Family Conflict

In Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!, farmer and land developer Alexandra Bergson feels the land her father, John Bergson, gave her and her brothers, originally belonged to her and her brothers, but has since been divided into separate titles between the three of them. Before Alexandra’s father died, he placed her in charge of the land and she became the lands steward and expanded it beyond the original homestead. The role Lou and Oscar Bergson, Alexandra’s younger brothers, played was that of laborer under the direction of Alexandra. Lou and Oscar feel that the land belongs to them because they have put their blood, sweat, and tears into the land. It is not until Alexandra’s brothers see Carl spending time with Alexandra that they begin to worry about the true ownership of the land. The boys are ok with Alexandra having the property but once they find out Alexandra might marry their jobless old neighbor Carl, they confront her, reminding her that Alexandra’s property really belongs to them.
John Bergson always had more faith and trust in Alexandra than he did with Lou and Oscar. Even before Alexandra was the age of twelve John was calling on her to give him advice. He reminisced, “It was Alexandra who read the papers and followed the markets, and who learned by the mistakes of their neighbors… Lou and Oscar were industrious, but he could never teach them to use their heads about their work.” From a very young age Alexandra showed wisdom and leadership.
Lou and Oscar believe that because they have put all the physical labor into the land that the land naturally should belong to them. Arguing their point to Alexandra they state, "Didn't all the land come out of the homestead? It was bought with money borrowed on the homestead, and Oscar and me worked ourselves to the bone paying interest on it." Alexandra argues, “I’ve made more on my farms since I've been alone than when we all worked together." She points out they can go to the county clerk if they believe the land belongs to them. She cleverly tells them to follow the advice the clerk and lawyer give them. Lou and Oscar believe that because they worked themselves to the bone to pay the interest on the original homestead then obviously they are the true owners of the property. They claim, “… The real work always fell on us. Good advice is all right, but it don't get the weeds out of the corn."
Alexandra logically believes the land belongs to her because she has the title to the land written in her name at the county clerk’s office. Whether or not the brothers worked the land is irrelevant; the law says the property belongs to Alexandra. Alexandra tells Oscar and Lou that the improvements she’s done with her property after the split has nothing whatsoever to do with them or their current property. After the land was split, each party created their own separate farm and business that was no longer tied to the original title.
Lou and Oscar put up with Alexandra and her ideas because they know her ideas are good, but it wasn’t the real work. Oscar and Lou come from a culture where the men are the owners of the land and women, traditionally, are just part of the property of their husbands, this change in culture and law is difficult for the brothers to accept and follow. They believe women are irrational when it comes to business and work. Lou states to Oscar, "That's the woman of it; if she tells you to put in a crop, she thinks she's put it in. It makes women conceited to meddle in business.” Even speaking about Alexandra they firmly believe, “You can't do business with women."
The author, Willa Cather, supports Alexandra by making her the heroin of the book. Alexandra is the heroin because she personifies wisdom and logic within the book. In the situations Alexandra is faced with she uses logic and planning to make her decisions. Alexandra gathers information and ideas about business and farming from people at the university. She is open minded and willing to learn from others.
In contrast Lou and Oscar make their decisions based on speculation and trends. Alexandra reminds Lou of his idea of managing the business saying, “… you cried, Lou, when we put in the first big wheat-planting, and said everybody was laughing at us." Alexandra reminds Lou and Oscar that without her they would have sold the original homestead for two thousand dollars and been hired out as poor laborers for the rest of their lives.
Alexandra’s property belongs to Alexandra. She has the legal title to it and as much as Oscar and Lou believe the land should belong to them, it does not. Lou and Oscar know the land is not theirs when, after their argument with Alexandra they state, “You can't do business with women, but anyhow, we've had our say, at last." The brothers have said all that they can say to Alexandra about the land. Lou and Oscar believe that the land belongs to them but they know Alexandra can legally claim it. In a last effort the brothers argue that they are really trying to protect Alexandra from “any loafer who happens along,” and keep her from making a fool of herself by giving her property to someone other than family.

Bibliography

Cather, Willa Sibert (2012-05-16). O Pioneers!. Kindle Edition.