Willa Cather's novel My Antonia (1918) the Nebraska prairie of Jim Burden's, Antonia' Shimerda's, and Lena Lingard's childhood and adolescence functions not just as a vivid, sometimes stark setting for the story. It is also as an extremely important psychological and symbolic reference point for the major characters. The setting of their Nebraska childhood is a reference point, psychologically and physically, from which friendships are forged, important experiences are had, and personalities develop. The idealized setting of Jim's (and Jim's childhood friend Antonia's) earlier life is frozen in Jim's mind. However, within the novel Jim must also move past his nostalgia to develop a mature relationship with Antonia; Nebraska, and his own adult self.

Both Jim and "his" Antonia (the title of the novel serves to underscores how very personal and subjective Jim's memories are, of Antonia, and their childhood environment) lose their parents early in life. In Jim's case,...
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