The Growth of Jim Burden in My Antonia"The movement from possession to loss, from union to separation, is the deep and central pattern of Jim Burden's experience in My Antonia.” (Fisher-Wirth) I believe this quote from critic Fisher-Wirth goes some way to explaining Jim Burden's life and that although he went through both gains and losses throughout his life; he learned the meaning and purpose of his life with Antonia. At the beginning of the novel, Jim had a family but was soon abandoned by them until both of them died. Then he was on his way to his grandparents' home in Nebraska to start a new and different life. At this point, he began a union with both his grandparents and with Antonia. Antonia and Jim became close friends and enjoyed many childhood experiences together. Their friendship was soon cut short when Ambrosch and Jake got into an argument that separated the two families for quite some time. But once again the families resolve their differences and become closer. (Chapter 1) When Chapter 2 begins, Jim and his family are separated from Antonia's due to their new move to the city. After this separation, Jim and Antonia reunited again when Antonia came to work in town. This pattern repeats itself once again as a result of Jim leaving for college. He loses contact with Antonia but then, through Lena, reconnects with Antonia. As a result, Jim comes home to visit for a short time and then leaves for New York. Finally, twenty years later, Jim travels back to see Antonia and her new "extended" family. He was happy to see that Antonia was finally happy again and he enjoyed meeting all her children and her husband. With Jim's journey back to Black Hawk, he was able to tie his entire life together. After leaving Antonia's house, Jim felt that his life had come full circle. He realized that despite all his gains and losses, the past he shared with Antonia was so precious.