Discuss Ivar's philosophy of life and how a human being should live. What does he mean about avoiding temptation by not having neighbors?

Alexandria is a very capable person who turns a failing farm into a success. Yet her brothers and many others in the book have a view of her based only on her gender. Discuss how she is not a stereotypical female of her times and yet she is still perceived as one.

What qualities must a person have to survive as a farmer in Nebraska in the 1870s? What qualities would hinder such survival in Cather's point of view?

Do you believe that Marie, by her beauty and vitality, caused her own tragedy? Do such women cause problems? If so, how?

Discuss Cather's view that romantic love can lead to tragedy and that it is better if friends marry one another...