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