The pioneers who traveled west from the East Coast experienced so many hardships that today they are hard to imagine. Willa Cather is an extraordinary author because through her stories, readers can begin to imagine what it was really like when pioneers had to go west and survive solely on the work of their own two lands. When she wrote A Wagner Matinee, many Nebraskans felt that she portrayed their lifestyle poorly, and what she was really trying to do was highlight their strength and endurance. Today, I think his goal succeeds for most readers. In this story, she uses the perspective of a man who grew up in Nebraska with his aunt. His aunt is a woman he always admires because of her hard work. She made everything work when he was growing up and even stayed up very late to teach him. One thing she taught him was music. She was a music teacher in Boston when she met the love of her life and left music behind so she could move to Nebraska with him. In this story, she is going to see her nephew and it will be the first time she has left the farm in thirty years. That in itself would be difficult, because the world has changed so much in thirty years. When she arrives she is quiet and doesn't say much and doesn't even want to leave his house but he convinces her to do so. They are going to listen to an orchestra. She hasn't heard so many of these songs in years and it's a beautiful thing for her. In the end, she cries because she doesn't want to leave and go back to Nebraska. Throughout this story, her nephew only describes the incredible strength she possesses and that is why I think Cather portrays Nebraskans so well. She is able to show how strong they are...... middle of paper......survive everyday life. Throughout the story, Cather shows that Nebraskans are hardworking when she describes all the daily tasks they have to do and the burden they place on them. No one can ever truly understand what Nebraskans have been through until they experience this kind of life for themselves. While some may have considered this description an exaggeration, I think it helps the reader imagine what their land and labor did to the people who lived and worked there. The main point of Cather's story is that in order to stay with their loved ones, many people gave up a lot of things to go to Nebraska. When Cather shows the aunt going back to town, she shows that even if you forget something, if you really love it, you won't be able to go on forever without it. This is where the pioneers get their endurance, giving up the things they love..