My Antonia Book 1 Test

Who is Jim Burden?

Jim is the narrator of the story. He is a 10 year old boy who is going to live with his grandparents after

both his parents have died.

Who introduces Antonia to the reader?

The conductor of the train

What is the conductor's attitude towards Antonia?

The conductor is very nice and tells Antonia that she is pretty.

What is Jake's opinion of the foreigners?

Jake thinks that you are likely to get disease from them and is generally rude towards them.

Identify Otto Fuchs.

Otto Fuchs is an Austrian man who is hired by Jim's grandfather. He is also a carpenter.

What role does the land play in this story?

The land will help to show us the hardships that their family will go through. And even in the beginning it

is shown as a symbol of Jim feeling alone or "little" in comparison to the land.

What are Jim's grandmother and grandfather like?

Jim's grandfather is very timid and quiet, as well as caring. Jim's grandmother is a very talkative, high

energy woman.

Chapter two provides little action. Rather, it is a portrait of a well-ordered family in a new

land. Describe the Burdens' farm life.

The Burdens' farm life is very hard. They do a lot of manual work and work vast distances everyday.

These were harsh conditions to deal with everyday.

Identify Peter Krajiek. What kind of a man is he?

Peter Krajiek was the Shimerdas interpreter and was the person in which they bought the land from.

Krajiek is a manipulative man and tends to take advantage of the Shimerdas and tells them whatever he

sees necessary.

What sort of home do the Shimerdas have?

The Shimerdas in a shed that was built into the side of a cave creating a dugout.

Identify briefly Mrs. Shimerda, Mr. Shimerda, Ambrosch, Yulka and Marek.

Mrs. Shimerda is a nice woman and was grateful for she had. Mr. Shimerda is a hard worker and is nice,

but is having a hard time adjusting to the land. Ambrosch is the oldest boy and is the hardest worker and

tends to have a standoffish demeanor. Yulka is the youngest girl and is a sweet and pretty girl who likes to

hang out with Jim and Antonia. Marek is the younger boy and had a disability of shaving webbed hands,

but liked to help in the house and was generally quiet.

Who are Peter and Pavel?

Peter and Pavel are brothers from Russia who are very hard workers. Pavel is described to be tall and

lanky, he used to be very string but he has been worn away through time. Peter is described as short, fat

and always smiling. There biggest joy is their cow.

Why did Jim and Antonia visit the prairie dog town?

They visited the prairie dog town because they wanted to dig into one of the holes to see how the prairie

dogs dug it.

Describe Jim's victory over the snake.

When the snake went to attack Jim he hit it across the neck with a spade and killed it.

Who is Wick Cutter?

Cutter is a money lender from Black Hawk.

What was the "trouble" that caused Peter and Pavel to leave Russia?

Peter and Pavel attended a wedding in which they were leaving by sled and ended up being chased by

wolves. They eventually were the last sled left and in order to speed up and reach the village Pavel threw

the brand and groom to the wolves. When the town discovered what they had done they were seen as a

disgrace and the story followed them everywhere they went.

What becomes of Pavel and Peter?

Pavel dies because of an injury acquired while working. And Peter eventually sells all of his things,

including his precious cow, and heads to become a cook for the railroad construction crew.

Describe how the Burdens lived during the wintery, blizzardy days on the prairie.

Everything was centered around the warmth of the house and the food it gave. Along with having the men

return by nightfall for a warm meal and repeating the process the next day.

In Chapter 10, the Burdens visit the Shimerdas. What is the chief motivation for their visit?

The Burdens were going to give the Shimerdas food because the Shimerdas had none and all Ambrosch

could kill was prairie dogs.

Describe what the Burdens find when they arrive at the Shimerda household.

Everyone was huddled near the stove for warmth, the flour and potatoes were out of date and that the

girls slept in a dug our whole in the wall because it gave them warmth.

Who has been delegated to go to town to do the Christmas shopping?

Jake Marpole

What prevents Jake from making his journey?

There is a blizzard which has caused harsh and icy road conditions.

The Burdens decide to have a country Christmas and make their own presents. What did Jim make? Grandmother?

Jim makes a book for Antonia and Yulka, while his grandmother made gingerbread and cinnamon and

sugar drops.

Jake and Otto also contribute to the Christmas celebration. What were their contributions?

Otto made tallow candles and colored paper figures of the nativity. Jake went out and cut the tree.

Describe the finished Christmas tree.

The tree was 5 feet high had strings of popcorn, gingerbread animals, bits of candles, along with colored

paper figures of the nativity, such as the bleeding heart, the three kings, the ox and the Shepard's, Jesus in

the manger, singing angels and camels and leopards.

On Christmas Day, Mr. Shimerda comes to thank them for the presents. What does he do to

acknowledge the Christmas celebration?

He kneels before the tree and prays.

Jim wonders what his Grandfather's reaction will be to Mr. Shimerda's strange actions in

front of the Christmas tree. What is Grandfather's reaction?

He bowed his head and was quiet. He thought Mr. Shimerda was a good man.

Describe Mrs. Shimerda's actions when she and Antonia come to visit during the "January

thaw."

Mrs. Shimerda was very jealous of what the Burdens had and kept saying that if she had what they had

her family would be better off.

What information does Antonia pass on to Jim during the "thaw" visit?

She said that her father has become even more unhappy and depressed and that no matter how much she

begs he won't play his violin for her.

How does Jim react to Antonia's comments about her father's unhappiness?

He is rude about it and says that no one forced him to come here and that if he doesn't like it " he ought to

stay home".

What wakens Jim on the morning of January 22nd?

There were excited voices in the kitchen and his grandmother sound almost "besides herself".

What does Grandfather tell Jim on the morning of January 22nd?

Mr. Shimerda killed himself with his shotgun.

Jim listens to the men talk at the breakfast table. What does he learn about Mr. Shimerda's

death?

Mr. Shimerda washed himself thoroughly and kissed Antonia before he left to do his chores as usual. He

then went and took of his shoes and killed himself. Nobody heard the gunshot and Jake believes that

Krajiek killed him because an axe was found near him that wound fit into the wound exactly, along with

Krajiek acting guilty.

Otto leaves for town on their best horse, and Jim is left alone with Ambrosch. He sees a new

side to Ambrosch. Describe Jim's new awareness about Ambrosch.

Ambrosch was sad and was very worried about his father's soul. He would constantly pray the rosary and

would even fall asleep while praying just to wake up and resume his prayers.

Jake and Ambrosch, Grandmother and Grandfather all leave for the Shimerdas' house. Jim is

left alone in the house. How does he pass the time?

He did the chores that his family had forgotten to do such as get the eggs and take the ice out the chickens

water bowls and refill them. He then tries to read Robinson Crusoe.

Identify Anton Jelinek.

He is a Bohemian man who has come to comfort the Shimerdas after the father's suicide.

Where was Mr. Shimerda buried? Why?

He was buried at the crossroads because in their culture that is were people who commit suicide go.

How did Mr. Shimerda's death have an effect on the usual routine of the country?

The neighbors would take care of the family thoroughly throughout the winter.

Why didn't Antonia go to school when Jim invited her for the next session?

She felt that Ambrosch needed her help and that she should stay back and work the field.

What promise did Jim make to Antonia?

Jim promised to never forget Mr. Shimerda.

How had Antonia changed since her father's death?

She started working inthe feilds and has lost most of her lady-like ways, such as her eating very loudly,

yawning a lot and walking very loudly as if she were stomping.

What caused the rift between the Shimerdas and the Burdens?

Jim's Grandfather has loaned Ambrosch a horse collar which he had not returned. So when Jake and Jim

went to get the collar Ambrosch didn't try to look for it which angered Jake. Finally, when Jake did

receive the collar he found it was bitten by rodents and tattered, this cause Jake to become angry and yell

at Ambrosch who tried to walk away. Jake grabbed Ambrosch who tried to kick him and in return Jake

slapped him.

How did the Shimerdas and Burdens become friends again?

They become friends again because Jim's grandfather was going to hire Ambrosch to help him harvest the

grain in his fields and hire Antonia to help grandmother in the kitchen and when grandfather goes to ask

them he finds Mrs. Shimerda trying to hide their cow, thinking grandfather had come to take it, instead

grandfather says that they can keep the cow and don't have to pay the rest of their wages on the cow.

Overcome with joy, the Shimerdas and Burdens become friends again.