Little House on the Prairie

“Quite often Laura heard the ringing thud of an ax which was not Pa’s ax, or the echo of a shot that did not come from his gun. The path that went by the little house had become a road. Almost every day Laura and Mary stopped their playing and stared in surprise at a wagon slowly creaking by on that road.”

This quote emphasizes the isolation that the family previously experienced in Wisconsin. To Laura and Mary, the sight of a stranger’s wagon is so unusual that they stop and stare rather than regarding it as commonplace. It also emphasizes Laura’s growing awareness of other people outside of her family circle, since previously the sounds she heard in the woods came from her father, not a stranger.

“Wild animals would not stay in a country where there were so many people. Pa did not like to stay, either. He liked a country where the wild animals lived without being afraid. He liked to see the little fawns and their mothers looking at him from the shadowy woods, and the fat, lazy bears eating berries in the wild-berry patches.”

These examples of the wildlife Pa misses as their surroundings in Wisconsin become more heavily populated both provide sensory richness and make it clear that Pa is integrated into the outdoor world, familiar with its animals, habitats, and landscapes. This association continues throughout the book, as Pa hunts, traps, scouts, logs, and rides through the landscape. Note that Pa is somewhat selective about which kinds of wildlife he will tolerate, reserving the right to remove animals he deems dangerous (see quote #15).

“Mary did not move; she was trembling and still. But Laura could not help wriggling a little bit. She did so want to see what was happening…The wagon lurched; there was a sudden heavy splash beside it. Laura sat straight up and clawed the blanket from her head.”

This description of the two sisters’ behavior during the perilous creek crossing is representative of their behavior throughout the book. Mary tends to be stoic, physically still, and reserved, while Laura has difficulty repressing her curiosity, physical energy, and emotions.