Obscure Destinies by Willa Cather

Name: Obscure Destinies
Author: Willa Cather

In the first story, “Neighbour Rosicky”, Anton Rosicky is an elderly Czech immigrant living in Nebraska. He is a hardworking farmer who is devoted to his family and his land. Despite his age, he is determined to keep working and to make sure his children have a better life than he did. The second story, “Old Mrs. Harris”, is about an elderly woman who lives alone in a small town in Nebraska. She is a widow who has outlived her family and friends, and she is struggling to make ends meet. Despite her loneliness, she finds solace in her memories and in her faith. The third story, “Two Friends”, is about two old friends who have been separated for many years. They reunite and reminisce about their past, and they come to realize that their friendship is still strong despite the years that have passed. Obscure Destinies is a collection of stories that explore the themes of family, friendship, and faith. Through her characters, Cather shows how these themes can bring comfort and hope in times of difficulty.

By Willa Cather · First published 1932 · Genre: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Regional Fiction · 21 chapters · 40,584 words

First lines

Even in early youth, when the mind is so eager for the new and untried, while it is still a stranger to faltering and fear, we yet like to think that there are certain unalterable realities, somewhere at the bottom of things. These anchors may be ideas; but more often they are merely pictures, vivid memories, which in some unaccountable and very personal way give us courage. The sea- gulls, that seem so much creatures of the free wind and waves, that are as homeless as the sea (able to rest upon the tides and ride the storm, needing nothing but water and sky), at certain seasons even they go back to something they have known before; to remote islands and lonely ledges that are their breeding-grounds. The restlessness of youth has such retreats, even though it may be ashamed of them.

What this Textopian page supports

Obscure Destinies is listed on Textopian as a novel by Willa Cather, dated 1932 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Willa Cather
Date: 1932 CE
Language: English
Genres: Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Regional Fiction, Literary Fiction
Length: 40,584 words
Structure: 21 chapters, 1,250 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Discussion starters

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Similar titles

Genres

Realistic Fiction — Obscure Destinies is a collection of three short stories by Willa Cather, all of which are set in the American West and feature realistic characters and settings.
Historical Fiction — The stories in Obscure Destinies are set in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, making them historical fiction.
Regional Fiction — The stories in Obscure Destinies are set in the American West, making them regional fiction.
Literary Fiction — Obscure Destinies is a collection of short stories by Willa Cather, a renowned American author, making it literary fiction.