Seeking a Felicitous Space on the Frontier. The Progression of the Modern American Woman in O. E. Rölvaag, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Willa Cather

von Lance Weldy

This monograph seeks to reconstruct the culture of the pioneer woman as presented in O. E. Rölvaag’s Giants in the Earth, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie, and Willa Cather’s My Ántonia. Essentially, the textual analyses show the pioneer woman’s evolving and dynamic reaction to both felicitous space and the open spaces of the western frontier as she progresses from completely loathing to totally embracing vast spaces. The texts discussed demonstrate the genesis and growth of the modern American, independent woman who successfully negotiated the volatile topics of gender and space.