Twenty years pass before Jim keeps his promise and returns to Nebraska to see Ántonia. Jim deferred his trip because he was afraid of disillusionment—of losing his precious, early memories of their childhood friendship if he finds her worn out and aged: He heard that Ántonia married Anton Cuzak, a cousin of Anton Jelinek, and now has a large family. Once, Jim sent Ántonia photographs of her native village when he was in Europe. Tiny had told him that Ántonia has “not done very well” because her husband is weak and she leads a difficult life. Jim finally visits Ántonia after Lena tells him that he will like her husband and that he is a good man.

When Jim drives out to the Cuzaks’ farm, he is greeted by a number of Ántonia’s children and sees that Ántonia has not “lost the fire of life” (336). Ántonia excitedly introduces her nine children to Jim, and they are proud to show Jim the new fruit cave, which is filled with preserved fruits. When the children run up the cellar steps into the sunlight, Jim is dazzled by the “explosion of life out of the dark cave” (339). Ántonia shows Jim the cherry and apple orchards and tells him that the first 10 years were a struggle to create a farm on the cheap land; her city-born husband often got discouraged, but he worked hard, and she was able to help in the fields.