 Anna Pavelka, not of Antonia. Who was the character? The character, right. The real person. The real person. The real person who herself, I mean, very much knew that the novel was based in significant ways on her life, but it also diverged from her life. Willa Cather died in 1947, but it was in 1935 at an awards ceremony in New York City. She discussed the importance of novels. Here's Willa Cather in her own voice.