Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Essay -- Willa Cather O

Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers Works Cited Not Included Alexandra Bergman’s lack of self awareness allows others to forget that she is a woman and, at times, even human, which continuously builds the wall of isolation that surrounds her. As a result, when she reacts to situations as a woman would, rather than as â€Å"she† should, those around her don’t know what to make of it. Because she has been such a steady influence for so many years, those around her do not understand that perhaps she did have another dream besides working the land that she seems to care so deeply about. Her brothers in particular are unable to comprehend that Alexandra is a woman and was forced into the life she has lead by their father’s fantasy rather than by her own free will. Perhaps the only people who truly understand her dilemma are Ivar and Carl. Ivar is a â€Å"natural man† and a religious mystic and Carl a man who was unable to make a living from the land– neither is respected by their peers, and yet they have so me sort of insight to Alexandra’s heart that even she has failed to acknowledge. Alexandra’s walls are brought down only by love: love of her youngest brother, love of the land, and the return of the childhood love she thought was lost to her– as these loves begin to change her, her outlook on her entire life begins to change and meld into something that only those who actually know who and what she is recognize: a woman. Although Alexandra begins working the land to fulfill her father’s dying wish, no one in her early life ever realizes that perhaps she had other dreams and other wishes. â€Å"You feel that, properly, Alexandra’s house is the big out-of-doors, and that it is in the soil that she expresses herself best,† an... ...hemes fed their families, Alexandra’s hope was renewed continually by the promise of Emil’s future. When he dies, her dreams for his future are shattered, but her own are then able to be seen more clearly, without the filter of another person to care for. Ivar allows her to be herself to some extent, and more importantly can talk to her about things that only they can understand, about the land and the earth and the forces that move within it. Finally, Carl comes to his childhood friend’s rescue and reminds her that there is an entire world outside of Nebraska, and in that world she doesn’t always have to be the only one who truly cares. Through all of these men’s influences, Alexandra is in turn optimistic, hopeful, broken, and renewed. Without these changes within her self, she would never come to know exactly who and what she is– a farmer, a pioneer, and a woman.