Neighbor Rosicky by Willa Cather
"Neighbor Rosicky" is a poignant short story by Willa Cather that explores themes of family, hard work, and the immigrant experience in early 20th-century America. The narrative centers around Anton Rosicky, a 65-year-old Czech immigrant who learns from his doctor that he has a serious heart condition. Despite being advised to slow down, Rosicky finds joy in his family life on their Nebraska farm, where he has worked diligently yet maintains a philosophical view on life's hardships.
The story delves into Rosicky's past, detailing his journey from poverty in Victorian London to achieving his dream of land ownership in America. He reflects on his struggles and the values of endurance and contentment that he hopes to pass on to his children, particularly as he concerns himself with the potential shift away from farming that his son and daughter-in-law may consider. The narrative reveals Rosicky's deep affection for his family and his fears about their future, painting a nuanced picture of rural life and the immigrant experience. The story culminates in Rosicky's heart attack, leading to a profound reflection on love and legacy as he comes to terms with his own mortality.
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Neighbor Rosicky by Willa Cather
First published: 1920
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: The 1920's, with flashbacks to the 1880's
Locale: Nebraska, London, New York
Principal Characters:
Anton Rosicky , a Czech immigrant who is farming in NebraskaMary , his wifeRudolph , his oldest sonDr. Ed Burleigh , the family physician and a friendPolly , Rudolph's wife
The Story
"Neighbor Rosicky" begins with Anton Rosicky's having a medical checkup and learning from Dr. Burleigh that he has a bad heart. Sixty-five years old, Rosicky has worked hard all of his life, and the doctor urges him to take it easy, to cut back on farmwork and spend more time instead helping his wife around the house. Rosicky has five sons and one daughter, who can do the manual labor on their Nebraska farm. A contented man who enjoys his family, Rosicky is not a workaholic, and he follows the doctor's advice.
As Rosicky leaves, Dr. Burleigh thinks about the man and his family, for whom he feels deep affection. Rosicky has the knack of always being interested in things, of embracing life, taking the hard times philosophically, and not getting depressed. Those in his family have natural good manners and offer generous hospitality. Though they are far less affluent than most neighboring farmers, they seem to enjoy themselves more and are free from the mania of acquisitiveness.
However, life has not been easy for Rosicky, and several times he thinks back to the hardships of his youth. A Czech by birth and upbringing, Rosicky emigrated at eighteen to London, where for two years he experienced the harshness of Victorian poverty while he worked in a tailor's shop. With the help of some rich Bohemians, he sailed to New York when he was twenty and took up work as a tailor, enjoying his bachelor life and the cultural offerings of the city. For fifteen years, he was happy with this existence, but becoming increasingly restless and wanting to be the first of his family ever to own land, he went to Nebraska at thirty-five, married, and made a fresh start as a farmer, eventually owning his own farm, a place in which he takes pride, though the land is poor and produces less than that of his more prosperous neighbors.
Now Rosicky's oldest son, Rudolph, is married to a town girl, and Rosicky worries that his daughter-in-law may be so bored with farm life and his son so frustrated by bad weather and poor harvests that they will give up farming and move to the city, where Rudolph can find salaried work as a mechanic. Rosicky considers cities harsh and cruel to the poor and fears that Rudolph will lose his independence. Polly, Rudolph's wife, is a bit standoffish from her immigrant relatives but warms to Rosicky when he shows his affection and concern by arranging for her and her husband to borrow his car and go to town Saturday evenings, while he cleans up behind them.
The day before Christmas, Rosicky tells his family that they do not know what hard times are and relates to them the conditions of his youth. He is worried that the second generation may lack his patience and power of endurance, and he hopes that they can get through life without experiencing cruelty.
In the spring, Rosicky is at Rudolph's farm, raking up thistles that his son has ignored but that he fears will ruin the alfalfa crop, when he has a heart attack. Polly helps him to bed, sits with him, and realizes the depth of his love for her. The attack passes, and Rosicky goes home, seemingly recovered, but the next morning after breakfast, a second attack kills him.
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