Etude de texteBook I Chapter III« The Bohemian family ... has a natural distrust of Austrians », p. 13« Very glad, very glad! … by a red coral pin », p.14-15
These passages are taken from Book I, chapter III. This is the first full introduction of Antonia and her family as the Burdens have decided to visit them so on Sunday, the Burdens head out in their wagon to greet their new Bohemian neighbours. Mrs Burden explains that someone took advantage of the Shimerdas when they decided to move to Black Hawk by overcharging for a farmhouse not suite to th eharsh Nebraska winters. At the Shimerdas, the two families exchange greetings and we see the Shimerda family through Jim's eyes.
In a first part, we will study the difficulty the Shimerdas have to adapt in their new country, then we will study the portrait of the Shimerda family and in a last part we will see what the links to success exist for the Shimerdas.

I- Adaptation in a new country The Shimerdas are new to America - new to the land, new to the language, new to the customs, & new to farming. In this passage, they get some help from Mrs Burden who tries to reasure the Shimerdas about the improvement of their situation after a little while (l.6/7 p.14). She is also very helpful as she brings them a basket full of food (l.19/21 p.14) which is a real chance for them as they are starving (l.28/29 p.14). The Shimerdas do not speak the language so adaptation is very difficult- they can't even talk directly to the Burdens. They can only rely on one person, Peter Krajiek (l.13/14 p.13). Otto Fuch is also desirous/willing to help them communicate as he speaks German and Mr Shimerda too (even if this help is too late) (see line 27/28 p.13). The most important symbol of the Shimerdas'inadaptation in America is Mr Shimerda, a cultured man, a weaver in Bohemia, and a violin player, who is homesick for the Old Country ( l.13 p.15) and can't adjust to harsh prairie life and he seems ill-suited for a life in the