The beautiful but harsh landscapes displayed in My Antonia prove challenging for all that want to live in Black Hawk, Nebraska – especially the Shimerdas. However, a constant theme that keeps recurring to help make life a little bit sweeter, or at least a little bit easier to deal with is the sense of community between neighbors. This way of thinking, whether religiously or regionally motivated, tends to get implemented in a lot of journey/coming of age stories (think Mark Twain or Bret Harte). In My Antonia, this is evident in how the Burdens and Shimerdas interact and look out for each other.
The responsibility of taking care of your neighbors is not a new idea. Yet, there is always a hold up of what’s too much or if it’s wrong to impose on someone else’s situation. However, the Burden’s desire and want to help out the Shimerdas in hard times really stuck out to me. For instance, when the Burden’s send Christmas presents to the Shimerdas, I think this act of giving really shows just how much neighbors do think about each other (especially in those days when you couldn’t just text someone if something was wrong). It’s evident how much Mr. Shimerda appreciates this gesture when the narrator (Jim) lets us know that “He [Mr. Shimerda] had come to thank us for the presents, and for all grandmother’s kindness to his family.” (Ch. 12). While it is obviously common for people to thank each other for kind gestures, this act of kindness I believe went a lot further due to how unhappy Mr. Shimerda was. While it ultimately didn’t prevent him from killing himself, I’m sure he had to know somewhere that there were some people besides his family he could count on.
The sincerity of these acts and how much the Burden’s did sympathize is also shown after Mr. Shimerda kills himself. When the burdens are discussing the incident and how it might impact their (his wife and daughters) lives, it is clear that they (at least the grandmother) is concerned for how they might take care of themselves. For example, when the grandmother says, “Well, I can take them some victuals, anyway, and say a word of comfort to them poor little girls. The oldest one was his darling, and was like a right hand to him. He might have thought of her. He’s left her alone in a hard world.” (Ch. 14) Again, while this does seem like the natural and considerate thing to do, I believe it’s the sympathy and neighborly responsibility that is driving their concern. The Burden’s owe nothing to the Shimerdas; yet, they constantly find ways to help out even when the Shermida’s might annoy (like when she gives her the pan).
I love the attention to gifts here. The instance you mention is interesting as it has to do with the ongoing sense of reciprocity and recognition that gifts create. I think you could go further to catalog instances of gift-giving and their contexts. Their is the initial support that the Burden’s offer, but also numerous other expressions of generosity–some of which Jim sees as rather extravagant. In some ways, Jim appears to be suspicious of gift-giving: he thinks it rather insensible, especially when those giving are not in the best position to do so. Antonia, for example, tries to give him a ring and he refuses, and he balks at his Aunt’s generosity to Mrs. Shimersda.
This all made me think of what anthropologists have long studied–something call the gift economy. If this was a NovelWorls post and note a blog comment, I’d cite an actual article, but for now Wiki will have to suffice: “A gift economy, gift culture, or gift exchange is a mode of exchange where valuables are not traded or sold, but rather given without an explicit agreement for immediate or future rewards.[1] This contrasts with a barter economy or a market economy, where goods and services are primarily exchanged for value received. Social norms and custom govern gift exchange. Gifts are not given in an explicit exchange of goods or services for money or some other commodity.”
It is interesting, then, to sort of map gestures of generosity in this section: who gives and why; how do other forms of more commercial or market exchange tend to threaten this economy; in what cases does the gift economy fail; and what drives the gift impulse for various characters: guilt, compassion, tradition, empathy, communal values, etc. I sense a paper topic here! Or at least a lively topic for class conversation.