How old is Alexandra Bergson?

about 40 years old
Alexandra Bergson: the main character of the book. A strong-willed and intelligent woman. She was given the farm by her father John Bergson and over the next 16 years makes it very prosperous. She is about 40 years old in the second part of the book.

How is Alexandra a pioneer in O Pioneers?

Just like her male ancestor, Alexandra, the heroic female protagonist in O Pioneers also established her own “empire” on the colossal wilderness of American West. She turned the wild land into the prosperous countryside and became one of the most prosperous farmers on the Divide after 16 years’ struggle.

How does Alexandra Bergson feel about the land?

Just as she loves others profoundly, Alexandra’s love for the land is a deep-felt calm that sometimes bursts forth in “an exalted serenity.” Even before the land begins to be prosperous, Alexandra feels its potential: “She had felt as if her heart were hiding down there, somewhere, with the quail and the plover and all …

Why is Alexandra a pioneer?

Alexandra Bergson As the eldest child of the Swedish immigrant John Bergson, she inherits his farm and makes it profitable. Particularly suited to the toil of prairie life, she is a prototype of the strong American pioneer and an embodiment of the untamed American West.

Who Shot in O Pioneers?

Frank Shabata comes down to the orchard with his gun when he sees Emil’s horse in the stable. Shocked to see his jealousy justified, Frank reacts mechanically, shooting blindly through the bushes at the two lovers. Horrified by his actions, Frank mounts Emil’s horse and rides wildly away into the countryside.

Where does Alexandra live in O Pioneers?

In other words, Alexandra is some made-up version of “Willa Cather,” who rather than becoming a famous author, is forced to stay on the prairie. Though she finds love with a man, her heart really belongs to the land itself.

How does Alexandra relate to the land?

Already at a young age—here, Alexandra has just informed her brothers of her desire to stay put on the Divide—she feels deeply connected to the land itself. And this sense that her heart is “hiding down there” never leaves her; if anything, it only gets stronger. Carl aside, the land is the true love of her life.

What does the land symbolize in O Pioneers?

In the very beginning of the book, the land symbolizes the harshness of the New World. It resists the efforts of the pioneers, who don’t understand how to work the foreign soil. The land comes to emphasize just how far these pioneers and immigrants have strayed from their homes.

What do the Ducks symbolize in O Pioneers?

Ducks and Wild Birds Symbol Analysis. Emil and Alexandra’s awe of the wild duck in the river also represents the respect a good pioneer must have for the land. Even as they try to shape and cultivate the land, they must maintain respect and love.

Who dies in O Pioneers?

John Bergson, the father of Alexandra, dies in the first part, leaving his wife and four children to fend for themselves in this tough and inhospitable land. Fortunately, it doesn’t stay that way for long.

What do the birds represent in the pioneer?

In The Pioneers, birds represent the abundance of the untamed American wilderness. They are natural resources, seen as part of God’s creation, and should be used carefully. Natty Bumpo does kill birds for food and shows what a good shot he is in his ability to hit a wild bird, be it pheasant or a turkey.

Who is Carl in O Pioneers?

Carl is Alexandra’s childhood neighbor and best friend. He grows to become a brooding, sensitive man, who leaves the Divide for a career in engraving and then eventually leaves again to mine for gold in Alaska. He and Alexandra have a steadier kind of love between them, and they marry at the end of the book.

What was Alexandra Bergson’s life like in O Pioneers?

Her personal life, her own realization of herself, was almost a subconscious existence; like an underground river that came to the surface only here and there, at intervals months apart, and then sank again to flow on under her own fields.

How did Alexandra Bergson feel about her husband?

Alexandra had never heard Marie speak so frankly about her husband before, and she felt that it was wiser not to encourage her. No good, she reasoned, ever came from talking about such things…

Who is Alexandra in the book The farm?

Alexandra is a resourceful, practical person who loves and understands the land as no one else in the novel does. However, she is not nearly so intuitive when it comes to understanding other people. She inherits the farm and brings her family prosperity, but in exchange, she works and toils through the prime years of her life.