By the Shores of Silver Lake

Although the bonds between the Ingalls are tested, the family remains strong and united in the face of adversity. Over the years, they’ve endured many hardships and brushes with death, such as the bout of scarlet fever at the novel’s start. The bonds between the Ingalls gain even greater strength and significance because they repeatedly uproot their lives and start over in unfamiliar environments, linking this theme to another, Adaptation to Change. They depend on one another for everything from survival to entertainment due to the rigors of pioneer life, especially during the winter when they’re isolated from others, and severe weather makes travel impossible. As a result, it’s essential that the family members handle disagreements in a way that preserves harmony among them, as demonstrated in the compromises Ma and Pa reach. Initially resistant to the idea of leaving their Minnesota farm, Ma agrees to go West one last time on the condition that they settle near a town so they can send their daughters to school. Later in the story, Ma resists letting strangers stay in the surveyors’ house but agrees on the condition that their guests pay for meals and lodging. Near the novel’s end, Pa makes a