A Critical Inquiry into the Character Strengths of Alexandra Bergman in Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!

The paper focuses on the strengths and virtues of Alexandra Bergson, the central character of Willa Cather’s novel O Pioneers! (1913). The novel deals with the harsh life of immigrants in America at the turn of the 20^th century and describes the ways by which the pioneers sought to establish their existence and cope with their life’s tragedies. Using the VIA-IS (Values in Action Inventory of Strengths) classification, the paper attempts to show how Alexandra Bergson’s character strengths contribute to the value-based paradigm represented in the novel.