Neighbour Rosicky

As "Neighbour Rosicky" opens, its main character has just been diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. Although neither Rosicky nor his doctor know exactly how long he will live, the diagnosis naturally prompts both of them to think back over Rosicky's life, which has been a happy but not especially profitable one. As a young man living in London and New York City, Rosicky struggled to fit into the competitive and materialistic society that surrounded him; rather than saving money, for instance, he would happily lend it to a friend. It was in fact partly his dissatisfaction with the greed and exploitation of urban life that led him out west, since he found that even a well-intentioned man like himself could easily end up hurting others simply by virtue of their own need to survive; in the city, for instance, people have to "choose between bosses and strikers, and go wrong either way" (Part VI, Paragraph 3). Ultimately, Cather defends Rosicky's decision to treat others with generosity and compassion, even at a cost to himself. In fact, one of Rosicky's most notable traits is what Polly describes as his "gift for loving people," and this innate drive to care for others is part of what finally makes Rosicky's life meaningful (Part VI, Paragraph 22).