The Burdens lead a more leisurely life in town. An interesting contrast concerns how town life changes Jim and Ántonia. Influenced by his schoolmates, Jim learns to fight, swear, and tease girls. When Ántonia comes to town, however, the roughness of her country life wears off and her “nice” ways return. This change illustrates that Jim is easily influenced by his environment, whereas Ántonia adapts to hers. Recall at the end of Part I, she tells Jim that she must be hard because her life will be hard. When Ántonia comes to town to live in a world more like the one that Mr. Shimerda envisioned for her, her refinement resurfaces.
Cather also contrasts Ántonia with Lena Lingard. Lena is the complete opposite of Ántonia. Ántonia wants a family and hopes to settle down on a farm; Lena wants neither of these things. Ántonia is not overly fastidious about her appearance; Lena wears cotton gloves and takes care not to get her fingers sticky while eating popcorn. Ántonia has a strong sense of what is right; Lena has rather loose morals. Ántonia represents the kind of girl who would make a good wife; Lena represents the sensual girl of young boys’ dreams. Like Circe in Homer’s Odyssey, she leads men astray.
Another contrast worth noting is between Mrs. Harling and her husband. Mrs. Harling is fun-loving, full of energy, and relates well to the children—both her own and the neighbors’. Mr. Harling is strict, demanding, and arrogant. He expects quiet when he is home, and he expects his wife to be attentive only to him. The children are put to bed early when he is home or else they are sent to the neighbors’ to play; Jim avoids the Harling house when Mr. Harling is there.
