emil has not yet had to learn how to till inhospitable land, nor is he burdened with financial stress. Alexandra hopes that Emil will go to school, implying that she plans to work hard through manual labor to give Emil a different, more hopeful future. Emil’s innocence, coupled with Alexandra’s wisdom, is a beacon of hope for the entire Bergson family. Marie is another example of this innocence, epitomizing young beauty and joy to the men in her family. They are delighted by her presence, which is lighthearted in a way that the men do not experience in other areas of their life. These characters likewise provide the reader a respite from the seriousness of their older relatives. However, this innocence foreshadows conflict as much as hope. On the one hand, it is possible that the struggles the Bergson family endures may one day cease. On the other hand, Emil will eventually have to learn how difficult life can be.

Cather introduces her characters through their national heritage. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many immigrants from Germany, Sweden, and Norway migrated to America in hopes of using their agricultural skills to forge their own fortunes. As a country, America was in the process of expanding; new states were being founded, and settlers were needed to develop societies in those new states (the Indigenous peoples who originally occupied these territories did not count in the eyes of the US government). Due to the brutal weather and isolation, few established Americans wanted to leave their farms, cities, and families to try a new adventure. Immigrants, however, were eager to settle new land and to found their own communities. The United States government created homesteads, or tracts of land available for anyone who would risk establishing farms and communities in unchartered territories. However, this meant that many people without the necessary skills attempted but failed to create rich lives homesteading. Because Sweden, Germany, and Norway were so focused on agriculture, immigrants from these countries tended to be good farmers and fishermen who understood the tough negotiation between man and nature. Consequently, immigrants from these countries developed many new states, such as Nebraska.

The ethos of American individualism is notable in Cather’s depiction of homesteading. For John Bergson, owning land is an accomplishment, even if it involves debt and years of difficult manual labor and poverty. In Europe, land was limited and largely a privilege of the aristocracy; for immigrants from these countries, owning land in America was a symbol of status and hope. This American Dream also inspires Alexandra, who demonstrates imagination, hard work, and genuine respect for her land. Alexandra embodies the American ethos of socioeconomic growth because she plans for the future and relies on herself to accomplish her dreams.

For Cather, this ethos is also specifically characteristic of pioneers. A pioneer is a person who is the first to settle new land or develop and apply new ideas. The Bergsons are a family of pioneers because they settle new land in Nebraska and use a plethora of new ideas to achieve success. However, being a pioneer is difficult. It requires faith, failure, and resilience. Alexandra is the character who best represents the pioneer spirit: She faces every challenge with ingenuity and determination. Her brothers Oscar and Lou are pioneers in action but not in spirit. They would rather give up the land in Nebraska and work for other people so that they can have a more comfortable and lucrative life. Alexandra sees working for a company as an impediment to freedom; with no one to answer to but herself, Alexandra can dream up and apply her own ideas. John Bergson, who likewise values individualism, land ownership, and ingenuity, sees this quality in Alexandra and puts her in charge of the farm before he dies.

Cather’s narrative focuses on the negotiation between nature and human activity. Nebraska is beautiful but inhospitable. The winters are cruel, and the summers are unproductive. People suffer in Nebraska even as they survive, thrive, and multiply. Alexandra is one of the few who genuinely respect, admire, and find inspiration in the land. She finds it beautiful and ripe with possibility. Cather suggests that through respect for nature, humans can work with the land. This dynamic between nature and human activity is central to the ethos of a pioneer. The farmers who fail in Nebraska turn to factories owned by other men, which means that they take a step away from nature. The conflict between land and human is important in part because it reveals a person’s true character.