The Myth of the American West

Little House on the Prairie

This thematic flow explores how the story builds and then complicates the promise of the West as a land of freedom and plenty.

increasing

Bearing strength in each event

decreasing

Pa's Dream of Few Settlers Pa's Dream of Few Settlers from "Little House on the Prairie". Pa's Dream of Few Settlers Scene Pa dreams of a country where the land is flat, the grass is thick, and only Indians live.

Pa's Dream of Few Settlers from "Little House on the Prairie". Pa's Dream of Few Settlers Scene Pa dreams of a country where the land is flat, the grass is thick, and only Indians live.

Pa's Dream of Few Settlers Scene Pa dreams of a country where the land is flat, the grass is thick, and only Indians live. He believes the West offers freedom that Wisconsin has lost. Meaning The dream defines the West as an idea as much as a place. It is a promise of space and wildness. Aftermath The family sells everything and begins the journey, chasing that dream.

The Endless Kansas Grass The Endless Kansas Grass from "Little House on the Prairie". The Endless Kansas Grass Scene Day after day, the wagon rolls through tall grass under a huge sky.

The Endless Kansas Grass from "Little House on the Prairie". The Endless Kansas Grass Scene Day after day, the wagon rolls through tall grass under a huge sky.

The Endless Kansas Grass Scene Day after day, the wagon rolls through tall grass under a huge sky. Laura and Mary see nothing but grass, and Laura becomes restless. Meaning The physical West is overwhelming and monotonous, testing the dream with real distance. The myth of freedom must survive real fatigue. Aftermath The family crosses Kansas into Indian Territory, where the green sea finally ends at a chosen creekside.

We'll Live Like Kings We'll Live Like Kings from "Little House on the Prairie". We'll Live Like Kings Scene Pa shows Ma the seeds and plough and says that when these seeds grow in the rich land, the family will live like kings.

We'll Live Like Kings from "Little House on the Prairie". We'll Live Like Kings Scene Pa shows Ma the seeds and plough and says that when these seeds grow in the rich land, the family will live like kings.

We'll Live Like Kings Scene Pa shows Ma the seeds and plough and says that when these seeds grow in the rich land, the family will live like kings. Ma's eyes shine with the hope of a new dress. Meaning The West is imagined as a place of transformation and abundance. The promise of the land seems close enough to touch. Aftermath The spring planting begins, and the family throws all its hope into the furrows.

Frontier Freedom Turns to Politics

Frontier Freedom Turns to Politics Scene The open West fills with war-cries and camp fires, and then with the news that the government will send soldiers to remove the settlers. Pa's dream collides with Washington's policy. Meaning The myth of a free West is exposed as an arrangement made by governments. The land is not empty or unclaimed; it is contested. Aftermath Pa's anger at the order turns the dream into a forced departure.

The West Beyond the Claim The West Beyond the Claim from "Little House on the Prairie". The West Beyond the Claim Scene Pa says the country is great but wild for many years, and Laura feels excitement inside despite losing the house.

The West Beyond the Claim from "Little House on the Prairie". The West Beyond the Claim Scene Pa says the country is great but wild for many years, and Laura feels excitement inside despite losing the house.

The West Beyond the Claim Scene Pa says the country is great but wild for many years, and Laura feels excitement inside despite losing the house. The wagon becomes the carrier of the western myth once more. Meaning The story refuses to end in defeat; it turns the family's attention to the next horizon. The myth renews itself in movement. Aftermath Laura's closing thought about not knowing what will happen next preserves the West as a promise rather than a memory.

during the long winter evenings in Wisconsin

during the overland crossing

after Pa returns from Independence

when the war-cry crisis and the government order arrive

as the wagon heads away from the little house