Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states. Topics include antins attitude towards jewishness, the controversy associated with the description of jewish assimilation, as well. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages. I will write a bold finis at the end, and shut the book with a bang. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. If one has had the opportunity to read antins book the promised landa national. Questia read the fulltext online edition of the promised land 1912. Only 30 years old when she published her autobiography, the promised land, mary antin captured the dreams and experiences of turnofthecentury russian jewish immigrants. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antin s trials and joys. The promised land by mary antin is a unique book of memoire.
I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over. 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. This essay profiles mary antin, whose autobiographycumpaean to america, the promised land marked the centennial anniversary in 2012. This work was reproduced from the original artifact. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends. The promised land by mary antin this free downloadable ebook can be read on your computer or ereader. This penguin twentiethcentury classics edition includes eighteen blackandwhite photographs from the book s first edition and reprints for the first time antin s essay how i wrote the promised land. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download ebook. 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 ends with an exclamation of hope and optimism.
And so do we often build our world on an error, and. In 1911 the dillingham commission issued a report to congress that argued that immigrants entering the country from southern and eastern europe were not as racially or culturally desirable as. The promised land by mary antin meet your next favorite book. Especially important is conveying to them the kinds of conditions the newly. To the memory of josephine lazarus who lives in the fulfilment of her prophecies contents introduction xi i. 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. The text narrates antin s selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a patriotic, educated englishspeaking american citizen.
The promised land by mary antin, 9780143106777, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. In her role as an interpreter, antin needed to rephrase for mass readership. In 1899, antins first book, from plotzk sic to boston, was published. In her book the promised land published in 1912 mary antin uses the term. The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin. In telling the story of one person, the promised land illuminates the lives of hundreds of thousands. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content michael p.
Like it is only that my illusion is more real to me than reality. When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of critiquing the religious. Mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. 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. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary. Jun 26, 2012 weaving introspection with political commentary, biography with history, the promised land, first published in 1912, brings to life the transformation of an eastern european jewish immigrant into an american citizen.
The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. Mary antin was born in june of 1881 in polotzk, white russia what is now belarus. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that in usa which she calls the new world and admires the new world for its vast opportunities, freedom and the. The jewish press acknowledged antins complicated role in speaking for her. In 1911 the dillingham commission issued a report to congress that argued that immigrants entering the country from southern and eastern europe were not as racially or. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin. The promised land by mary antin teaching resources. Inthe promised land, mary antin tells of moving from polotzk, russia, to boston, massachusetts, when she was around thirteen years old. Jun 17, 2004 buy the promised land by antin, mary isbn. Mary antin recounts the process of uprooting, transportation. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. Mary antins 18811949 autobiography, the promised land 1912, was published as american fears concerning masses of immigrants entering the country were reaching a climax. Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things.
Style and meaning in mary antins the promised land. That i who was brought up to my teens almost without a book should be set down in the midst of all the books that ever were. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. The promised land is mary antins mature autobiography. Mobi files can be read on kindles, epub files can be read on other ebook readers, and zip files can be downloaded and read on your computer. This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work. Rethinking mary antin and the promised land springerlink. Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization. That i who was brought up to my teens almost without a book should be set down in the midst of all the books. The promised land mary antin audiobook and ebook all.
Mary antin recounts the process of uprooting, transportation, replanting, acclimatization, and development that took place in. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that. I thought it a miracle, exclaimed mary antin in her bestselling autobiography, the promised land, written when she was just thirty years old, that i, mashke, the granddaughter of raphael the russian, born to a humble destiny, should be at home in an american metropolis, be free to fashion my own life, and should dream my dreams in english phrases. Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912. Israels struggle to survive in the muslim middle east. The promised land is mary antin s mature autobiography. May antin came to the united states from russia in the 1890s when she was a young girl. Mary antins the promised land enjoyed extraordinary success when it was.
The notion of identity in mary antins the promised land grin. Mary antins the promised landis the paradigmatic dramatization of the exodus of. Aug 01, 2012 mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did i was born, i have lived, and i have. Heath anthology of american literaturemary antin author page. Mary antins autobiography, the promised land, was one such example, for it. Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the. The books popularity allowed antin to begin speaking publicly, a platform that she used to promote acceptance of immigration to the united states. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research library. She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen.
A smart and dignified girl, mary takes the good things in anything and writes her autobiography with a smile. After some successful years as a writer and progressive lecturer, antin suffered a nervous breakdown, and she and grabau separated. Though i disagree at some points with the author, i find it very inspirational, a good guideline for a successful hybrid identity past and present identity. 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. 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. The notion of identity in mary antins the promised land christiane. 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. As a child, she lived in the russian pale, the part of russia. Though i disagree at some points with the author, i find it very inspirational, a good guideline for a successful hybrid identity past and. Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin.
Life was not easy, though as a child, mary describes life in boston as almost perfect. This correspondence 18991949 follows antins life from a precocious adolescence through her years of fame and public involvement after writing the promised land and her slow descent into mental illness and eventual obscurity. Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his association with antin and women like her. I chose this article because mays story of her arrival in boston is through a young girls eyes. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download e book. Having made such good time across the ocean, i ought to be able to proceed no less rapidly on terra firma, where, after all, i am more at home. She died of cancer on may 15, 1949, in suffern, new york. 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. This book contains 15 or more unique illustrations relevant to its content this is an autobiography of mary antin who, as a girl, left eastern europe in the search of freedom and opportunities and went to the united states. Mentally alert, but physically an invalid in her final years, mary antin resided with her younger americanborn sisters. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912. Being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. With the appearance of this book, mary, eighteen at the time, was hailed as a child prodigy.
The article presents a literary criticism of the autobiography the promised land, by mary antin, focusing on the jewish american reception of the book and its representation of the identity of jewish immigrants. The promised land illustrated by mary antin nook book. Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. Mary antin 18811949 promised land, the, by mary antin 1912. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks. 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.
This is an autobiographical study of the immigrant, of what he brings to america, and what he finds here, and in it the author presents the case of the russian jews american citizenship in a new and vivid light. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states. 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 one hundred thousand copies.
So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. I was in that period when even normal children, undisturbed in their customary environment, begin to explore their own. The extract below is from her book the promised land. After the publication of the promised land, antin campaigned for theodore roosevelts unsuccessful presidential bid, and then traveled the country speaking about the themes of her book. This is an autobiography of mary antin who, as a girl, left eastern europe in the search of freedom and opportunities and went to the united states. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.
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