Arrival in America
"He left Bohemia with more than a thousand dollars in savings, after their passage money was paid. He had in some way lost on exchange in New York, and the railway fare to Nebraska was more than they had expected. By the time they had paid Krajiek for the land, and bought his horses and oxen and some old farm machinery, they had little money left" (My Antonia, 84).
There had also been a famine in their old country. They had heard of free land and easy money; however when they arrived they were very disillusioned (Lives and Letters of an Immigrant Family, 30).
The mother wanted a better opportunity for her children, especially her girls. The mother thought that there would be much better choices of husbands in America (My Antonia).
Brandon was surprised by how difficult of a time his family had when they arrived in America. They were not only mistreated by Americans, but by their own countrymen. The man from whom they had purchased the land from, Krajiek, had given them bad land that wasn't cleared, as well as bad equipment and sickly animals for which he had overcharged them for. Brandon felt bad for his ancestors; however he was also very impressed that they were able to survive despite these terrible circumstances.