My Ántonia: Book 4, Chapter 2

The color-coded bars in this section make it easy to track the themes throughout the work. Each color corresponds to one of the themes explained in the Themes section of this LitChart. For instance, indicates that all six themes apply to that part of the summary.

Summary Analysis Themes

When Jim takes his grandparents to have their photograph taken a few days later, he notices a picture of Ántonia’s baby on the wall. Jim later visits Mrs. Harling and asks her to give him more details about how Ántonia is doing. Mrs. Harling advises Jim to go see the Widow Steavens, who is Ántonia’s close friend and rents the Burdens’ old farm.

Photography offers a way to preserve the past. But for Jim, his dearest recollections only exist in his mind. These memories tie him to the prairie, and to Ántonia.