Hi everyone,
These are some ideas that came to mind when reading the first half of A Lost Lady. I would be interesting in reading your views.
A Lost Lady was first published in 1923. It tells the story of Marian Forrester and her husband, Captain Daniel Forrester who live in the Western town of Sweet Water, a little town along the Transcontinental Railroad. What does this particular location, both temporally and geographically reveal about Cather’s view of her contemporaneous society? How and through which resources does Willa Cather characterize the times gone by? How are present and past contrasted?
The way by which characters communicate in this novel is quite telling of Cather’s intentionality to present a social commentary. What can you say about the role of gossiping as a narrative strategy in A Lost Lady? Where and how does this strategy situate the reader?
What are some incidents in the book (from the 1st half ) that give us insight into the characters of Niel Herbert, Marian Forester, Captain Forester, Ivy Peters, and Frank Ellinger. Are there symbolisms associated to the different characters? If so, what does the interaction between them tell us? What keeps them together, what moves them apart? Similarly, what is Niel's attitude toward Marian during the 1st half? Do you think it will change later? How, where and when?
