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The Meaning of Home

Little House on the Prairie

This thematic flow examines how the little house becomes home and how its loss redefines the family's sense of belonging.

increasingupBearing stren­gth in each eventdowndecreasing
Leaving the Wisconsin House BehindLeaving the Wisconsin House Behind from "Little House on the Prairie". Leaving the Wisconsin House Behind Scene The Ingalls family drives away from their little house in Wisconsin, leaving it lonely and empty among the big trees.
Leaving the Wisconsin House Behind Scene The Ingalls family drives away from their little house in Wisconsin, leaving it lonely and empty among the big trees. Laura and Mary look back until the house is gone. Meaning Home is first defined by abandonment. The covered wagon becomes the family's dwelling. Aftermath The memory of that first house fades as the prairie absorbs their attention.
Moving Into the Unfinished HouseMoving Into the Unfinished House from "Little House on the Prairie". Moving Into the Unfinished House Scene Pa says they will move in before the roof and floor are made because wolves are too close.
Moving Into the Unfinished House Scene Pa says they will move in before the roof and floor are made because wolves are too close. The canvas wagon cover blows over the tops of the walls while beds are laid on the ground. Meaning The house is not yet finished, but it is already a shelter. Home begins as an act of protection rather than perfection. Aftermath Laura feels warm and safe inside the thick walls, even as a wolf howls far away.
A House With Door, Floor, and FireplaceA House With Door, Floor, and Fireplace from "Little House on the Prairie". A House With Door, Floor, and Fireplace Scene Pa builds a solid door, a hard wood floor, glass windows, and a stone fireplace.
A House With Door, Floor, and Fireplace Scene Pa builds a solid door, a hard wood floor, glass windows, and a stone fireplace. The family eats a supper cooked inside, and Laura sits up straight at the table. Meaning Home becomes a place of comfort, order, and domestic ceremony. The children are clean and polite, and the house holds them like a second skin. Aftermath Pa plays his fiddle by the open door, and the family listens to the stars.
The House as a Fortress During the CrisisThe House as a Fortress During the Crisis from "Little House on the Prairie". The House as a Fortress During the Crisis Scene The little house locks its doors and windows while war-cries rise and fall outside.
The House as a Fortress During the Crisis Scene The little house locks its doors and windows while war-cries rise and fall outside. Pa stands guard with his gun, Ma sits up in her dress, and the children stay close. Meaning Home is transformed from comfort to fortress. Its walls are the only defense between the family and the wild world. Aftermath When the crisis passes, the house feels safe again, but the memory of being trapped inside it never leaves.
Leaving Home AgainLeaving Home Again from "Little House on the Prairie". Leaving Home Again Scene The wagon pulls away from the little house, and Laura sees it standing alone with the grass waving around it.
Leaving Home Again Scene The wagon pulls away from the little house, and Laura sees it standing alone with the grass waving around it. The house is still a home, but no one lives there. Meaning The story ends where it began: the family leaving a home behind. Home turns out to be portable, carried in the covered wagon. Aftermath Laura's excitement is the final proof that for her, home is the journey itself.
the first morning of the journey
when the walls are up but the roof is still canvas
after Pa finishes the improvements
the war-cry nights, when Pa watches at the window
on departure morning