"Describe the changing social situation between Jim and Ántonia as she becomes a “hired girl” in town."
The changing social situation occurs between Jim and Antonia towards the end of book one and especially in the beginning of book two. Antonia was quite different before she started taking on responsibilities that her father use to carry. She was always hanging out with Jim before that, creating bonds that attached them in almost every concept. Jim quickly realizes that Antonia changes after her father kills himself, he understood that she had to take on more responsibilities. But what he didn't know, was that she was going to be too busy for him. For Jim, it was comforting at all. especially since she always depended on him. Seeing her being the new person, Jim feels a sense of detachments with his social ways with her.
In Book two, Antonia gets hired but a very well stable family, the Harlings. The Harlings pay Antonia good money and all of the sudden, she changes into a completely new person. Spoke English in ways she no longer needed Jim, and did things that made Jim a bit uncomfortable. For example, Antonia grows emotional attachment for the oldest son in the Harlings family, Charles. This becomes obvious when the kids start teasing her as she makes food specifically for him. For Jim, it was time to find someone new to share deep thoughts and partner. He spoke more with Lena and learned quickly, that she is not the person people assume her to be. He starts sharing gossip with her and starts spending more time with her, as she sews garments. This becomes a new way Jim spends his time, his way of getting away from Antonia. Their social situation jeopardized by the new shortcomings.
