Willa cather neighbor rosicky biography death

Willa Cather's "Neighbour Rosicky," first published in , was later collected in Obscure Destinies. The story is that rare masterpiece in modern American literature , a celebration of good life and the good person. The key line is the story's last, a reflection of Ed Burleigh: "Rosicky's life seemed to him complete and beautiful. Burleigh is the bachelor doctor in a Nebraska farming community where Anton Rosicky, a Czech immigrant, has preferred to make small profits rather than sacrifice familial and neighborly cohesion.

Burleigh's judgment comes after Rosicky's death, as if to affirm the ancient Greek principle that no man should be called happy while he is alive. The depiction of virtue has always been more difficult than the depiction of the mean, the tawdry, the vicious. Using the young doctor as a framing device for her story gave Cather several advantages for creating virtue.

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Burleigh provides the perspective of someone whose daily affairs keep him in contact with the community. Part of him looks at suffering and death scientifically, and, dedicated to his profession, he emerges as a trustworthy guide. His perspective helps Cather avoid the sentimental. In "Neighbour Rosicky" goodness seems good without being cloying. Burleigh's status as a bachelor is a significant element in the story, for it not only accents his role as a disinterested surveyor of the community but also heightens the story's concern for the perpetuation of Rosicky's values.