The friendship between Jim and Ántonia in My Ántonia is a very special friendship. And the friendship between Gina and Soo-Hyung in “Once Around Manhattan” is just as special. In fact, they are very similar.
In My Ántonia, Jim and Ántonia were friends through Ántonia’s work on Jim’s family farm. Usually Ántonia works a lot in the kitchen with Jim’s grandmother. But in the early morning, they g up to the garden to get vegetables for supper. In this section of the reading, I read a sentence that showed that Ántonia was a very free spirited and cheerful person. And Jim obviously notices this as they work. And I also notice that in the reading, Jim mentions Ántonia being herself. So Jim likes hanging out with Ántonia but he wants her to be true to herself. Proof of this is near the end. “’Why aren’t you always nice like this, Tony?’...’…like yourself. Why do you all the time try to be like Ambrusch?’” Ambrusch by the way is Ántonia’s brother. So their friendship is kind of shy and not very elaborate but it shows in a quiet and friendly kind of way.
The friendship between Gina and Soo-Hyung from “Once Around Manhattan” is different. Their friendship is more out in the open. And they aren’t very dependent of each other but they are very close, so they feel like sisters and that they can’t get along without each other. There is a part in the text that proves this. “’…I’m going to have to call her Gina.’ Said Soo-Hyung…’because she was my only hope back there.’ ‘Oh, no,’ said Gina, ‘her name is Soo-Hyung, steering us to sold ground.’” This shows the kind of friendship that they have. This is a very strong friendship.
The two friendships are very different. Gina and Soo-Hyung are more open and when they feel a certain way about the other, they say what they feel when they feel it. Like in the quote that I presented in the previous paragraph. Whereas the friendship between Ántonia and Jim are quieter but still there. They like each other and enjoy each others company, but they don’t really say it. But they each still know it so words don’t really have to be said.
As you can see, these two friendships are very special in their own way. But all the same, they are very different from each other.
