Willa Cather was born on December 7, 1873 in Back Creek Valley, near Gore, Virginia (Cyclopedia 367). Cather’s dads name was Charles Cather. He was an average farmer. Her mothers name was Mary Virginia Boak Cather. Her mother was the eldest of the couple’s four children, who also included brothers Roscoe and Douglass and a second Daughter, Jessica (Magill's Survey 343). Cather was a very avid reader. Since she was moving constantly until the age of about …showed first 75 words of 733 total…

…showed last 75 words of 733 total…child “And her trusting in nature leads her into trouble in the form of an illegitimate child” (Magill’s Survey 347). The father of this child abandons her and her new baby. This also severely sets her back from getting to the American dream. She not only has to take care of herself, but now she has to raise her knew born child as well. She eventually finds a husband, which makes this task much easier