Final answer:
Peter and Pavel in 'My Ántonia' fled to America to escape the aftermath of a tragic event where they had thrown a bride and groom to wolves during an attack, seeking to escape their guilt and the censure of their community.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Willa Cather's novel My Ántonia, the two Russians, Peter and Pavel, moved to America after a harrowing event back in their homeland that haunted them. They had once been at a wedding party in Russia when they were attacked by wolves. To save themselves, Pavel threw the bride and groom to the wolves, which meant they survived but had to face the horror of what they had done. Unable to live with the scorn of their community and the weight of their guilt, they fled to America. This backstory reveals a darker side to the immigration experience, separate from the pursuit of the American Dream. While many immigrants did come to America in search of economic opportunities or to escape various forms of persecution, for Peter and Pavel, it was more about escaping their past and finding a place where they could live without the ghosts of their actions. Their experience underscores the complex motives behind immigration and the fact that not all immigrants arrived with hopeful expectations, but some were chased by their fears and traumas.