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Book 5, Chapter 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in My Antonia, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Immigrant Experience
Friendship
The Prairie
The Past
Innocence and Maturity
Gender
Summary
Analysis
The next morning, Ántonia's husband, Cuzak, comes home from town with his oldest son. Though Cuzak is far from a handsome man, Jim notices that he and Ántonia have a marriage of "easy friendliness."
Cuzak is, as Tiny described him, without "force." But his life seems grounded, full of love and friendship.
Themes
During dinner, Cuzak and his boys tell Jim how Wick Cutter had killed his wife and then shot himself, making sure to wait long enough so that his hated wife's family would not inherit his money.
The story of Wick is like a parody of people who value money and success over land, love, friendship, and everything else. The result is emptiness.
Themes
After dinner, Jim walks with Cuzak outside and asks about his life. Cuzak admits that when he first came to Nebraska he terribly missed his old life in Bohemia and Vienna. But Ántonia's love, warmth, and tireless effort helped him build a life and a family in Nebraska, and so he has no regrets.
Cuzak in many ways was similar to Jim, desperately missing his home. But through Ántonia, Cuzak was able to put down roots in Nebraska and create a new home.
Themes
