Mary antin 18811949 promised land, the, by mary antin 1912. Mary antin was an american author and immigration rights activist. Mary antins autobiography sold nearly 85,000 copies before her death and remains the quintessential work of its genre. So the jews found comfort in their ancient traditions. Questia read the fulltext online edition of the promised land 1912. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land. Life was not easy, though as a child, mary describes life in boston as almost perfect. Mentally alert, but physically an invalid in her final years, mary antin resided with her younger americanborn sisters. The book focuses on her attempts to assimilate into the culture of the united states.
Mary antin articulated in her writing and speeches the experience of being an immigrant. 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. The promised land by mary antin in chm, djvu, fb2 download e book. The text narrates antin s selfproclaimed conversion from an oppressed russian jewish subject into a patriotic, educated englishspeaking american citizen. 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. The promised land by mary antin was written before the author had reached her thirtieth birthday. The family moved from chelsea to ward 8 in bostons south end, a notorious slum, as the venue of israels store changed. The promised land brought mary nationwide fame for its celebration of america and how it transformed the foreignborn mary, into an author, citizen, and interpreter of the immigrant experience to her fellow americans. Reviewed in the united states on september 25, 2016. Her critically acclaimed autobiography, published in 1912, was the bestknown immigrant memoir of its day. Jewish immigrant and author of the promised land was born. June, 1881 may 15, 1949 was an american author and immigration rights activist. Abraham cahans 1917 autobiographical novel, the rise of.
When i was a little girl, the world was divided into two parts. 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. The promised land is the 1912 autobiography of mary antin. 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. The promised land was a bestseller when it was first published in 1912. 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. Interweaving introspection with political commentaries, biography. It tells the story of her early life in what is now belarus and her immigration to the united states in 1894. Russia was the place where ones father went on business. Librivox recording of the promised land by mary antin. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. 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. I will write a bold finis at the end, and shut the book with a bang. Review of mary antins the promised land appears in the.
In 1894 she, her mother and her siblings boarded a steamship in hamburg, germany and made their way to boston. Weaving introspection with political commentary, biography with history, the promised land, first published in 1912, brings to life the transformation of an. This is an autobiographical study of the immigrant, of what he brings to america, and what he finds here, and in it the author presents the case of the russian jews american citizenship in a new and vivid light. In the promised land, antin sketched her life in polotsk and boston. Born to a jewish family in polotsk, she immigrated to the boston area with her mother and siblings in 1894. This essay profiles mary antin, whose autobiographycumpaean to america, the promised land marked the centennial anniversary in 2012. She married amadeus william grabau in 1901, and moved to new york city where she attended teachers college of columbia university and barnard college. 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 is mary antins mature autobiography.
The promised land mary antin audiobook and ebook all. Index mary antin 18811949 mary antin 18811949 identity theories instrumentalist theory. 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. She is best known for her 1912 autobiography the promised land, an account of her emigration and subsequent americanization.
That is, antin also wrote this novel for the jewish reader as a means of critiquing the religious. Mary antins teacher brought about her first published work, the composition snow, in the journal primary education. The promised land by mary antin mary antin, june, 1881 may 15, 1949, was an american author and immigration rights activist. Jun 17, 2004 buy the promised land by antin, mary isbn. Israel antin emigrated to boston in 1891, and three years later he sent for mary and her mother and siblings. Her first book, describing her voyage from russia to the united states, was published in 1899. 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. Antin immigrated to the united states with her mother, sisters, and brother in 1894, joining her. Mary antin recounts the process of uprooting, transportation. The promised land is considered to be a piece of young adult literature mainly because of its treatment of the growth of a girl from childhood into young adulthood. English was her second language, however, she mastered the language and used words i had not heard before. 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. That i who was brought up to my teens almost without a book should be set down in the midst of all the books.
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. Mary antin was born in the russian town of polotsk. When you listen to bridget reading this wonderful book, you can almost feel mary antins trials and joys. The books popularity allowed antin to begin speaking publicly, a platform that she used to promote acceptance of immigration to the united states. Mary antin the promised land book jack and rose richards. Numerous memoirs and novels have recounted the jewish immigrant experience since the promised land was first published in 1912. Aug 26, 20 the promised land by mary antin mary antin, june, 1881 may 15, 1949, was an american author and immigration rights activist.
Mary antin was born on june, 1881, in polotzk, russia, the daughter of israel. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary antin. 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. Her book, the promised land, is still read today as an expression of the.
Antin, her siblings, and her mother immigrated to the united states from russia in 1894, joining her father, who had arrived in 1891. The promised land by mary antin meet your next favorite book. Mary antins ringing endorsement of americanizationof being made overwhich appeared in 1912 in her autobiography, the promised land, probably did. 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. The project gutenberg ebook of the promised land, by mary. 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. Mary antin was born maryashe antin in the town of polotzk in the pale of settlement, the only area of russia where jews were. Antin, her siblings, and her mother immigrated to the united states from russia in. 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. The promised land is the autobiography of mary antin.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. In it, she tells the story of what she considers her escape from bondage in eastern europe and her finding of freedom in america. Mary antin and the jewish origins of the american self many jews will never see the promised land. About us lgbtq themed childrens book promised land store. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research. 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. In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content michael p. Mary antin biography, birth date, birth place and pictures. Topics include antins attitude towards jewishness, the controversy associated with the description of jewish assimilation, as well. Income from the books sales enabled antin to continue her education at bostons.
She emigrated from polotzk to boston with her family in 1894, when she was thirteen. 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. Mary antin, american author remembered for her autobiographical work the promised land and other books on immigrant life in the united states. In telling the story of one person, the promised land illuminates the lives of hundreds of thousands. From plotzk to boston by mary antin read free book. Roosevelt later said that his support of womens suffrage came from his association with antin and women like her. Born to israel and esther weltman antin, a jewish family in polotsk, belarus, at that time part of russia, she immigrated to the boston area with her mother and siblings in 1894, moving from chelsea to ward 8 in bostons south end, a notorious slum, as the venue. Antin publshed short stories essays, and her books the promised land. All the little girls i knew lived in polotzk, with their fathers and mothers and friends.
Yet, according to the few critics who have written on jewish immigrant mary antins work, the meaning of her. I was born, i have lived, and i have been made over. 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. Maryashe antin was the second of six children born to israel and esther weltman antin, a jewish family living in polotsk, belarus, at that time part of russia. How mary antin brought the boston immigrant experience to. Jun, 20 the promised land brought mary nationwide fame for its celebration of america and how it transformed the foreignborn mary, into an author, citizen, and interpreter of the immigrant experience to her fellow americans. She compares the life in the eastern europe to that. 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 father had come to the bay state a few years prior, a russian jew escaping persecution in his homeland.
Related to political movements or attitudes to achieve things. Mary antin 18811949 was born in a small russian town an most autobiographies are written at the end of the writers life. The promised land illustrated by mary antin nook book. 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.
Mary antin was the second of six children born to israel and. A smart and dignified girl, mary takes the good things in anything and writes her autobiography with a smile. The promised land by mary antin, 1912 online research library. The promised land by mary antin is a unique book of memoire.
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