Date of Award
8-6-1998
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
English
First Advisor
Candis LaPrade, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Michael Lund, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Craig C. Challender, Ph.D.
Abstract
Three of Cather’s works, Sapphira and the Slave Girl, The professor’s House, and Shadows on the Rock distinguish two civilizations in North America. This thesis examines the mental and physical abuses of African American slavery imposed on its victims in Sapphira and the Slave Girl. In The Professor’s House, the abuse and neglect with which America has treated Native Americans is revealed. Shadows on the Rock demonstrates the cultural superiority and cohesiveness of the French settlement described. In the works, Cather creates powerful contrasts between the American and Canadian societies within the New World. Her comparisons suggest that twentieth-century Americans appear to be in moral and intellectual decline. Individuals are displaced, family unites are destroyed, and American institutions, represented by the Smithsonian, are corrupt.
Recommended Citation
Meighan, Alexandra, "Cather's New World Cultural Exploitation vs. Cultural Cohesion in Sapphira and the Slave Girl, The Professor's House and Shadows on the Rock" (1998). Theses & Honors Papers. 217.
https://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/etd/217
