Mary antin recounts the process of uprooting, transportation, replanting, acclimitization, and development that took place in my own soul, and reveals the impact of a new. Mary antin 18811949 was born in a small russian town an most autobiographies are written at the end of the writers life. Antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. Constraints of women in the jewish community lindsay kleiman although mary antin wrote the promised land in 1912 with the ostensible intention of shedding light on the jewishamerican immigrant experience for a nonjewish audience, one can see through close readings that this autobiography was also written to. Antin never finished latin school, and therefore could only take a few college courses as a special student. That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of.
Only 30 years old when she published her autobiography, the promised land, mary antin captured the dreams and experiences of turnofthecentury russian jewish immigrants. Antin immigrated to the united states with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her father, who had preceded them in 1891, in massachusetts. Antin immigrated to boston from polotzk, russia, in 1894, and wrote the promised land sixteen years later, which was published first as a series in the atlantic monthly and then in book form by houghton mifflin. The text narrates antins selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a. Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antin s work, the meaning of her americanization has been easy to fix.
The purpose of this study is the vision of mary antins example of discrimination and oppression against the jewish people. Read the notion of identity in mary antins the promised land by christiane abspacher available from rakuten kobo. My father produced several kinds of food, ready to eat, without any cooking, from little tin cans that had printing all over them. This critical analysis shows that not only did antin intentionally omit material that would either endanger her authority as a cultural mediator or negatively affect her. The promised land by mary antin was published 1912, and it narrates the story of a jewish family immigrating from russia to the united states in fact it is the autobiography of antin, she put it in this way. Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land.
The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary. In order to be able to grasp the dimension of the role identity plays in mary antins the promised land, one has to take into consideration the authors biographical background, as the first part of her life differs completely from the later years. Mary antin 1881 1949 being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. She wrote about her early experiences in her book, promised land, that was published in 1912. This article reads mary antins the promised land in relation to sentimentalism and realism, arguing that the author interweaves conventions of earlier fictional genres in her autobiography so as to express her american identity. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912.
In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content michael p. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin. So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. The extract below is from her book the promised land. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. Instant downloads of all 1296 litchart pdfs including the last lecture. In summary, the promised land can be considered a prime example of how a. While antin writes this in 1912 long before the retrospective reader knows of the holocaust, i cannot help feeling that in 1912 jews had been through worse things than an exodus to the promised land.
Inthe promised land, mary antin tells of moving from polotzk, russia, to boston, massachusetts, when she was around thirteen years old. Even so, the promised land continued to be read, especially in the classroom. Aug 01, 2012 by the 1960s, antin and her vision of america had fallen from grace. Seminar paper from the year 2006 in the subject american studies literature, grade. This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an. This essay profiles mary antin, whose autobiographycumpaean to america, the promised land marked the centennial anniversary in 2012.
Antin begins the novel with her upbringing in polotzk, the jews are subject to persecution in russia which is far worse than anything that happens to her in america. Antin wrote several articles for atlantic monthly before she published her autobiography, the promised land 1912. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory. Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things. Antin immigrated to the united states with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her father, who had preceded them in. Free shipping get free shipping free 58 day shipping within the u. Mcginity bio the majority of people who are interested in american jewish history, and certainly all those interested in immigration history, have heard of a turnofthecentury author named mary antin. Penned by a woman immigrant, the promised land, also prompts one to analyze the distinctive features of her narrative in terms of style and. By the 1960s, antin and her vision of america had fallen from grace.
Lindsay kleiman although mary antin wrote the promised land in 1912 with the ostensible intention of shedding light on the jewishamerican immigrant experience for a nonjewish audience, one can see through close readings that this autobiography was also written to serve a secondary purpose. I chose this article because mays story of her arrival in boston is through a young girls eyes. Promised land, which is an autobiographical account. He declared that he was happy to live in the second half of the twentieth century p. A primary source is a work that is being studied, or that provides firsthand or direct evidence on a topic. Especially important is conveying to them the kinds of conditions.
Although mary antin wrote the promised land in 1912 with the ostensible intention of shedding light on the jewishamerican immigrant experience for a nonjewish audience, one can see through close readings that this autobiography was also written to serve a secondary purpose. The promised land autobiography by mary antin the book, the promised land, is an autobiography written by mary antin which describes her gettingusedto the american culture. Feb 03, 2016 this feature is not available right now. In it, she speaks of the story of what she believes is her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states. When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. When immigrants come into continuous firsthand contact with the new society to which they move, or are removed to, they try to accommodate their own customs and values to those they encounter in the new culture. As a child, she lived in the russian pale, the part of russia where jews were forced to live by law. In this story, mary antin is talking on behalf all the jewish women who being oppressed by jewish. Lee the notion of identity in mary antins the promised land por christiane abspacher disponible en rakuten kobo. Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antins work, the meaning of her americanization has been easy to fix. It was a time he would choose to live in if given a choice by god. That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of critiquing the religious customs that governed the role of women within traditional communities.
Being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. The promised land recounts the transformation of an east european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin. The promised land has been added to your cart add to cart.
Her critically acclaimed autobiography, published in 1912, was the bestknown immigrant memoir of its day. Antin publshed short stories essays, and her books the promised land 1912 and they who knock at our gates 1914, which together sold more than. Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912. Antins the promised land mary antins autobiography, the promised land 1912, remains a peculiarly ambivalent work concerning the ambiguous ways in which the immigrant becomes americanized. Antin, a russian jewish immigrant, draws on familiar depictions of the sentimental heroine and new woman to. Read the promised land mary antin for free fulltext. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. Mar 23, 2007 free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Understanding how far antin was willing to go, and exactly what she chose to modify in order to realize her objective, is essential to fully appreciate this particular.
This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work. Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. Rethinking mary antin and the promised land springerlink. Interweaving introspection with political commentaries, biography with history, the promised land 1912 brings to life the transformation of an east european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. Review of mary antin s the promised land appears in the new york times april 14, 1912 only 30 years old when she published her autobiography, the promised land, mary antin captured the dreams and experiences of turnof the century russian jewish immigrants. Dive deep into mary antins the promised land with extended analysis, commentary, and discussion. Mary antin was born into a jewish family in polotsk in russianruled poland. Common types of primary sources include works of literature, historical documents, original philosophical writings, and religious texts. The policemen in castle garden take all their money from the passengers as they land, unless the travellers deny having any.
She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization. Mary antins the promised land enjoyed extraordinary success when it was first published in 1912. The authenticity of the manuscript has been verified by two items. She died of cancer on may 15, 1949, in suffern, new york. American author and immigration rights activist mary antin 18811949 arrived in the united states at the age of 12 with a family fleeing the pogroms of czarist russia.
The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin. Style and meaning in mary antins the promised land. The book was highly successful and was used in civic courses in us schools until 1949. Her family moved to the united states when she was still a child and she lived in boston and then new york, where she attended the teachers college of columbia. The notion of identity in mary antins the promised land christiane abspacher term paper advanced seminar american studies literature publish. The promised land by mary antin was written before the author had reached her thirtieth birthday. By the time antin published her autobiography, the promised land 1912, these xenophobic beliefs had gained further political influence in legislative debates. Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does.
When mary antins father decided that keeping to his traditions did not suit him anymore, he found no place in russia. Mary antin was born in june of 1881 in polotzk, white russia what is now belarus. May antin came to the united states from russia in the 1890s when she was a young girl. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over. Nov 29, 2011 the promised land autobiography by mary antin the book, the promised land, is an autobiography written by mary antin which describes her gettingusedto the american culture. Mary antins the promised land constraints of women in the. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. Alice is software designed to allow anyone, young or old. She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen. As a child, she lived in the russian pale, the part of russia. The promised land is mary antins mature autobiography. Autobiography is both an affirmation of personal identity and a record of social history. Randy says that enabling the dreams of others can happen oneonone, fifty to a hundred people at a time like at the entertainment technology center, or you can attempt to do it on a grand scale, trying to enable the dreams of millions that is the story behind alice, the carnegie mellon software tool randy developed.
Their dauther, josephine esther grabau, antins only child, was born on november 21, 1907. In telling the story of one person, the promised land illuminates the lives of hundreds of thousands. Students are often unfamiliar with the time period treated in the promised land, especially so with aspects of the great migration and of immigrant settlement in america in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. First published in 1912, the promised land is a classic account of the jewish american immigrant experience. The first meal was an object lesson of much variety. Antin s the promised land mary antin s autobiography, the promised land 1912, remains a peculiarly ambivalent work concerning the ambiguous ways in which the immigrant becomes americanized. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. The notion of identity in mary antins the promised land. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends. The text narrates antin s selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a patriotic, educated englishspeaking american citizen.