Willa Cather''s First European Journey

Willa Cather''s First European Journey: Fourteen Articles from 1902, closely explores the significance of Cather''s own account of her first trip to Europe. The first chapter grounds Cather''s travel writing experiences in the works of her literary predecessors, most notably Henry James and Mark Twain. The second chapter provides a bridge from Cather''s early non-fiction to her travel narrative. Chapter three and four explores Cather''s impressions of England and France. Chapter five and six develop a growing connection between Cather''s non-fiction and her fiction through a closer examination of several of her travel articles. The final chapter emphasizes the lasting impact of Cather''s 1902 trip by briefly exploring the parallels between Cather''s first visit to Avignon and her last and never finished novel _Hard Punishments_. Although _Willa Cather''s First European Journey: Fourteen Articles from 1902_ is not a definitive guide to Cather first European tour, it is is an entry point to a conversation about a much neglected part of Cather''s development as an author.