Ready Reference Treatise: The Professor's House

By Raja Sharma

According the author, she first completed writing the centerpiece “Tom Outland’s Story,” and then wrote the other two sections “The Family” and “The Professor.”

The central section of the novel “Tom Outland’s Story” is based on a chronicle of archaeological discovery which was done by Dick Wetherill. It was the discovery of Cliff Palace made by Dick Wetherill.

The first draft of this section of the story was completed in the year 1922. In the following three years she completed the first and the third section of the novel.

Eventually, the three sections came together and this great inspirational story got published as “The Professor’s House.”

Ready Reference Treatise: The Professor's House
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Major Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Section One
Section Two
Section Three
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Mar 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310028717

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: The Professor's House

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: The Professor's House

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2015 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

The Professor’s House by Willa Cather was first published in 1925. It is reported that she took several years to complete this novel.

According the author, she first completed writing the centerpiece Tom Outland’s Story, and then wrote the other two sections The Family and The Professor.

The central section of the novel Tom Outland’s Story is based on a chronicle of archaeological discovery which was done by Dick Wetherill. It was the discovery of Cliff Palace made by Dick Wetherill.

The first draft of this section of the story was completed in the year 1922. In the following three years she completed the first and the third section of the novel.

Eventually, the three sections came together and this great inspirational story got published as The Professor’s House.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

Professor Godfrey St. Peter and his wife leave their old house and move to a new house. After this shift to the new house, the professor begins to feel quite uncomfortable owing to the route his life is following.

It is revealed that he has kept his dusty study in the old house because it is his attempt to keep on trying to hang on to his old life.

It transpires that they have been removed from their home because of the marriages of their two daughters. Now two new sons-in-law have been added to the family.

After their marriages, the professor begins to feel a mid-life crisis. He feels as if he has lost the will to live because there is nothing he can look forward to.

The first section of the novel The Family describes the Professor’s interactions with his new sons-in-law and his family. He keeps on alluding to the pain the family feels over the death of Tom Outland in the Great War.

It is revealed that Outland was neither the Professor’s student nor friend, but he was the fiancé of his elder daughter. She is now living off the wealth that had been created after the vacuum created by the death of Outland.

The second section of the novel is about Outland. This section presents the first person narration of Outland’s exploration of an ancient cliff city in New Mexico. The second section is a retrospective narrative which is recalled by the professor.

Third or the final section of the novel, The Professor, presents the professor alone because his family takes an expensive tour to Europe. He remains in the house. One day, he narrowly escapes death owing to a gas leak in the study. After that incident, he feels that he is strangely willing to die.

Old family seamstress, Augusta, rescues the professor. Throughout the story Augusta has been the professor’s staunch friends. However, after his survival, he decides to go on with his life.

Chapter Three: Major Characters

Godfrey St. Peter

Godfrey St. Peter is the title character, the professor. He teaches history at the University in Hamilton.

As the novel begins, it transpires that he has just completed his grand book, an eight volume book, titled Spanish Adventures in North America.

This magnum opus is a history of the exploits of the Spanish explorers in America. The Professor also happens to have spent several years on it.

Before the final volume of the book is published, St. Peter happens to have gained a fir amount of international academic fame and respect.

Having received a prize for his book, he builds a new house. However, he remains attached to the old house which he had rented since his marriage and his tenure as a professor at the University.

Godfrey happens to be a complex person in several ways. His life is spent in paradoxes. He loves his family but he does not spend much time with his wife