The Households in My Antonia Cather paints two opposite pictures when describing the Burden household and the Shimerda household. The two households reflect the two central women figures in each setting. The households show the values of the two women by the way the women keep and run the houses. Jim initially describes the Burden house as pleasant, warm and comforting. While Jim first takes a bath he comments, “I sniffed a pleasant smell of …showed first 75 words of 635 total…

…showed last 75 words of 635 total…turn out very different with very different values. This is because of the environment in which they lived. Although Antonia grew up in such a harsh and sad environment, she grew up to be a respectable mother and good wife. Her characteristics are closer to Mrs. Burden’s than her own mother’s characteristics. The warm environment of the Burdens is a place Antonia longed to be, and now as an adult, she has it.