Little House on the Prairie

Laura, the protagonist of this book and the whole Little House series, is exuberant, impulsive, energetic, and curious. Her tendencies are to express her feelings verbally or non-verbally, act before thinking, be physically active, and question authority. An overarching pattern emerges in the Little House books, as a whole, as Laura grows up and eventually becomes more reconciled to societal norms this volume portrays her at a young age and therefore at the beginning of this process. Ma often chastises Laura for behavior that goes against the prevailing cultural ideals of meekness, selflessness, and restraint, which causes Laura to silently chafe under these expectations: “Then Ma said, ‘Laura.’ That was all, but it meant that Laura must not complain. So she did not complain any more out loud, but she was still naughty, inside. She sat and thought complaints to herself” (15).

In this book, Laura is a young child and depends heavily on her parents, particularly Pa, for feelings of comfort, security, and reassurance. She is more curious than her sister Mary about the nearby Native Americans, expressing a desire to see a “papoose,” and asking questions about the natives at various points in the story.