O Pioneers!

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather is a classic work of American fiction. Published in 1913, it is a celebration of American mythology, an analysis of the human spirit, and an exploration of the human relationship to self and nature. Willa Cather draws on her own experiences living in Nebraska to commemorate the pioneer spirit and to advocate for an appreciation of the sanctity of land. Centered on the experiences of the protagonist, Alexandra Bergson, the novel also includes themes of feminism, the immigrant experience, love, and resilience. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize in 1922 for her novel One of Ours.

O Pioneers! draws its title from Walt Whitman’s 1865 poem “Pioneers! O Pioneers!”—an ode to American westward expansion.

O Pioneers! was adapted into a film in 1992. It continues to be widely read in schools and is considered to be one of the great novels of American literature. All page numbers in this guide refer to the public domain edition of the novel available through Kindle.

Plot Summary

Hanover is a small rural community in Nebraska in the mid-to-late 1880s. As a state, Nebraska is only beginning to be settled and developed. Hanover is isolated from society, and the difficult natural environment breaks many would-be homesteaders—especially those who lack farming experience. The Bergsons are a family of immigrants who live and farm in Hanover. The father of the household, John, believes that land ownership is the ultimate freedom and works for years to get his family out of debt while other families fail and move on. John dies early in life, leaving his farm to his daughter, Alexandra. Though John has three sons—Oscar, Lou, and Emil—Alexandra is imaginative, hardworking, and business-savvy. Alexandra’s belief in the potential of the farm eventually leads to prosperity in the decade or so after John’s death. The family’s success coincides with and contributes to the modernization and development of Hanover.

Sixteen years after John’s death, the Bergsons are stable and successful. The youngest, Emil, is well educated and culturally American. Oscar and Lou are married and have their own children. Alexandra is still a lonely leader. Her friendship with Marie, a married Hanover woman whom Emil is in love with, alleviates her isolation somewhat, as does the return of an old friend, Carl. However, Alexandra’s brothers view Carl’s itinerant lifestyle with suspicion. Carl resolves to make something of his life so that he might return to Alexandra as an honorable and equal life partner.

That winter is particularly harsh. Emil, who is living in Mexico as he tries to decide what to do with his life, writes Alexandra letters, but Alexandra avoids her other brothers. The snowstorms do not allow for easy visiting between neighbors, leaving Alexandra and Marie largely alone with their own thoughts. Marie believes that her marriage was a mistake; she married her husband, Frank, when she was too young to understand his needs or her own.

Emil returns from Mexico and kisses Marie at a fair. She admits to him that she’s in love with him, but they both agree that Emil should leave for his law studies while Marie stays with her husband. However, when Emil’s friend dies of appendicitis, it inspires Emil to seize the moment. He embraces Marie under her mulberry tree, where Marie’s husband discovers them; Frank shoots and kills them both and then runs away to Omaha. Frank gives himself up to the police and is sentenced to 10 years in prison. Alexandra mourns the loss of her brother and friend, but she blames Emil and Marie, not Frank, for what happened. She visits Frank in prison to tell him that she doesn’t hold him responsible and will try to get him released.

Carl hears about the double murder in the newspaper. He returns to Hanover to comfort Alexandra. They agree that they will travel together for Carl’s work but eventually return to Alexandra’s farm. Alexandra has always been at one with her land.