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V

Thea Kronborg’s success in The Song of the Lark, began when she had the opportunity to study in Chicago. She studied piano under Andor Harsanyi. As her lessons continued, Harsanyi came to realize Thea’s vocal capabilities. Harsanyi arranged for her to take lessons from Madison Bowers. When Thea returned to her home in Moonstone, CO, she realized the strain of her family relationships. Her siblings had no interest in her or her studies. Jealousy took them over and began to wedge them all apart. 

“Thea saw Anna glance at their mother. Thea remembered having seen that look on Anna’s face often before but she had never thought anything about it because she was used to it. Now she realized that the look was distinctly spiteful, even vindictive. She suddenly realized that Anna always disliked her” (Cather 211).

 

            Thea returned to Chicago and studied under Bowers for the next year. During this year she met Fred Ottenburg. He became her only friend in Chicago and invited her to Panther Canyon in Arizona. During her stay, she had an epiphany in one of the cliff dwellings. 

“One morning, as she was standing upright in the pool…something flashed through her mind that madder her draw herself up and stand still until the water had quite dried upon her flushed skin… what was any art but an effort to make a sheath, a mould in which to imprison for a moment the shining, elusive element which is life itself, - life hurrying past and running away, too strong to stop, too sweet to lose?... In singing, one made a vessel of one’s throat and nostrils and held it on one’s breath, caught the stream in a scale of natural intervals” (Cather 286).

 

After her epiphany that she really wanted to study, she traveled to New York with Fred and after a short stay, continued onto Germany.

            Ten years passed while she studied and she didn’t return before then, even when her mother passed. She exiled herself from all family and friends while she pursued her success. Upon her return, Thea obtained personal success by gaining the role of Fricka. “Fat German woman scolding her husband, eh? That’s not my idea. Wait till you hear my Fricka. It’s a beautiful part” (Cather 414).

            The road to Thea’s success was paved with her ambition to succeed and was a lonely journey for her. She only kept close ties with Fred and Doctor Archie during her studies. She gave up her family and their unsupportive nature and learned to rely on herself alone. Due to her ambitions, she was able to obtain her dreams.