O Pioneers!

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather

O Pioneers! (1913) is not a book that trudges through "issues" or preaches "isms;" yet the raw details of the plot and characterization are blatantly progressive - and thus as subversive for the time period in which it was published - as the book is universally human. Protagonist, Alexandra Bergson succeeds in building a farming enterprise in the harshest conditions of mid-nineteenth century Nebraska, battling fierce opposition from her two misogynistic, flawed brothers; and employing the crucial services of a mentally retarded, vegetarian horse whisperer. Alexandra is uniquely strong and intelligent, a born leader, and she derives her power not from a loophole in the male power structure, but from the prudent decision-making of her ailing father, who recognizes her qualities and mandates her leadership of the family farm. Cather elegantly depicts Alexandra's shrewd protection of her authority, and the author challenges male gender roles as well by presenting Alexandra’s would-be lover, Carl, as a sensitive type pursuing a career in the art world and ceding, without anger, the role of breadwinner to Alexandra. The characters are as complicated and nuanced as the challenges they face, and the sweeping narrative orbits around the theme of inheritance and posterity. The land, which the immigrants inherited and cultivated, becomes the metaphor for meaning beyond earthly mortality; that is, conferring greater value than what they inherited to the next generation. It’s a beautiful secular humanist message, complicated by the tragedies that unfold and the flaws of the characters, who, at times, commit evil acts, but are never demonized. Without a doubt, O Pioneers! is satisfying, effortless, and profound - a great work of literature.