Jim Burden's Unsuccessful Growth as an Individual in "My Antonia"

Characters in novels often experience an epiphany that occurs during their evolution throughout the novel. However, the epiphany takes time or may not even occur at all. This slow process is evident in the novel, My Antonia. Jim Burden, the main protagonist in the story has a difficult time growing as an individual. At the beginning of the novel, he is unsure of himself and passive whereas his friend, Antonia shows a bright, passionate energy. As Jim grows in age, he learns but does not grow emotionally.

Finally, as an adult he still displays a scared posture- afraid of the changed that his friends have undergone. All of his friends except Antonia swayed from the traditional lives they were expected to live. In Willa Cather’s My Antonia, the main character, Jim Burden, fails to grow due to his inability to recognize the dramatic changes that occur within his society.

In “Book One,” Antonia’s father, Mr. Shimerda commits suicide. Jim finally realizes after Mr.

Shimerda’s death, the reason that led Mr. Shimerda to take his life. He realizes that the one thing in his life that connected him to his homeland was Pavel and Peter. After the loss of his dear friends, he felt there was nowhere else to turn. This sad event greatly traumatizes the young girl and Jim.

Antonia is forced to grow up and become a leader within her family. This includes doing chores and works that is normally done by a man. This change in Jim’s friend disturbs him.

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Jim displays his confused feelings when he discusses with Antonia, “Why are n’t you always nice like this, Tony” (Cather 131). He then further says, “Why do you all the time try to be like Ambrosch” (Cather 131)? Jim is revealing his emotions to Antonia. He misses the fun times they had before Mr. Shimerda’s death, and does not understand why they cannot recreate these memories in the present. Over the course of the next few years, the lives of Jim and Antonia are thoroughly impacted by Mr. Shimerda’s death.

Jim is able to surge ahead with available knowledge from school, whereas Antonia is forced to work to help pay the bills for her family. Ultimately, Antonia is unable to leave Black Hawk when she is older because she is not in contact with new experiences. Jim, coming from a wealthy family, is able to soar to new heights he has not seen before. Mr. Shimerda’s absence takes away possibilities of education from his children. There is one less person to work so Antonia is forced to take over that position. Jim’s ability to recognize the reason Mr. Shimerda took his life allowed him to move forward emotionally, but he still did not understand how Antonia handled the situation.

In “Book Two,” Jim attempts to kiss Antonia on the Harlings’ porch but is rejected. Antonia tells him to never give in to the Lena. Jim however does pursue a relationship with her in “Book Three.” The reason he desires her is that she is a comfort to him. She reminds him of fun times back in Black Hawk, and distracts him from his memories of Antonia. He is in love with her but realizes he will never be able to be with her. This is because of the differences between their lives. Antonia will always think of Jim as a childhood friend.

Also, she is unable to leave Black due to the circumstances involving her father’s death and background. She loves the farm. This is revealed when she tells Jim, “I like to be where I know every stack and tree, and where all the ground is friendly” (Cather 255). She discusses with Jim his connection to the big city. Jim understands that he is a city boy whereas Antonia is a farmhand.

Their personalities are complete opposites. Furthermore, Jim desires to be with the comfortable Lena because she is a distraction. She is a living memory of the jolly times he had in Black Hawk. She brings the excitement of dances and parties into Jim’s mind. Lena also comforts his sad heart. He realizes that he cannot marry Antonia and it hurts him. Lena however does not like this broken Jim. She shows her true feelings when she tells him, “I used to think I’d like to be your first sweetheart.

You were a funny kid” (Cather 236)! Jim was saying goodbye to Lena here. He loves Lena but realizes that she does not have the same feelings for him. He decides to leave town in hopes that he may learn and grow by switching colleges.

Jim Burden always desired to have Antonia in his life. He did not care if she was his friend, sister, or even mother. He was deeply in love with however he failed to ever show it to her. The reason he never married Antonia was that he was always one step behind. He was unable to show her how he feels about her. This inability to reveal his true feelings to Antonia ultimately excludes him from ever obtaining a relationship with her. He finally accepts not being together with Antonia when he visits her family. He meets all her children and husband.

All of the children are named after special people to her. They predominantly include people around Black Hawk. This shows that she values her surroundings and does not desire to leave her home. Jim understands this. He is from a wealthy family and can only grow within a city atmosphere. Mr. Cuzak also helps Jim with his love for Antonia. Antonia and Mr Cuzak love each other dearly and Jim accepts that they are an “impulse and a corrective” (Cather 277).

Mr. Cuzak tells Jim of his love for Antonia when he said, “My woman is got such a good heart. She always make it as good for me as she could” (Cather 283). Jim then realizes what a compatible fellow Mr. Cuzak is for Antonia. They shared the same dry humor and love their troublesome kids. Jim then decides to depart and realizes that he has arrived where he had begun his journey over thirty years ago.

Jim Burden fails to grow as an individual through his inability to recognize the changes that occur throughout his life. He does not understand how his friend, Antonia is able to cope with the loss of her father. Jim attempts to distract himself from his love of Antonia through Lena. This also fails because she does not have the same feelings.

Finally, he is forced to accept that he cannot have a relationship with Antonia. He copes with this however due the kindness he sees in Mr. Cuzak. He understands that he is unable to share in the Bohemian bond Antonia is now connected to. Overall, Jim Burden was unsuccessful at growing as an individual and wound back to the place he started at by visiting Antonia and Mr. Cuzak.