My Ántonia, Chapter 3 summary
Chapter 3 of 45 · Book 1: The Shimerdas · 9 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 3, the narrator visits the Shimerdas with his grandmother and Otto Fuchs, bringing food and discovering their poor housing and dependence on Peter Krajiek. His first English lesson with Ántonia begins a friendship, and Mr. Shimerda asks his grandmother to help teach her.
What happens
- During the wagon ride, grandmother and Otto explain how Krajiek overcharges the Shimerdas and controls their access to advice.
- The visitors reach the family's cramped hillside dwelling and deliver food to Mrs. Shimerda and her children.
- Ántonia leads the narrator and Yulka toward Squaw Creek, where she eagerly asks for English names.
- Ántonia learns twenty words and offers her silver ring, but the narrator refuses her gift.
- Mr. Shimerda calls the children back and gives grandmother a bilingual alphabet book, asking her to teach Ántonia.
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In this chapter
What to notice
Mr. Shimerda’s urgent request makes Ántonia's education a direct concern for grandmother. It also emphasizes the family's need for help communicating.
Quick check
What does Ántonia offer the narrator after learning English words?
Cite this page
“My Ántonia, Chapter 3 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-ntonia-chapter-3-summary.
Library of Alexandria. (2026). My Ántonia, Chapter 3 summary. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-ntonia-chapter-3-summary
“My Ántonia, Chapter 3 summary.” Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-ntonia-chapter-3-summary.
@misc{my_ntonia_chapter_3_summary_2026,
title = {My Ántonia, Chapter 3 summary},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/pages/my-ntonia-chapter-3-summary}
}
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