Mr. Shimerda, Ántonia's father, is the most tragic character in Cather's story and his life is short-lived on the prairie. But his legacy lives on in his daughter Ántonia, her children, and in his influence on Jim Burden. His earlier years in Europe reveal a sensitive, artistic, and respected man, but his life on the prairie, filled with loneliness and suffering, are too devastating for his delicate nature. When he dies, Ántonia is left without his parental support, but she manages to endure.
In the Old World of Bohemia, Mr. Shimerda was a weaver or tailor by trade and a violinist by avocation. Respected by all, he had wages and a reputation as a man of honor. The gun he gives to Jim was a present from a rich man in Bohemia who gave it to Mr. Shimerda as a gift for playing at his wedding. In the Old Country they were not beggars but by the time they came to America and made money changes and bought train tickets, there was little money left. Ill-suited for a life in the wilderness, Mr. Shimerda was harassed by his wife, who thought that the New World would offer land to their sons and husbands for their daughters. Her greed was what brought the gentle weaver to the Nebraska wilderness.
Once in Nebraska, Mr. Shimerda's sensitive nature is disheartened by the snow and cold and inhuman life in a cave. This is not what he had envisioned for his wife and children and, as the husband and father, he should be the provider. He often went to see the Russians because he was homesick for Eastern Europe and Pavel would talk with him because Mr. Shimerda was a wonderful and patient listener. When Pavel dies and Peter leaves, Mr. Shimerda is depressed by their departure and the advent of winter. He no longer makes music and he is sad, longing for the Old Country. He has a hard time adjusting to the isolation and brutality of life in the wilderness.
