A smart and dignified girl, mary takes the good things in anything and writes her autobiography with a smile. Self and other in mary antin s the promised land mary antin s autobiography, the promised land 1912, remains a peculiarly ambivalent work concerning the ambiguous ways in which the immigrant becomes americanized. The text narrates antins selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a patriotic, educated englishspeaking american citizen. The promised land by mary antin was published 1912, and it narrates the story of a. May antin came to the united states from russia in the 1890s when she was a young girl. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his association with antin and women like her. This penguin twentiethcentury classics edition includes eighteen blackandwhite photographs from the book s first edition and reprints for the first time antin s essay how i wrote the promised land. Students are often unfamiliar with the time period treated in the promised land, especially so with aspects of the great migration and of immigrant settlement in america. The promised land autobiography by mary antin the book, the promised land, is an autobiography written by mary antin which describes her gettingusedto the american culture. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antins trials and joys.
Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the new. The promised land by mary antin is a unique book of memoire. Jun 26, 2012 weaving introspection with political commentary, biography with history, the promised land, first published in 1912, brings to life the transformation of an eastern european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that. In 1911 the dillingham commission issued a report to congress that argued that immigrants entering the country from southern and eastern europe were not as racially or. The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. Mary antin was an american author and immigration rights activist. Mary antin 18811949 was born in polotsk, russia to a jewish family and emigrated to the united states settling in boston when she was only thirteen. Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antin s work, the meaning of her.
Antin s description and stories of life in polotzk makes it easy for me to imagine what it might have been like for my family as well. Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin. Mary was a writer and had her fist poem published at fifteen. As a child, she lived in the russian pale, the part of russia. So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. The promised land is mary antin s mature autobiography. American author and immigration rights activist mary antin 18811949 arrived in the united states at the age of 12 with a family fleeing the pogroms of czarist russia. In telling the story of one person, the promised land illuminates the lives of hundreds of thousands.
Her book, the promised land, is still read today as an expression of the quintessential 19th century eastern european immigrant experience with universal appeal. The promised land by mary antin free ebook project gutenberg. Jun 17, 2004 buy the promised land by antin, mary isbn. Mary antin has 17 books on goodreads with 1690 ratings. The promised land by mary antin free at loyal books.
The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research library. Her father emigrated to the united states in 1891, and three years later the mother followed with the four children, arriving in boston on the polynesia on may 8, 1894. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory. Questia read the fulltext online edition of the promised land 1912. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download e book. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin this ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever.
The promised land by mary antin was published 1912, and it narrates the story of a jewish family immigrating from russia to the united states in fact it is the autobiography of antin, she put it in this way. Feb 03, 2016 this feature is not available right now. Mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did. The promised land illustrated by mary antin nook book. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. This penguin twentiethcentury classics edition includes eighteen blackandwhite photographs from the books first edition and reprints for the first time antins essay how i wrote the promised land. Inthe promised land, mary antin tells of moving from polotzk, russia, to boston, massachusetts, when she was around thirteen years old. Jews within the empire were required to live in this area that stretched from the baltic sea to the black sea and encompassed portions of the presentday states of poland, lithuania, belarus, ukraine and moldova.
Mary antin was born on june, 1881, in polotzk, russia, the daughter of israel and esther weltman antin. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her. The extract below is from her book the promised land. Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. Self and other in mary antins the promised land mary antins autobiography, the promised land 1912, remains a peculiarly ambivalent work concerning the ambiguous ways in which the immigrant becomes americanized. Mary antins 18811949 autobiography, the promised land 1912, was published as american fears concerning masses of immigrants entering the country were reaching a climax. This work was reproduced from the original artifact. Antin immigrated to the united states with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her father, who had preceded them in 1891, in massachusetts. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over. I thought it a miracle, exclaimed mary antin in her bestselling autobiography, the promised land, written when she was just thirty years old, that i, mashke, the granddaughter of raphael the russian, born to a humble destiny, should be at home in an american metropolis, be free to fashion my own life, and should dream my dreams in english phrases. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912.
Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the. The books popularity allowed antin to begin speaking publicly, a platform that she used to promote acceptance of immigration to the united states. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends. To the memory of josephine lazarus who lives in the fulfilment of her prophecies contents introduction xi i. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin.
Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antins work, the meaning of her. I chose this article because mays story of her arrival in boston is through a young girls eyes. I n 1894 mary antin was a thirteenyearold jewish girl living with her family in the jewish pale of the russian empire. Her critically acclaimed autobiography, published in 1912, was the bestknown immigrant memoir of its day. Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content michael p. I bought the promised land because some my ancestors came from poland and russia and settled in chelsea ma at around the same time. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download ebook. She died of cancer on may 15, 1949, in suffern, new york. Weaving introspection with political commentary, biography with history, the promised land, first published in 1912, brings to life the transformation of an eastern european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work. She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antin s trials and joys.
In it, she speaks of the story of what she believes is her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. Aug 01, 2012 mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did i was born, i have lived, and i have. When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. Mary antin being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over a very touching and beautiful written autobiography which reads like a novel. Life was not easy, though as a child, mary describes life in boston as almost perfect. Students are often unfamiliar with the time period treated in the promised land, especially so with aspects of the great migration and of immigrant settlement in america in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Though i disagree at some points with the author, i find it very inspirational, a good guideline for a successful hybrid identity past and present identity. June , 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. Nov 29, 2011 the promised land autobiography by mary antin the book, the promised land, is an autobiography written by mary antin which describes her gettingusedto the american culture. This essay profiles mary antin, whose autobiographycumpaean to america, the promised land marked the centennial anniversary in 2012. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization. Mentally alert, but physically an invalid in her final years, mary antin resided with her younger americanborn sisters.
Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. Though i disagree at some points with the author, i find it very inspirational, a good guideline for a successful hybrid identity past and. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. Being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. The promised land mary antin audiobook and ebook all. The promised land by mary antin, 9780143106777, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin. Constraints of women in the jewish community lindsay kleiman although mary antin wrote the promised land in 1912 with the ostensible intention of shedding light on the jewishamerican immigrant experience for a nonjewish audience, one can see through close readings that this autobiography was also written to. From the first half of the book, as a young girl in the settlements of the. Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. This is an autobiography of mary antin who, as a girl, left eastern europe in the search of freedom and opportunities and went to the united states. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america.
Mary antins most popular book is the promised land. The promised land, first published in 1912, brings to life the transformation of an eastern european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states. The promised land is mary antins mature autobiography. That i who was brought up to my teens almost without a book should be set down in the midst of all the books that ever were. After the publication of the promised land, antin campaigned for theodore roosevelts unsuccessful presidential bid, and then traveled the country speaking about the themes of her book. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united. Having made such good time across the ocean, i ought to be able to proceed no less rapidly on terra firma, where, after all, i.
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