My Antonia - Analyzing Antonia Shimerda and Lena Lingard

Both Antonia Shimerda and Lena Lingard came from immigrant families that settled in Nebraska. Their lifestyles on the farms as children were similar, but their characters were very different.

Antonia and Lena both shared a relationship with Jim Burden. While Antonia never became Jim's girlfriend, we know that he possessed very strong feelings for her. Lena, on the other hand, had a brief relationship with Jim while in Black Hawk and an even more significant connection when living in Lincoln. During Jim's transitional time from child to young adult he began to have sexual fantasies about Lena. Though we know that Jim truly adores Antonia, we never see him refer to her in the sort of sexual manner.

Lena's character was presented as being very flirtatious, somewhat of a temptress. While Lena watched her father's cattle on their farm she often allowed a married man, Ole Benson, to sit with her. The two were the topic of gossip. Everyone in the area knew that Lena used her good looks and flirtatious nature all the time. Ole's wife, known as Crazy Mary, used to chase after Lena with a "corn-knife" warning that she'd "trim some of that shape off you. Then you won't sail round so fine, making eyes at the men!" At no point in the book do we see Antonia being depicted as anything like this.

As the two grew older, both became "hired girls" in the town of Black Hawk. Antonia was hired to do domestic work and help with childcare for the Harling family. Lena started working for Mrs. Thomas, Black Hawk's dressmaker. Having the opportunity to learn a trade proved to be quite valuable to her in the future. Antonia was very responsibility centered. She would always tend to her work before engaging in personal activities. Most of what money she earned was used to send home to her family. Lena also worked hard and helped her family with her earnings. It seemed to me that although the young women were not alike in personality, they did share a similar work ethic.

During their days in Black Hawk both girls began going to social dances in the area. Many of the people in town frowned upon such behavior, especially by the "hired girls", because they felt it would give the girls a bad reputation. Lena was already known for having a reputation but the dances were where Antonia was first introduced to many of the town's men. Her employers did not want her to keep working for them if she was going to be conducting herself in a manner they felt was improper, so Antonia found a new job in Wick Cutter's house.

Later in the book we see the outcome of the girls' lives. They have indeed taken drastically different paths in life. Lena did not marry, which was expected. She had said long before that she had "seen a good deal of married life, and I don't care for it." Antonia was just the opposite. As I mentioned before, we have seen Antonia in a caregiver's role since her early years on the farm, so it is no surprise to see that Antonia has not only married, but had a very large family as well. Lena used the skills she learned from Mrs. Thomas well, first as a successful dressmaker in Lincoln, and then with an even higher level of success in San Francisco. She is happy with her life and is quite content, without a husband or children. Antonia, too, is happy. She and her husband have a farm not far from the place she and Jim had lived as children. Although her life has been much harder than Lena's and the years have taken a physical and cosmetic toll on her, she is at peace with her many children and a farm of their own.

Both Antonia Shimerda and Lena Lingard have made a life they are happy with. Both girls' lives are different from what their peers would have expected. Lena, with her questionable reputation and wanton behavior, did very well for herself, unlike any of the townspeople would have expected. Antonia, the kind-hearted, benevolent girl that everybody loved, had to endure many hardships throughout her life. In spite of all the goodness she possessed, she did not achieve fame or fortune or get travel the world, she received the titles of wife and mother, which was honor enough for her.