Little House in the Big Woods

“One night her father picked her up out of bed and carried her to the window so that she might see the wolves. There were two of them sitting in front of the house. They looked like shaggy dogs. They pointed their noses at the big, bright moon, and howled.”

One of the first scenes in the books focuses upon the family’s proximity to wild animals. Laura is scared by their howling, knowing that they would want to eat her, but also fascinated by the wolves that seem to be all around their house. She feels safe because of her father’s presence and that of their dog, Jack, and that makes it possible for her to feel the wonder of seeing the wolves even during a time when it was much more common to encounter them than it is today. This occurrence also helps make a contrast between the unknown outdoors and the coziness and safety of the little house she lives in.

“Onions were made into long ropes, braided together by their tops, and then were hung in the attic beside wreathes of red peppers strung on threads. The pumpkins and the squashes were piled in orange and yellow and green heaps in the attic’s corners. The barrels of salted fish were in the pantry, and yellow cheeses were stacked on the pantry shelves.”

Much of the narrative within this book focuses upon the tenor of life as a homesteader in Wisconsin. This includes the making and storing of food, and descriptions of how the members of the family complete their chores and duties. Winter is coming, and here the author describes how vegetables from the garden are taken into the cellar and stored. Salted fish and cheeses are also stored, and Butchering Time comes along so that they can eat and prepare parts of the pig to last through the season.