My Antonia Response Prompts: The Hired GirlsHarling Family Views "They were all bohemians, all 'hired girls,' says Cather (136) . Raising a family on the border is very hard work. At this point in the novel, a new aspect of life is revealed. Families who can afford it bring “hired girls” into their homes. Recently, many young women have found employment in the Black Hawk region to earn a living. The Harlings are neighbors of Antonia's best friends, the Burtons. Antonia recently accepted a job as a housekeeper at the Harling residence. Being a “hired girl” has multiple elements. A girl usually starts out living a difficult life and plays the role of a second mother. She struggles to care for her brothers and sisters and must make many sacrifices, particularly in terms of education, to provide a better life for her family. These girls learn “so many things about life, about poverty, from their mothers and grandmothers” that allow them to work for the citizens of Black Hawk, Nebraska (135). There are, however, contrasting views of Antonia, as well as girls hired in general within the Harling household. In particular, Mr. and Mrs. Harling have different attitudes toward Antonia as their "hired daughter." Mr. Harling has high expectations of his children and Antonia tends to be disappointed or. easily angry with family members. He is extremely strict, demanding, suspicious and very protective of the people living in his house. Mr. Harling is considered a curmudgeon. In one particular instance, he expresses his feelings towards Antonia. after his evening on the town. He states that she has "the same reputation" as most laid-back girls (140). To do this, Mr. Cutter tricks his wife into taking the wrong train, so he can come home early to catch Antonia and Jim. Unfortunately, Mrs. Cutter can't even trust her own husband. Throughout the beginning of the novel, Antonia and the people of Black Hawk fight to survive on the frontier. Even though Wick Cutter is quite a villainous individual, Cather includes him in the novel for a reason. Most people today did not experience the rigors of growing up on the frontier. At the time, many people were facing disputes between lenders and suffering the consequences of getting caught up in their plans. Cather includes it to show that money lenders and people like them are very money-oriented and cannot be trusted. Wick Cutter is the classic definition of cynic and will hopefully pay in multiple ways for his underhanded actions..