Question

"I always knew I should live long enough to see my country girls come into their own, and I have. Today the best that a harassed black hawk merchant can hope for is to sell provisions and farm machinery and automobiles to the rich farms where that first crop of stalwart Bohemian and Scandinavian girls are now the mistresses." —My Antonia, Willa Cather. How is the theme, "The American Dream is attainable to all who work hard," explained in this passage?

a. The immigrants who worked so hard are now wealthy and buying supplies from merchants.
b. The American merchants are working hard to sell their farm machinery to make money.
c. The American Dream was attainable only for the immigrant families who came from Europe for a new life.
d. The passage does not support the theme mentioned.

Answer 1

The passage from 'My Ántonia' corroborates the theme that with hard work, the American Dream is attainable, evidenced by the success of immigrant girls who are now well-off farm mistresses, making option a the correct interpretation. Option C is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the American Dream in 'My Ántonia'

The excerpt from Willa Cather's My Ántonia illustrates the theme that 'The American Dream is attainable to all who work hard' by describing the success of immigrant girls who have become prosperous farm mistresses. These immigrants have indeed realized the American Dream, indicated by their ability to purchase items from local merchants, who also participate in this vision of success, albeit in a different capacity.

The passage suggests that those who have worked diligently, like the Bohemian and Scandinavian girls mentioned, are now enjoying the fruits of their labor as successful business owners. This outcome was achievable despite their initial struggles, such as indebtedness and low wages in ethnic enclaves. Their hard work and perseverance have led them to financial independence and upward social mobility, becoming a testimony to the possibility of achieving the American Dream.

Thus, the correct answer to how the theme is explained in the passage is: a. The immigrants who worked so hard are now wealthy and buying supplies from merchants. This encapsulates the industrious journey towards economic success and is a realization of the opportunity and prosperity that defines the American Dream. It dismisses option b, which inaccurately focuses on the merchants rather than the immigrants, and option c, which limits the Dream's attainability without providing evidence from the passage.