Protagonist

Character Role Analysis

Alexandra Bergson

Alexandra is definitely front and center in O Pioneers! In fact, as we talk about in our section on "Genre," the whole novel is Alexandra's coming-of-age story. Even though the most exciting parts of the novel involve Emil and Marie, including their brief affair and murder, it's the impact all this has on Alexandra that really matters. More often than not, we're inside Alexandra's head, finding out what she's thinking and feeling. 

Emil Bergson

Alexandra has an extra special place in her heart for Emil, her youngest brother. Why? Well, she sees in him all the freedoms she never had or even let herself want—the freedom to study at the university, to travel, to be more than just part of the land.

But the narrator also spends a lot of time in the mind of Emil, showing us that Alexandra's vision of her brother doesn't really correspond to reality. Emil is the protagonist of the second generation; he wants to fulfill his own dreams, and not just his sister's. Unfortunately, he seems to lack the ability to visualize what he wants for himself, and runs headlong into tragedy.