She died of cancer on may 15, 1949, in suffern, new york. 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. I chose this article because mays story of her arrival in boston is through a young girls eyes. 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, freedom and the. Like it is only that my illusion is more real to me than reality. Her critically acclaimed autobiography, published in 1912, was the bestknown immigrant memoir of its day. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Mary antin was born in june of 1881 in polotzk, white russia what is now belarus. The promised land by mary antin was published 1912, and it narrates the story of a. This penguin twentiethcentury classics edition includes eighteen blackandwhite photographs from the book s first edition and reprints for the first time antins essay how i wrote the promised land. Questia read the fulltext online edition of the promised land 1912.
The promised land by mary antin this free downloadable e book can be read on your computer or ereader. Mary antin was born in the russian town of polotsk. 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. So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. 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. The promised land by mary antin, 9780143106777, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Her book, the promised land, is still read today as an expression of the quintessential 19 th century eastern european immigrant experience with universal appeal to all immigrants. 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. The promised land mary antin audiobook and ebook all. 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. By age 18 she was writing poems in boston newspapers and had published her first book. Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. 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. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content michael p. Her book, the promised land, is still read today as an expression of the quintessential 19th century eastern european immigrant experience with universal appeal. I will write a bold finis at the end, and shut the book with a bang. 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.
Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land. 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. Mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did. And so do we often build our world on an error, and. 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. Mary antins the promised land enjoyed extraordinary success when it was. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that. Topics include antins attitude towards jewishness, the controversy associated with the description of jewish assimilation, as well. This work was reproduced from the original artifact. Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states.
How mary antin brought the boston immigrant experience to the. It was her 1912 autobiography, the promised land, written when she. A smart and dignified girl, mary takes the good things in anything and writes her autobiography with a smile. This essay profiles mary antin, whose autobiographycumpaean to america, the promised land marked the centennial anniversary in 2012. This book was originally published prior to 1923, and represents a reproduction of an important historical work. The promised land is mary antins mature autobiography. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states. Like many autobiographers, antin insists that her experiences are not. As the title of the promised land indicates, the book is primarily a hymn in praise of american life and americanization. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. Like i was at a most impressionable age when i was transplanted to the new soil.
Especially important is conveying to them the kinds of conditions the newly. Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antins work, the meaning of her. 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. 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.
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. English was her second language, however, she mastered the language and used words i had not heard before. 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. Heath anthology of american literaturemary antin author page. Jun 17, 2004 buy the promised land by antin, mary isbn. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin. Mary antin recounts the process of uprooting, transportation. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. Mary antin was born maryashe antin in the town of polotzk in the pale of settlement, the only area of russia where jews were. The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. Only 30 years old when she published her autobiography, the promised land, mary antin captured the dreams and experiences of turnofthecentury russian jewish immigrants. Reviewed in the united states on september 25, 2016. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory.
Mobi files can be read on kindles, epub files can be read on other e book readers, and zip files can be downloaded and read on your computer. Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. I was in that period when even normal children, undisturbed in their customary environment, begin to explore their own. 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 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.
Israels struggle to survive in the muslim middle east. The books popularity allowed antin to begin speaking publicly, a platform that she used to promote acceptance of immigration to the united states. That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of critiquing the religious. Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things. The promised land is mary antin s mature autobiography. The extract below is from her book the promised land.
With the appearance of this book, mary, eighteen at the time, was hailed as a child prodigy. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary. In her book the promised land published in 1912 mary antin uses the term. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. 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. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antins trials and joys. The notion of identity in mary antins the promised land grin. Mary antins 18811949 autobiography, the promised land 1912, was published as american fears concerning masses of immigrants entering the country were reaching a climax. To the memory of josephine lazarus who lives in the fulfilment of her prophecies contents introduction xi i. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download e book. 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. The promised land by mary antin is a unique book of memoire. Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and esther weltman antin, a jewish family. Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912.
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 culturally desirable as. The promised land by mary antin meet your next favorite book. The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin. She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen. Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912. 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.
Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. Rethinking mary antin and the promised land springerlink. New england artist relief funds launched to bolster the community amid covid19. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his association with antin and women like her. Mary antin was born maryashe antin in the town of polotzk in the pale of settlement, the only area of russia where jews were permitted to live. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. 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. The promised land became required reading in schools, excerpts from it. Though i disagree at some points with the author, i find it very inspirational, a good guideline for a successful hybrid identity past and. Literarily gifted mary antin was considered a child prodigy, and the publication funded by. Mentally alert, but physically an invalid in her final years, mary antin resided with her younger americanborn sisters. May antin came to the united states from russia in the 1890s when she was a young girl. Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin.
When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages. That i who was brought up to my teens almost without a book should be set down in the midst of all the books. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. 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. The promised land illustrated by mary antin nook book. This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. The text narrates antin s selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a patriotic, educated englishspeaking american citizen.
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. And may god grant you an easy journey, and may you arrive in a propitious hour, and. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over. Mary antin was born on june, 1881, in polotzk, russia, the daughter of israel and esther weltman antin.
Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. Mary antins the promised land enjoyed extraordinary success when it was first. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. 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. 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. He is not successful and experiences considerable financial stress in the slums of boston. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends. 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. The promised land by mary antin teaching resources. Mary antin articulated in her writing and speeches the experience of being an immigrant. About us lgbtq themed childrens book promised land store. In 1899, antins first book, from plotzk sic to boston, was published. Being a jew in russia at the end of the 19th century was not easy at all.
615 543 58 365 267 193 479 846 1400 437 782 1412 1250 625 412 28 93 622 336 264 580 514 751 1206 932 1182 825 1375 1461 664 365 349