O Pioneers!

novel by Cather

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Article History

O Pioneers!, regional novel by American writer Willa Cather, published in 1913. The work is known for its vivid re-creation of the hardships of prairie life and of the struggle of immigrant pioneer women. The novel was partially based on Cather’s Nebraska childhood, and it reflected the author’s belief in the primacy of spiritual and moral values over the purely material. Its heroine, Alexandra Bergson, exemplified the courage and purpose Cather felt were necessary to subdue the wild land. The title is taken from Walt Whitman’s poem “Pioneers! O Pioneers!” which, like the novel, celebrated frontier virtues of strength and inner spirit.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Kathleen Kuiper.