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My Ántonia · Character

Crazy Mary

A mentally unstable woman who lives near Black Hawk and is known for her outbursts.

minor

Also known as Mary

First appearance: i

Crazy Mary shows up with force in IV. The page is where that presence becomes real.

Mary, Ole Benson's wife, threatens Lena with a corn-knife out of jealousy, chasing her across the prairie and to the Shimerdas' home.
In the storyIVOpen this moment free

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In IV: Mary, Ole Benson's wife, threatens Lena with a corn-knife out of jealousy, chasing her across the prairie and to the Shimerdas'…

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See Crazy Mary in i

Character Web

10 connections

A slice of how Crazy Mary sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

LLLena LingardJMJake MarpoleÁSÁntonia ShimerdaJBJim BurdenAJAnton JelinekCMCrazy Mary

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Extended community and later life
  • Central characters and family
  • Protagonist

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

Jim’s solitary reading of Virgil’s *Georgics* marks the emotional and psychological peak because it crystalliz…

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In the story

Crazy Mary appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Crazy Mary in i