Willa Cather Americas Finest Female Author
There are few female authors that have had an impact on literature as great as that of Willa Cather. Not only was she an exquisite author, but she broke through into writing during a time when few female authors were successful. Her life, which was directly influential to her writing, was of a simple nature. However, she was able to over come a drab, mundane life, and turn her experiences into stories that would be enjoyed by many generations. Willa Siebert Cather was born in her maternal grandmother's home in 1873 in the western region of Virginia (Robinson). Cather's name was originally Willela (after her father's younger sister who died as a child), but the family always called her "Willie." They did this because as a child Willa altered her name in the family Bible and insisted that she was named after her uncle William Sibert Boak (Woodress). In the spring of 1883, when Willa was nine, the Cathers moved to a farm near Red Cloud, Nebraska. Cather described her thoughts of this land to an interviewer. She said, "As we drove further and further out into the country , I felt a good deal as we had come to the end of everything." (Cather quoted in Woodress). They came to Nebraska by train because the journey by wagon wo
She later taught English and then transferred to Allegheny High School across the river where she taught for three years (Woodress). Her last years at the Leader produced little work, and when she returned from a visit with her brother she became a Latin teacher at Central High School in Pittsburgh. It takes a great writer to take on the many literary occupations that Cather took on. From that point on, Willa Cather became a great American author. Cather was also inspired by the actors and actresses who came to perform at the town's Opera House. During her time at McClures she worked in Boston, Europe and wrote McClure's biography (Robinson). In her book, Willa Cather : The Emerging Voice, Sharon O'Brien discusses Cather's sexuality. Willa Cather's primary inspiration was her home town of Red Cloud. However, she was too independent and out going to be taken in. She expressed a vast dislike for skirts and dresses (Woodress) and later when she attended the University of Nebraska she continued to dress in a boyish manner (Daiches). During her last two semesters at the University, Cather wrote over 100 pieces for the Journal . Working at the magazine changed her life, and the experience was important to her.
Common topics in this essay:
Willa Cather,
Red Cloud,
Robinson Cather,
Woodress Cather,
Cather Lincoln,
Home Monthly,
Robinson Cather's,
University Cather,
Cather McClures,
Woodress Throughout,
willa cather,
red cloud,
woodress cather,
robinson cather,
home monthly,
cather emerging voice,
robinson cather's,
monthly cather,
writing paper,
continued write,
cather helped,
town red cloud,
life willa cather,
willa cather emerging,
home monthly cather,
|
Acceptance Essays
