oves herself a true individualist. Cather begins her support of Alexandra’s character when the father, John Bergson, surpasses his two older sons to give the land to Alexandra. Although he wants to follow in tradition, he knows that Alexandra is devoted to keeping the family land that he has strived so hard to build and keep within the family. Three years after John’s death Alexandra’s tensions with her family begin. The Divide suffers a drought that drives several families from their land. Lou and Oscar fail to remember their father’s dreams and instigate for Alexandra to sell the land and move on, but she doesn’t. Her character is torn because not only is her family against her, her beloved friend Carl is moving also. She begins her thought process about staying on the Divide. She thinks of her father and her conversation with Ivar, and although she seems hesitant at first, she decides to remain on the Divide and cultivate a new system for the land.Cather’s portrayal of Alexandra’s family is similar to how Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the Puritans in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne’s central character, Hester Prynne, has committed the sin of adultery. In a Puritan society during that year she would likely have been stoned to death, but Hawthorne continues his character, only to let her endure emotional pain inflicted upon her by her community. Hawthorne does provide a sanctuary in the form of the mysterious forest. However, Hawthorne uses the forest to provide a kind of "shelter" for members of society in need of a refuge from daily Puritan life. In the deep, dark portions of the forest, many of the crucial characters bring forth hidden thoughts and emotions. The forest track leads away from the settlement out into the wilderness where all signs of civilization vanish. This is precisely the escape route from strict mandates of law and religion, to a refuge where men, as well as wome...
