Chapter 4-7

QDJ Ethan Duplisea

In the beginning of the chapters, there is talk about the sunflowers that are all around the road. The first story that Otto tells Jim is that the Mormons planted the seeds there in order to mark the way for future travelers. If someone told me that story, I would believe them because it is a reasonable explanation why some people would do that if they have just found the land for the first time. Another part in chapter four that caught my eye was when they said Mrs. Shimerda used to be a good housewife back home. Because of traveling from one country to another, she has not fit in yet. My thought on this issue was that she has not used to the environment and/or the crops there that she is not used to when she is cooking. Then we learn about the tow Russians, and one does not speak english at all. The one who does started talking to Ántonia and talks about back home. How everyone eats watermelons and if he was home his daughter would be cooking for him. The last one was when everyone was sitting around a fire and Jim talked about an old beggar woman named Old Hata. Then it kinda got creepy and basically said she is a ghost and if you welcome her spirit, she will sing.

Symbolism of the River and Society

I think that the river is a symbol more than a metaphor because it represents many different topics. The first topic is about freedom., and when Tom and Huck are on the river, there are no promlems. Once they wonder off the river and into the towns where there are more people, then they start having problems. The river is their "happy place" in the book because they can talk about anything and dont have to worry about anything. The things they would be worrying about would be Tom getting caught and brought back to his owner, but his owner already granted his freedom but he does not know. Huck is running away from his dad and everyone back home because he hates it there. He also does not realize that his father is also dead and he does not have to deal with him now. Tom and Huck are closer then you think to eachother. Both running away to get free from someone, and they were already free in the first place.