Laura Ingalls Wilder:

A Literary Biography

Elizabeth Klug

English 501

Summer 2003

Americans have always had a love for the ìlittleî people who rise to greatness.Ý I suppose this tendency is inherent in capitalist nations; the old ìrags to richesî tale perpetuates the belief that ìif he can do itóI can too.îÝ One of Americaís most celebrated presidents was one such character.Ý The tale of ìHonest Abeî growing up in his small log cabin has long been an American favorite.Ý During the Depression, Americans cherished ìunderdogî characters even more.Ý America could identify with lowly characters that worked hard to get ahead.Ý Publishers were looking for a ìmiracle bookî that out-of-work Americans could relate to (Piehl 355).Ý Perhaps it was this need that allowed Laura Ingalls Wilder, an ordinary farmerís wife, to become a successful childrenís author.Ý

Prior to attempting to write books, her only professional writing had been ìÖjournalism work for the Missouri RuralistÖî (Miller 4-5). ÝHer first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 and ìwas chosen as a Junior Literary Guild selectionî even before it was printed (Spaeth 8).Ý This book, ìan immediate success,î became the starting book for an eight book series based on experiences from Wilderís own childhood (Spaeth 8).Ý The remaining books, published between 1933 and 1943, ìÖwere so popular that honors were heaped upon themÖî and Wilder (Spaeth 9).Ý She received five Newbery Honor Books, the Pacific Northwest Library Young Readerís Choice Award, the New York Herald Tribune Book World Childrenís Spring Book Festival Award, and The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award (an award first granted to her and then established in her name).

Although the subject of her books combined with the timing of publication did play a major role in their immediate success, those factors do not explain why the books remained popular.Ý According to John E. Miller, Wilder ìÖenthusiasts todayóboth young and oldócontinue to rereadÖî because of the skill of the author ìwho rendered stories so beautifully and evocativelyî (2).Ý Despite the evidence left in her books as a testimony to her skill, it does seem rather unusual for an author to emerge ìfrom the relative obscurity of a Missouri farm with a fully developed talent for writingî (Spaeth preface). Miller states that, ìSome people consider it a kind of miracle that this ëuntutored geniusí suddenly became an accomplished writer with no apparent previous experienceî (2).Ý How did this woman of humble beginnings evolve into the famous Laura Ingalls Wilder?

To answer such a question about an author, much background information is needed.Ý Fortunately, Wilder herself provides a great portion of this information.Ý Her books, although fiction, are based on the facts of her own childhood experience (Miller 3).Ý Wilder, born in the deep woods of Wisconsin in 1867, uses her very early childhood experiences as the material for Little House in the Big Woods.ÝÝ Since Wilder learned to help with normal household chores during this point in her life, she includes detailed descriptions of ìsuch processes as smoking meat, gathering provisions, making bullets, churning, making cheese, harvesting grain, and cooking maple syrupî (Piehl 355).Ý It is in this first book that Wilderís distinct style begins to emerge.Ý Drawing from memories of her unique pioneer experience, she includes beautiful descriptions of everyday activities that seem foreign to modern readers.Ý When describing her ìBig Woodsî home Wilder writes: ìAll around the house was a crooked rail fence, to keep the bears and deer awayî (4).Ý Such descriptions help transport readers who are unused to worrying about wildlife into the world of the story.

During Lauraís childhood ìÖthe Ingalls familyÖbounced around from Wisconsin to Indian Territory, back to Wisconsin, out to Minnesota and back to Iowa, once more to Minnesota, and Öall the way to Dakota Territoryî (Miller 44).Ý Wilderís 3^rd book, Little House on the Prairie, includes the story of the first of these journeys by covered wagon.Ý Certainly, her descriptive style and interesting biographical history are important in this book, but a new factor in her writing begins to emerge, setting her further apart as an outstanding author.Ý In this book Wilder focuses more on the characters of Ma and Pa, including details about their fears, likes, and dislikes (Piehl 358).Ý During one scene, two Native Americans come into the cabin when Ma is alone and take several of the family belongings.Ý When recounting the story to Pa, Ma exclaims, ìOh Charles! I was afraidî(143).Ý In this way Wilder begins to show greater depth of character in Lauraís parents, as well as Lauraís recognition of these feelings in her parents.Ý This creates a more complex relationship between the characters in the book.

As Laura the character develops in the series, so too does Wilder the author.Ý Characters are added to the storyline as further books are written; details are added that deepen existing characters.Ý In On the Banks of Plum Creek, the character Laura is able to attend school for the first time.Ý Although ìÖboth her parentsÖwere interested in obtaining a good education for Laura and her sistersî the unsettled West did not offer many educational opportunities (Miller 29).Ý Lauraís first school experience shapes her future as an author in two ways.Ý First, Wilder receives her first formal training in reading and writing.Ý Second, Wilder uses the character Laura to show the first instance that her leadership qualities begin to emerge.Ý In the book, school-bully Nellie makes all the girls play ìring-around-a-rosyî until Laura stands up to her, winning the admiration and support of her classmates (157).

In By the Shores of Silver Lake (her 5^th book), Wilder reveals a new maturity in Laura.Ý After her sister Mary is left blind from a bout with Scarlet fever, Laura becomes ìMaryís surrogate eyesî (Miller 43).Ý Biographically, the experience of constantly describing places and events gave Wilder, the author, a sharp eye for detail, something that surely aided her in developing her detailed style.Ý Yet, Wilder also uses Lauraís descriptions as a literary tactic.Ý Several times through the rest of the series she uses the description Laura gives Mary to convey that same thing to the reader.Ý In These Happy Golden Years Laura describes a sunset to Mary: ìThe sun was sinking now and she told how its glory of crimson and gold flamed upon the sky and faded to rose and grayî (264).Ý Mary tells Laura, ìI never see things so well with anyone elseî (262).Ý Perhaps the reader could say the same.

ÝThe progression in the books left us by Wilder create a path that, depending on interpretation, can lead the careful reader in one of several directions.Ý To the young reader, Wilderís books may be wonderful stories that weave together to create a forgotten world.Ý A reader interested in biography can use the series to pick out the defining moments in Wilderís life.Ý The books can also be read just for their literary value; the reader may focus on analyzing Wilderís style, depth, or impact.Ý So, what does this information say about a simple, farmwoman who became a famous author overnight?

Perhaps, it must first be said that, based upon the biographical information in the series, it seems that this farmwoman is not simple at all.Ý Rather, she is a brave, intelligent woman who had a plan for what she wanted to accomplish.Ý It must be noted that ìÖto begin writing her story at age 62 must have beenóat the very leastóextremely difficultî (Wolf xi).Ý Secondly, based on the detailed style she chose to write with, it seems clear that Wilder ìÖ knew that she was writing about a lost way of life and wanted to offer her experienceóthe pioneer experience of this countryóto childrenî (Wolf x).Ý Yet all this simply reveals misconceptions about Wilder prior to her grand entrance into the literary community.Ý What was the final factor that allowed this talented author a place in history?

This factor, put simply, is Laura.Ý It is she whom children fall in love with as they read Little House in the Big Woods.Ý It is because of Laura, that the ìstories have been translated into more than twenty languagesî (Piehl 366).Ý Wilderís own life-learned ìÖwisdom and serenity arise from Lauraís basic trust in lifeÖ.îÝ Wilder ìnever lies about the existence of fear, suffering, and loss, butÖshows us that there are also peace, beauty, and loveî (Wolf x).Ý In essence, Wilderís spirit has been so captured in Laura that readers are drawn to her as people were drawn to Wilder during her lifetime.Ý So, Wilder lives on, both because she wrote well and because of whom she was.

References

Miller, John E. Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend. Columbia: University of Missouri, 1998.

Piehl, Kathy. ìLaura Ingalls Wilder.î Dictionary of Literary Biography: American Writers for Children 1900-1960. Vol. 22. Ed. Cech, John. Detroit: Gale, 1983. 351-366.

Spaeth, Janet. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Boston: Twayne, 1987.

Wilder, Laura Ingalls. By the Shores of Silver Lake. New York: Harper & Row, 1939.

---. Little House in the Big Woods. New York: Harper & Row, 1932.

---. Little House on the Prairie. New York: HarperCollins, 1935.

---. Little Town on the Prairie. New York: Harper & Row, 1941.

---. On the Banks of Plum Creek. New York: Harper & Row, 1937.

---. These Happy Golden Years. New York: Harper & Row, 1943.

---. The Long Winter. New York: Harper & Row, 1940.

Wolf, Virginia L. Little House on the Prairie: A Readerís Companion. New York: Twayne, 1996.