Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin. Questia read the fulltext online edition of the promised land 1912. She died of cancer on may 15, 1949, in suffern, new york. Life was not easy, though as a child, mary describes life in boston as almost perfect. This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work. This work was reproduced from the original artifact. The promised land by mary antin is a unique book of memoire. 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. The promised land by mary antin, 9780143106777, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. May antin came to the united states from russia in the 1890s when she was a young girl. 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. 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. Antins autobiography, the promised land 1912, was adapted for children by rosemary wells under the title streets of gold 1999. Income from the books sales enabled antin to continue her education at bostons premier female high school, girls latin.
Heath anthology of american literaturemary antin author page. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization. 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 written, was a miracle as great as any on record. 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. If one has had the opportunity to read antins book the promised landa national best seller in 1912 that was considered to be the most popular immigrant. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin. In 1899, antins first book, from plotzk sic to boston, was published.
She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen. Antin looked to mary to realize his own thwarted aims of intellectual development. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that in usa which she calls the new world and admires the new world for its vast opportunities. The article presents a literary criticism of the autobiography the promised land, by mary antin, focusing on the jewish american reception of the book and its representation of the identity of jewish immigrants. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. The promised land by mary antin meet your next favorite 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 in chm, djvu, fb2 download ebook.
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. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary. 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. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912. Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things. Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. Mary antins 18811949 autobiography, the promised land 1912, was published as american fears concerning masses of immigrants entering the country were reaching a climax. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory. I was in that period when even normal children, undisturbed in their customary environment, begin to explore their own. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. 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.
Like i was at a most impressionable age when i was transplanted to the new soil. This book contains 15 or more unique illustrations relevant to its content 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. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antin s trials and joys. Interweaving introspection with political commentaries, biography with history, the promised land 1912 brings to life the transformation of an east european jewish immigrant into an american citizen. Being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages. 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 serve a secondary purpose. The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. In the promised land, antin sketched her life in polotsk and boston. Lemann, correspondent for atlantic monthly, discussed his recent book, the promised land. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download e book. The great black migration and how it changed america.
Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912. 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. Topics include antins attitude towards jewishness, the controversy associated with the description of jewish assimilation, as well. Only 30 years old when she published her autobiography, the promised land, mary antin captured the dreams and experiences of turnofthecentury russian jewish immigrants. A smart and dignified girl, mary takes the good things in anything and writes her autobiography with a smile. Mary was a writer and had her fist poem published at fifteen. Promised land by mary antin, free pdf, ebook global grey. Like it is only that my illusion is more real to me than reality. 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 am more at home. Mary antin was born in june of 1881 in polotzk, white russia what is now belarus.
And so do we often build our world on an error, and. Mary antin was born on june, 1881, in polotzk, russia, the daughter of israel and esther weltman antin. I will write a bold finis at the end, and shut the book with a bang. The books popularity allowed antin to begin speaking publicly, a platform that she used to promote acceptance of immigration to the united states. 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. Feb 03, 2016 this feature is not available right now. The promised land is mary antins mature autobiography.
Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin. Author mary antin arrived in the united states from russia in the 1890s at the age of 12. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. 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. To the memory of josephine lazarus who lives in the fulfilment of her prophecies contents introduction xi i. You may copy it, give it away or reuse it under the terms of the project gutenberg license included with this ebook or online at. 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. Antins 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. Her memoir vividly recaptures scenes from both old and new world.
Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antins work, the meaning of her. The material in this volume became the basis of her masterpiece, the promised land. Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states. Interweaving introspection with political commentaries, biography.
All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and. When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. Jun 17, 2004 buy the promised land by antin, mary isbn. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his association with antin and women like her. A really wonderful study on the promised inheritance to abraham, and the conditions written in the law that we must understand in order to receive the promise.
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. That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of. As the title of the promised land indicates, the book is primarily a hymn in praise of american life and americanization. The extract below is from her book the promised land. Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the. The promised land mary antin audiobook and ebook all.
Like many autobiographers, antin insists that her experiences are not. 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. Aug 31, 2012 i bought the promised land because some my ancestors came from poland and russia and settled in chelsea ma at around the same time. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research library. In telling the story of one person, the promised land illuminates the lives of hundreds of thousands.
Mentally alert, but physically an invalid in her final years, mary antin resided with her younger americanborn sisters. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. Antin immigrated to the united states with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her father, who had preceded them in.
I bought the promised land because some my ancestors came from poland and russia and settled in chelsea ma at around the same time. About us lgbtq themed childrens book promised land store. 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. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over.
By having her fill his house with books and intellectual company, he could. Especially important is conveying to them the kinds of conditions. I chose this article because mays story of her arrival in boston is through a young girls eyes. A very personal and very interesting look into the life of a young child moving away from her. 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. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that. 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 you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book.
Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land. With the appearance of this book, mary, eighteen at the time, was hailed as a child prodigy. 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. 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. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist.
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