In O Pioneers! by Willa Cather, Alexandra Bergstrom cannot seem to make time for love. In order for her to make her family prosper in the cruel, unforgiving world of western Nebraska, she has to make many personal sacrifices for her family, including one of her own. But while this case is broadly demonstrative of the double-standards facing women in general both today and in the past, other historians and commentators have made the point that men on the frontier also had to sacrifice personal family goals in order to succeed. Indeed, although some men were more willing to forego marriage than others, the frontier did not invite family formation until it had ceased to be the frontier.

Write an essay that compares how the western frontier affected families, including women, men, and children. Be sure to include examples from O Pioneers, True Grit, and Isenberg or Brokeback Mountain. Did one group have a harder time than the others, in your opinion? Why?

Papers must be double-spaced, and formatted with 12 point Times New Roman font. One inch margins on all sides. All sources must be cited in MLA. Some sources must be cited.