Critical Essay

When it debuted in depression era 1932 Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House in the Big Woods was everything that children wanted. A family oriented novel that was easy to read and contained excellent representation of all the elements of good children's fiction: well developed characters, a loving family without overt gushy sentimentality, suspense, a fascinating, historically accurate setting, an easily followed plot, and generally beautiful writing. Mrs. Wilder’s style of writing includes stories within the main body of the text along with a first person narrative that allow the reader to enter into Laura’s shoes, and they are a perfect fit. None of the characters are too good to be true, nor painted completely black either. They are human and this makes them very easy to relate to.

When I was a child in the 1960's, Laura was my first model of women’s liberation. She kept her maiden name alongside her married name. She helped her father on the farm in the absence of a brother. Although she entered into primarily a woman’s field, teaching, she did so younger than the cut-off age of 16. Admittedly, she was in a situation where the need for teachers was acute. Nevertheless, her achievement on the teacher’s exam and her presentation of fully half of the United States’ history are remarkable. In a further act of feminism Laura also refused to promise obedience in her marriage ceremony to Almanzo Wilder. In These Happy Golden Years she plans her vows with Almanzo telling him, “I cannot make a promise that I will not keep, and, Almanzo, even if I tried, I do not think I could obey anybody against my better judgement.” Romines points out in her book, Constructing the Little House that, "Underneath all these overt models was a very subtle real life plot line that pointed out that “Laura Ingalls did grow up to write the books.” Here was a working, wage-earning woman who mirrored all that I aspired to be.

Wilder's books provide vicarious living in the pioneer moments of the United States. Based upon Laura’s meticulous memories, Little House in the Big Woods acts as a primer of life in the Wisconsin frontier days. Students throughout the world use all of the Little House books in history, social studies, and literature classes as study aids that enable teachers to present lessons in a simple and wonderful way. Romines states, "The books provide a way to participate in an ongoing conversation among U.S. readers and consumers about some of the largest and most personal issues of our lives: the questions about gender, mobility, housekeeping, materialism, and racial and cultural identity."

The Little House books today remain a strong draw. Never out of print they have been adapted into a long running TV series, movies, simplified into chapter books for early readers, further simplified into picture books, and spawned no less than four book series based upon the lives of Wilder's daughter and ancestors. Further pageants, programs, plays, a Broadway musical, restorations, reconstructions, museum displays, libraries and products ranging from dolls to jewelry have been created. Ed Friendly, creator of the recent Wonderful World of Disney ABC movie as well as the 70's TV series remarked recently on Wilder's continuing popularity. "I'm still amazed by the depth of feeling the fans have for all things related to 'Little House on the Prairie.' I think that because her books truly celebrate the beauty of family, Laura Ingalls Wilder will always be a part of our culture." I agree.

Laura Ingalls Wilder at book signing, October 1952
Brown's Book Store, Springfield, MO

Sources:

Miller, John E. Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little Town; Where History and Literature Meet. University Press of Kanssas, Lawrence, Kansas. 1995

Romines, Ann. Constructing the Little House; Gender, Culture, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. University of Massachusetts Press. Amherst. 1997

Scott, Walter. "Personality Parade" Parade Magazine. http://archive.parade.com/2004/0425/0425_personality.html April 25, 2004. Accessed: November 15, 2004.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. These Happy Golden Years. Harper & Brothers. New York. 1942.

Wolf, Virginia L. Little House on the Prairie; A Reader’s Companion. Twayne Publishers. New York. 1996

Last updated: April 1, 2005