Willa Cather's O Pioneer ! Term Paper

Total Length: 870 words ( 3 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 1

Page 1 of 3

The psychological strength of Alexandra is clearly visible when her dying father entrusts her with the family's land. According to father, she is supposed to be take care of the family's estates when he dies. The father seems to have developed more confidence in Alexandra in comparison to her other brothers, Lou and Oscar. It is for this reason that he makes a will stating that the Alexandra would be the caretaker of the family's estates once he dies. Surprisingly, the father's trust in her seems to pay-off when she manages to preserve the land three years after his death during a famine (Freud 23-25). The great strength of the female character is demonstrated in this portion of the story when she manages to intellectually apply her abilities to preserve the family's estates. The crafting of this character by the author to exhibit great personality to earn the trust of the father is instrumental in terms of understanding the intentions and objectives of this story. Alexandra demonstrates exemplary qualities that make her stand out amongst her peers in the story. There is no other character that the author presents whose qualities can be compared to her. At this point, the exhibitions of these traits bring into mind the psychological and mental stature of this character in the story.


This can be analyzed using Freud's theory. According to Freud, psychic energy in women can be generated through the libido. In this case, the cathexis force helps an individual to invest in mental energy which becomes the catalyst for making decisions that pertain to life. According to the Feud, the human behavior can be motivated by the drive to live. Amazingly, this theory seems applicable in terms of the examination of the character trait of Alexandra in the story. As a result, it is understandable why Alexandra manages achieve her goals. The author of this story has crafted this character impressively to achieve his goal of demonstrating the nature of women during the seventeenth century (Slote 112). Great psychological strength is demonstrated when Alexandra remains resilient, objective and strong amidst the challenges in the environment that are produced by the famine. According to her, the goal of protecting the family's estates had to be achieved. This is a demonstration of a strong will. As a matter of fact, Freud's theory seems to be at play in this case. Alexandra exercises great cathexis force when she generates and invests great mental energy to make the right decisions. It is clear that the Alexandra's psychological composition was manly driven by.....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Willa Cather's O Pioneer " (2013, May 07) Retrieved April 24, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/willa-cather-o-pioneer-88365

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Willa Cather's O Pioneer " 07 May 2013. Web.24 April. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/willa-cather-o-pioneer-88365>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Willa Cather's O Pioneer ", 07 May 2013, Accessed.24 April. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/willa-cather-o-pioneer-88365