Chris Schellenberg asks:
"I am interested in the death of Mr. Shimerda - why is the there a question on whether it was suicide or murder? What does this add? Can't find any comments other than it was assumed to be a suicide in the literature."
Comments and ideas on this.
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For those with the book handy, the "suicide or murder" question comes up in Book I, Ch. 14, of _My Antonia_.
ReplyDeleteAll the characters seem quick to dismiss Jake's musings that murder may have taken place. We even have some forensic evidence, albeit nothing to compare with "CSI." Otto reports on "bunches of hair sticking to the poles and straw along the roof." Those barn decorations coutesy of a shotgun shell through the roof of Mr. Shimerda's skull. (Don't ever call Willa Cather a squeamish lady writer of sentimental novels!)
The scholars seem to go with suicide as well. But we're still left with the good question Chris asks: "What does this [murder possibility] add?" My only thought is that Cather is saying to the reader, here is how rumors and half-baked tales turn into myths and local "truths." Any other thoughts?
The question of suicide
ReplyDeleteWhen reconciling all of the physical evidence there are two ways the suicide could play out. One: distraught Mr. Shimerda took off his neckcloth, shoes and socks, took the ax and hit himself in the head on the far side of the barn walked back to the bed lay down with the barrel in his mouth and squeezed the trigger with his toe. Or two, he took off his neckcloth, shoes and socks put the barrel in his mouth and squeezed the trigger with his toe splattering his brains on the ceiling but he realized he didn’t die, so he took the ax, hit himself in the head and then dying flung the ax back to where it was found.
Or,
Maybe somebody helped him.