Willa Jewett (Blog Question #3)

Gaston Mclemore
AML-3311
Dr. Jordan
Willa Jewett?
Students of American Literature are aware of the literary relationship between Sarah Orne Jewett and Willa Cather which goes beyond the fact that each wrote of a period in American Life which both had known and loved, and which no longer exists. Miss Cather dedicates O Pioneers Miss Jewett in an acknowledgment of indebtedness to Sarah’s counsel to recapture in writing her early memories and to make style subordinate to truthful presentation. Her appreciation of Jewett and Whitman is present in her attributes in clear, fresh writing to her literary maternal heritage. Not to mention the similarity in ideals and a preference for women protagonists. The power of nature and innate connection with the animals and country life are essential to both texts. Although, one can argue that Cather’s O Pioneers expresses more universal appeal than emphasis on locale color like, Jewett’s A White Heron.


In Cather’s O Pioneers as well as Jewett’s A White Heron, Both writers share a tendency to see people in a resemblance to things of nature, and attributes nature thoughts and feelings of people. In addition, both have an implication of passion, romantic love or an embracement of female sexuality juxtaposed to nature. In part one of O Pioneers, Cather calmly says “The road led southwest, toward the streak of pale, watery light that glimmered in the leaden sky. The light fell upon the two said young faces that were turned mutely towards it: upon the eyes of the girl, who seemed to be looking with such anguished perplexity into the future; upon the somber eyes of the boy, who seemed already to be looking in the past.”(Cather 11). Willa Cather uses “watery light” as a catalyst for optimism, for the land and almost as an awakening, giving “watery light” a voice and God-Like power. Similarly, Jewett’s depiction of Sylvia within nature is underscored through attributing human characteristics through non-human beings. Sylvia begins to climb a pine tree; the tree is presented as an active being; “the tree seemed to lengthen itself out”, “The old pine must have loved his new independent, “it must have truly been amazed that morning.” (Jewett 55). Like the depiction of Cather’s “watery-light”, Jewett’s description of the tree creates a climax and expands the relationship with nature giving it, Garden of Eden imagery.


As part one, The Wild Land continues Alexandra goes in-depth to reveal her relationship with the seasons and the soil. Even during a drought, she feels closeness with the country and tries to buy more land despite her brother’s wishes. Like Jewett, Cather portrays her harmonious relationship between women and land. This connection is partially inherent, because women and the earth experience seasonal-menstrual rhythms and reach out to and are responsive to others (Benjamin1986; Weedon 1987). The connection is also social, in that women’s cultural roles bind them to land. They recognized that women were economically and socially central to the frontier landscape (Gilbert and Gubert 1989). Both women have fantasies or sensual dreams reflecting sexuality. Sylvia’s decision to reveal the location of a beautiful white heron and its nest to a visiting hunter, but it also may be metaphorically interpreted as Sylvia’s exploration of her sexuality. She fantasies about a visiting hunter, denies the relinquishment of her virginity, climaxes and he leaves disappointed. In relation to Jewett, Cather uses little Marie and Emil to explore the Garden of Eden and find her sexuality leading to her climax.

In short, Both Jewett and Cather touched on gendered related stereotypes and created female individualists rather than imitations of male protagonists. Cather and Jewett’s writings accurately depict the society of the 1960’s and struggle of change into the mid to late nineteenth century.

Works Cited
O Pioneers, Willa Cather pgs- 6-12
Geographical Literary Review, Vol. 85, No. 2 (Apr,. 1995), pp- 217-228