26 pages • 52 minutes read
Willa CatherA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
As "Neighbour Rosicky" opens, its main character has just been diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. Although neither Rosicky nor his doctor know exactly how long he will live, the diagnosis naturally prompts both of them to think back over Rosicky's life, which has been a happy but not especially profitable one. As a young man living in London and New York City, Rosicky struggled to fit into the competitive and materialistic society that surrounded him; rather than saving money, for instance, he would happily lend it to a friend. It was in fact partly his dissatisfaction with the greed and exploitation of urban life that led him out west, since he found that even a well-intentioned man like himself could easily end up hurting others simply by virtue of their own need to survive; in the city, for instance, people have to "choose between bosses and strikers, and go wrong either way" (Part VI, Paragraph 3). Ultimately, Cather defends Rosicky's decision to treat others with generosity and compassion, even at a cost to himself. In fact, one of Rosicky's most notable traits is what Polly describes as his "gift for loving people," and this innate drive to care for others is part of what finally makes Rosicky's life meaningful (Part VI, Paragraph 22).
By Willa Cather
A Lost Lady
A Lost Lady
Willa Cather
A Wagner Matinee
A Wagner Matinee
Willa Cather
Coming, Aphrodite!
Coming, Aphrodite!
Willa Cather
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Death Comes for the Archbishop
Willa Cather
Lucy Gayheart
Lucy Gayheart
Willa Cather
My Antonia
My Antonia
Willa Cather
One Of Ours
One Of Ours
Willa Cather
O Pioneers!
O Pioneers!
Willa Cather
Paul's Case
Paul's Case
Willa Cather
Shadows on the Rock
Shadows on the Rock
Willa Cather
The Professor's House
The Professor's House
Willa Cather
The Sculptor's Funeral
The Sculptor's Funeral
Willa Cather
The Song of the Lark
The Song of the Lark
Willa Cather