My Ántonia Characters

Jim Burden

Jim begins My Ántonia as a recently orphaned ten-year-old moving from Virginia to...

Ántonia Shimerda

As the nameless narrator tells us early in the introduction, Ántonia is as much a symbol...

Lena Lingard

(Note: according to the Oxford World Classics edition of My Ántonia, this character has no...

Mr. Shimerda

Mr. Shimerda is not a happy man. Jim's keen emotional sensitivity allows him to pick up on this...

Jim's Grandparents

Jim's grandfather is distinguished by his religious nature. We don't get a lot of description...

Ambrosch Shimerda

Ambrosch is Ántonia's oldest brother, and not the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Jake says...

Mrs. Shimerda

In the Shimerda family, Ántonia is often paired with her father while Mrs. Shimerda is...

Yulka Shimerda

In My Ántonia, Yulka is Ántonia's younger sister, who we learn is mild and obedient....

Marek Shimerda

Marek is another minor character in the novel. He is a physically and mentally disabled child of...

Mr. and Mrs. Cutter

Mr. and Mrs. Cutter are just about the most unpleasant couple you will ever meet. Mr. Cutter...

The Harlings

The Harlings are a family in Black Hawk that Ántonia goes to work for when she first comes...

Tiny Soderball

Tiny is another of the "hired girls," immigrant girls who comes to town to work in order to...

Peter and Pavel

Peter and Pavel are the two Russian farmers who live close to Jim and Ántonia. They are...

Gaston Cleric

Gaston Cleric is Jim's teacher and close mentor in college. We don't know too much about him,...

The Widow Steavens

The Widow Steavens is an older woman who lives in Jim's grandparent's house after they move to...

Jake Marpole

Jake is a farmhand who moves with Jim out to the country to work for his grandparents. Jake's...

Otto Fuchs

Otto Fuchs is a farmhand who works for Jim's grandparents. Jim admires him as a quintessential...

Larry Donovan

Larry Donovan is a passenger conductor on the railroad and sort of professional ladies' man....

Anton Cuzak

Cuzak is Ántonia's husband. Jim approves of Cuzak when he gets to meet him at the end of the...