The Song of the Lark

“Seen from a balloon, Moonstone would have looked like a Noah’s ark town set out in the sand and lightly shaded by gray-green tamarisks and cottonwoods.”

This quote characterizes Moonstone through an allusion to Noah’s ark and the symbolism of its surrounding flora. Comparing Moonstone to Noah’s ark emphasizes how insular Moonstone is. It is like the ark alighting in the desert once the Flood subsides and all life, save that contained within it, is destroyed. The allusion captures the feeling inside the town of superiority to those outside, such as the Mexican people who settle outside of the town or people farther away whose opinions the citizens of Moonstone ignore. This quote also characterizes Moonstone’s tenaciousness through the imagery of cottonwoods, whose roots run deep. Willa Cather’s references to tamarisks may be strictly for the sharp, beautiful contrast of their colorful flowers to the arid landscape, which is a fitting image to contrast Thea with the rest of Moonstone. However, the fact that the tamarisk is an invasive Eurasian species could indicate a commentary about pioneers who flocked to the American West.

“A Mexican learns to dive below insults or soar above them, after he crosses the border.”

In this quote, Cather emphasizes the racial tensions and prejudice Mexicans face in the American West. This quote uses the metaphor of “soar” as the resilient ways in which immigrants pursuing the American Dream refused to allow prejudice to stand in their way.