Hardships faced by the Ingalls family

Hardships faced by the Ingalls family

The Ingalls family faced many hardships which were documented in little house on the prairie. From illness, to issues with the federal government, many obstacles were in the way of the Ingalls family’s American dream. Although the author of the novel, Laura Ingalls Wilder, was only a very small child at the time the book is set and she changed some facts to sell the book better, most of the events were either her own memories or memories and tales passed down by members of the family who were old enough to recount what happened in Kansas.

The start of the novel depicts the dangerous journey west across the frozen Mississippi and into the prairies of Kansas. On this journey, you begin to see the struggles the family will face throughout the book. The first major problem faced is the crossing of a creek, which does not seem to be much of a problem until their dog, Jack, is washed away and presumed to be dead. This highlights dangers to the family which may not have been obvious at first. It also shows that small actions could have major consequences, including the death of a family member.

When Jack, the dog, returns to the family it brings up another hardship faced by the Ingalls family which is a theme throughout the novel. The fact that Pa reaches for his gun, assuming the dog to be a dangerous animal such as a wolf or coyote proves that they are always in danger from the wildlife surrounding them. Further on in the book this issue is touched upon once more, when the family has to stay in the house and keep watch all night long after a pack of fifty wolves has surrounded them. Wolves in America were abundant at this time and historically their territory spanned nearly the whole country. Wolves were not the only wildlife that threatened the family though, Eastern Cougars (which are extinct as of 2011) were also a threat to safety. This was not just an issue for the white settlers though as shown in the novel when Pa goes out to kill the Cougar because it threatens the safety of the family and a native American man tells him through sign language that he has already killed it. This shows a link between the settlers and the Osage through threats to both their safety.

A major problem for families looking to settle in new lands was trying to find somewhere they could actually sustain themselves, with fresh water and sources and food for example. Pioneer America was a dangerous place, with harsh weather, deadly wildlife and little law enforcement. Cooperation with other settlers was necessary for survival in these conditions and luckily the Ingalls neighbours were helpful.

A large problem for the family was Native Americans. Their house was built in Osage territory and the family had several encounters with them. The first major encounter was when two Osage Indian men approached the house whilst Pa was off hunting, ate the family’s cornbread and took his tobacco. This event conveys a sense of vulnerability, making the family seem as though they are at the whim of the ‘Indians’.

The Ingalls unknowingly settled their house on Osage Land and towards the end of the novel there is a feeling of uneasiness towards the native Americans. This comes about when the Indians start using the trail past the house more and more, frequently stopping at the house for food and tobacco. Some in the community become suspicious when there is a raging prairie fire and put it down to the Native Americans who are gathering for a buffalo hunt nearby. Although pa dismisses this saying they are peaceful, you can see how tensions between settlers and the Osage could have reached breaking point. The general sense of discontent towards the Indians led to paranoia and the Ingalls were lucky that there was no violence on either side which could escalate. There is one point in the novel where several tribes have arrived near their house and are fighting nearby which leads to some of the Native Americans arguing that they should kill the settlers. This not only highlights the danger of living as the Ingalls did, but paints a brutal picture of the fates that some settlers and Native americans must have had. For this reason i feel like this is one of the most significant chapters which references the Hardships faced by settlers such as the Ingalls. The Native Americans were by far the most dangerous thing faced by the family in my opinion and this chapter perfectly encapsulates this through not only the paranoia the settlers had but also giving insight into the Native Americans opinions towards the settlers and the Ingalls. 

People of this time period, especially in Kansas, would not have had as good a grasp on medicine and what caused sickness as we do today. This is captured perfectly by the character Mrs Scott, who believed malaria was caused by eating “watermelon”. Because of little understanding of health issues at this time, sickness was also a major hardship for the family. Ma and Pa catch malaria, and are very ill. If either one of them had died from the illness the family may not have survived. This is especially true for Pa who was the main provider of food for the family.

Everyday there were circumstances which could have become deadly for the family. A good example of this is when the well is being dug by Pa and the family’s neighbour, Mr Scott. Mr Scott says that the well if fine to dig in, even though he hasn’t sent a candle down to check for poisonous gas. Because he hasn’t checked he does not realise that the well is actually full of gas and passes out at the bottom of it. Luckily, he is saved by Pa who was on hand at the time but this shows just how easily a small mistake or trying to cut corners in an environment like this could lead to tragedy. Another example of everyday danger is seen later on in the book when the chimney catches on fire. Had this fire become out of control then the house would have burned down and the family would most likely have died. Life on the prairie was hard and you had to be on constant alert to survive as one little mistake could mean the end for you and your family.

Towards the end of the book it becomes clear that the government is not happy with pioneers settling in Kansas at this point in time. Pa gets word across that the family will be evicted from the land when the army comes, so they decide to leave on their own terms rather than face the army. The government at this time was seen as a hindrance to many settlers who disagreed with the rolling out of the state and growth in federal power. Between the self-governing Osage Indians and the rising pressure from Washington, the Ingalls really had no say in whether or not they could stay in their homestead.  

Although it seems like life was terrible for the Ingalls Family in the novel, I believe that they would have been content with the lifestyle they led, it wasn’t just their family who faced hardships at this time, many settlers would have had worse experiences than they did. The sense of optimism is apparent in the book, demonstrated perfectly by the quote from the book “There's no great loss without some small gain.”. This kind of attitude is what pushed people to make it work for them out in the middle of nowhere.