O Pioneers! Study Guide

Willa Cather opens her book with a vivid word picture of the small town of Hanover, Nebraska, "trying not to be blown away" in a hard January snowstorm. The town is unusually quiet in the middle of the day: children are at school, there are no trains until evening, streets are empty except for a little five-year-old boy named Emil. The author draws a clear contrast between the town people and the farm people, who are only in town on business and lead their lives closer to the land. (read more)