Bound For Oregon

Oregon is symbolic of newness and possibility. For months before the Todd family decides to move west, Mary Ellen Todd’s community has been talking about “the wonders of this western paradise” (1). Oregon is fabled to have rich soil, beautiful, lush forests, and a temperate climate. The territory is also believed to be 640 “acres of the best farmland in the world” (1). Many of the settlers who dream of going to Oregon even share mythical stories about the place and all of its environmental riches. The setting therefore offers pioneers like the Todds the possibility of a new and better life. Despite all “the difficulties of the journey” out to Oregon, Abbott Todd is confident that overcoming these dangers will grant them a more beautiful and sustainable future (3). The place retains these symbolic qualities throughout the Todd family’s venture from Arkansas out west. They do not give up on their goal of reaching Oregon despite The Challenges of Migration because Oregon represents the proverbial American Dream. Oregon’s almost fantastical qualities also bolster the characters’ spirits and help them maintain hope along the Oregon Trail.