So maybe you don't think the prairie is much to look at. Suit yourself. But in O Pioneers!, at least, there's almost no place in the world more spectacular than the Divide. The novel is chock-full of poetic passages depicting this starkly beautiful landscape. In this section, we'll take a look at these passages and think about the language used to describe the natural environment of the Divide. But if the symbolism of nature is more your thing, then by all means, head on over to our part about "Symbols."
Questions About Visions of The Prairie
- What is the relationship between the portrayal of the Divide as a "Genius," a kind of secular deity, and the way Christianity is portrayed in O Pioneers!?
- Do the pastoral scenes of the prairieland establish a nostalgic, sentimental tone, or do they add more realism to the text?
- Is O Pioneers! a novel about the Prairie or a novel about the people who live there? Both? Neither?
Chew on This
In O Pioneers!, the prairie is basically synonymous with God.
The Prairie appears in O Pioneers! as a great book that cannot be written, except when this "book" is embodied by those, like Alexandra, who "love it and understand it […] for a little while" (5.3.28).