Neighbour Rosicky

Cather says that Rosicky especially wants Polly to hear the story of the Lifschnitz's Christmas goose. Why might Rosicky want that, and what is the function of the anecdote in Cather's story?

What is the effect of opening the story with Rosicky's diagnosis? How does the knowledge that he is likely going to die influence our reading of the story's events?

Why do you think Cather chooses to both begin and end the story with Doctor Burleigh? What does his character add to "Neighbour Rosicky"?

What elements of the Rosickys' Czech heritage and identity does Cather incorporate into the story? How do they deepen our understanding of the characters and their relationships to one another?

Throughout the story, Cather associates urban life with materialism and exploitation. However, she also makes it clear that many of the Rosickys' neighbors are driven by a desire to become wealthy. What is it, then, that makes rural life (potentially) less materialistic, according to Cather?

Cather often opens a new section of the story with a description of the Rosickys' farm and the landscape surrounding it. How do these descriptions underscore the story's themes?