Operation of traditional gender roles in 'Little House on the Prairie' - Chapter 5

The westward expansion of the mid 19th century to the opening of the 20th century is very much a unique phenomenon. Not only is it one that provides unparalleled insight into 19th century American society, it is one whose legacy remains an integral element of the American subconscious. Now, I want us to consider the westward expansion in perhaps its simplest form: the continued attempts of American citizens to project their society and culture onto the 'promised land' and new territories of the continent's west. In this definition, the operation of gender roles sits at the foreground of the pioneer experience but largely as a product of the standard conventions of most 19th century Western communities rather than a deviation from them. In brief, the operation of gender roles on the prairie should not be generally considered as an isolated or exceptional affair; they should not, and in most cases can not, be separated from their placement within a wider context of gender experience. Also important to consider at this stage is that the experience of gender is just one of many rigid dichotomies that characterised the pioneer movement, other examples being the East vs West, Civilization vs Wilderness,

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie constitutes a good overview of our theme as her family travel from Wisconsin to the largely unsettled Kansas in 1869. Specifically, I have focused on Chapter 5 - House on the Prairie which, as the title suggests, details the family's arrival at a chosen spot for settlement, and their construction of a log cabin. Here, the concept of gender is largely represented by the relationship between Wilder's parents, known here as 'Ma' and 'Pa' and the different ways in which they work to successfully install themselves on the prairie.

Chapter 5 - House on the Prairie

Laura and Mary were up next morning earlier
than the sun. They ate their breakfast of
cornmeal mush with prairie-hen gravy, and
hurried to help Ma wash the dishes. Pa was
loading everything else into the wagon and hitching up
Pet and Patty.

The opening of the chapter describes the family's morning on the prairie and immediately establishes a functional framework for the operation of gender roles which, as we progress deeper into the chapter, will become increasingly nuanced. Essentially, this paragraph is perhaps best considered as a simple reaffirmation of the gender stereotypes associated with this time period as Ma washes the dishes while Pa loads the wagon and deals with the horses. The physical labour is reserved for the strong male of the group while the domestic chores are delegated to the caring mother. Here, not only does the pioneer experience maintain the traditional balance of gender duties, it seemingly lacks the potential to disrupt such a balance at all, as exemplified through the actions of the children, Laura and Mary. The fact that they 'hurried' to help Ma implies an indefinite continuation of these gender roles, as the children act without hesitation, perhaps having internalised the 19th century experience of gender to a point where it appears natural and eternal.

Pa said, "Whoa!" The wagon
stopped.
"Here we are, Caroline!" he said. "Right here
we'll build our house."

...

a broken line of different greens lay on the prairie, and Pa
said that was the river.
"That's the Verdigris River," he said,
pointing it out to Ma.

After a morning of travel, we gain an insight into elements of patriarchy within the familial structure as Pa commands the family's actions. This too should not come as a surprise when considered within the wider context of 19th century Western society, and confirms the fact thus far, the journey westwards has failed to stimulate any evolution or challenge in the operation of gender roles. While there is no menace in Pa's tone, his control of the family is characteristic of his dominance in a way that reinforces traditional gender stereotypes. Furthermore, upon pointing out the Verdigris river to Ma, it seems implied that Ma would not or could not have known this fact otherwise, suggesting that, as we might expect, knowledge of the land is the domain of the male.

The patriarchal system of the westward migration is not only portrayed here in fiction, but has long been a focus for historians in their evaluation and analysis. Lillian Schlissel, Historian and professor of Brooklyn College writes of the "westward migration as a masculine enterprise" wherein "the determination of women's lives, - when to start, when to stop, which trail to follow - was taken from them". Evidently, this perfectly mirrors the passage above from Little House on the Prairie and reinforces our view of the pioneer family as a patriarchal one that reinforces the traditional operation of gender roles. However, Schlissel's last statement relies on the idea that, wagon trains and log cabins aside, women in most 19th century American communities did have determination over their own lives. Contrary to Schlissel's assumption, our general understanding of 19th century Western society is, as summed up in Rodney Carlisle's Handbook to American Life that women "were still largely considered inferior to men and expected to obey their husbands' wishes in a male-dominated society". Consequently, we must return to one of our starting points in this analysis: that the westward journey is largely a continuation of established gender roles rather than a change to them. 

Right away, he and Ma began to unload the
wagon.

Nonetheless, there is some shared duty between the couple, gradually introducing the idea that the demands of the journey and the prairie are such that combined efforts are required, wherein traditional representations of gender may prove insufficient.

Pa took a bucket and his ax, and
sitting on this skeleton wagon, he drove
away. He drove right down into the prairie, out
of sight.

...

It was strange and frightening to be left without the
wagon on the High Prairie. The land and the sky
seemed too large, and Laura felt small. 

Immediately after unloading the wagon, Pa goes to gather logs with which to build their cabin. Surviving for the first time without the family's male member and all of his associated knowledge and assets, we gain an opportunity to see the Wilder family without a male influence, relying only on what so far have been their traditionally female characteristics. If there was ever an opportunity to create a strong feminist narrative in Little House on the Prairie, then this was surely it, when Ma, Laura, Mary and Carrie have the opportunity to thrive without Pa in defiance of 19th century gender archetypes. Instead, their reaction to Pa's absence is telling in itself, with the narrator stating that the experience was 'strange and frightening'. Specifically, it is the prairie that creates fear, as 'The land and the sky seemed too large', perhaps demonstrating that the sphere's normally controlled or understood by Pa constitute a source of fear without his protection. However, it is actually whether it is the absence of Pa, or the absence of the wagon that is the source of this anxiety - as it is the wagon that is mentioned expressly. Perhaps the wagon acted as a kind of motif or metaphor for their journey westwards and so, upon its disappearance, there is this uneasy sense that the journey has ended with renewed apprehension for the stages of settlement to follow.

First Laura and Ma made the beds, under the
wagon-cover tent. Then Ma arranged the boxes
and bundles, while Laura pulled all the
grass from a space in front of the tent. That
made a bare place for the fire. They couldn't
start the fire until Pa brought wood.  

While Pa is gone, the group proceed with a series of domestic (and therefore traditionally feminine) chores, the completion of which is abruptly halted as 'They couldn't start the fire until Pa brought wood'. This sentence is particularly interesting and further reinforces the patriarchal structure of the Wilder family, effectively demonstrating the feminine's innate dependence on the masculine for something as basic as survival, even in 1869. Despite the relatively recent time-frame, the absence of a male figure reduces the family to the realm of the prehistoric, where they seem primitive in their inability to create fire.

Laura explored a
little. She did not go far from the tent. But
she found a queer little kind of tunnel in the
grass.

...

 Laura went along it a little way. She went slowly, and more slowly, and then she stood still and
felt queer. So she turned around and came back
quickly. When she looked over her shoulder, there
wasn't anything there. But she hurried.

...

When Pa came riding back on a load of logs, Laura told him about that path. He said
he had seen it yesterday. "It's some old
trail," he said.

These passages represent a relatively minor incident wherein Laura discovers a trail and explores it before becoming scared and turning back. She tells her father about it who 'had seen it yesterday' and dismisses it as 'some old trail'. While this exchange does little to nuance our analysis of gender experience, it is nonetheless interesting to note Pa's response. As the family's strong male, he was already aware of the path and has determined that it is not a threat, fulfilling his archetypal role as the family's protector and further reinforcing the already well-established traditional conventions of gender within the Wilder family.

Pa began the house first.

...

Next day Pa began the walls.

...

All by himself, he built the house three logs
high. Then Ma helped him. Pa lifted one end
of a log onto the wall, then Ma held it while
he lifted the other end. He stood up on the
wall to cut the notches, and Ma helped roll and
hold the log while he settled it where it should be
to make the corner perfectly square.
So, log by log, they built the walls higher, 

...

Suddenly she heard
Pa shout, "Let go! Get out from under!"
The big, heavy log was sliding. Pa was trying
to hold up his end of it, to keep it from falling on
Ma. He couldn't. It crashed down. Ma
huddled on the ground.  

After having returned with the logs, Pa begins to construct the family's log cabin with a notable tone of admiration and praise in the narration, as exemplified through the repeated use of his name and the phrase 'All by himself' highlighting his prowess and male qualities. He is then, however, helped by Ma, unable to continue the work individually, recalling the point made earlier about the requirements for success on the prairie transcending the traditional borders between the functions of the male and female. Overall, the emphasis here is on the male's strength, while Ma takes on a supporting role, both literally and metaphorically as the need for shelter places on Ma a duty to physical labour she would not normally have. Consequently, it is perhaps implied through the narration that she is not fully trusted in this new role, or struggles to fulfill the role effectively. At this stage, we could conclude that the demands of westward expansion encourages a progressive attitude towards gender roles; an attitude to which the Wilder family struggle to adapt due to their strict adherence to traditional gender roles.

However, such a conclusion is considerably challenged when a log slides and injures Ma. Pa attempts to rescue Ma, both verbally and physically by 'trying to hold up his end' of the log but 'He couldn't' and the log falls. Pa's failure to be strong and hold the log could be seen to represent a failure on his part to utilise his traditionally male qualities -  a failure which impacts only the female. This might be read in two ways. First, that the male's failure of masculinity damages the female, so must imply that she is inferior and is dependent on the male to succeed in his role in order for herself to be safe. Second, that as the male has failed in his socially pre-determined role as a traditional male, this role must be flawed in its design - in other words, men and women are not intended to conform to such conventional divisions of labour, particularly on the Prairie which may represent progression.

Not yet mentioned is the voice of nature, fate or what might otherwise be phrased as a kind of 'divine intervention'. It is entirely possible that in becoming injured during physical labour, Ma is being chastised for challenging the gender roles to which she is traditionally confined in 19th century society. In this view, not even the westward expansion is fit for any kind of social progression, as Ma is swiftly restored from being briefly empowered in her participation in labour to being incapacitated and dependent upon Pa who tries to heal her as best he can.

Ma moved her
arms and turned her head. "Thank God," Pa said. He helped Ma
to sit up.

...

He helped Ma to the tent. He built up the
fire and heated water. 

In his reaction her injury, Pa seems sincere and endearing in his care for her. I have highlighted these passages specifically as they seem to reveal a maternal instinct in Pa, the presence of which is arguably surprising and certainly worthy of note in a discussion of gender. It is through his acknowledgement of his own feminine qualities (or what would traditionally be considered feminine) that he is able to heal Ma, perhaps advocating the rejection of traditional gender roles. A more sceptical reading however might revert to the argument of dependence as yet again, Ma is seen to be dependent on Pa for her own well-being and safety on the prairie.

The house must wait.

After her injury, Ma is unable to help build the cabin and Pa, without her help, cannot continue alone, as exemplified in this short sentence. Especially interesting is the way in which this sentence perfectly mirrors an earlier occurrence in this chapter when Ma had to wait for Pa to start a fire. Here, the roles are reversed and it is now Pa who is dependent on Ma, even though the dependence in question relates to manual construction - a field traditionally considered the domain of the male. We might then assume that the prairie has facilitated a kind of equality between Ma and Pa wherein both are dependent on the other - thus defying the standard conventions of 19th century society which would dictate that the male is a superior being. Throughout the entire chapter, this really is the first sign of resistance against the operation of traditional gender roles. Here, we are provided with an alternative view wherein both gender's hold equal importance and that success as a pioneer requires the subversion of archetypal gender roles.

They had a neighbor, only two miles
away on the other side of the creek. Pa had
met him in the woods. They were going to trade work
and that would make it easier for everyone.
"He's a bachelor," said Pa,

...

So he's going to help

They need not wait any longer for the house, and
Ma need not do any more work on it.

"How do you like that, Caroline?" Pa asked,
joyfully; and Ma said, "That's good, Charles.
I'm glad."  

Early next morning Mr. Edwards came.
He was lean and tall and brown. 

...

he told Laura that he was a wildcat from
Tennessee. He wore tall boots and a ragged
jumper, and a coonskin cap, and he could spit
tobacco juice farther than Laura had ever
imagined that anyone could spit tobacco juice.

...

 He was a fast worker

Inconvenienced by Ma's injury, Pa finds a replacement for her in Mr. Edwards, a neighbour who lives two miles away. Despite the previous passages representing some progression away from traditional gender roles, Mr. Edward's appearance marks a stark return to the kind of gender conventions that characterised the first portion of this chapter. The particular wording of 'They need not wait any longer for the house, and Ma need not do any more work on it' implies that Ma's participation was a hindrance, and that, with the discovery of Mr. Edwards, she no longer needs to be forced into a masculine role, as though this was some terrible curse that violated her true feminine character. When approached with the proposal that Mr. Edwards replace her as a labour force, Ma gladly relinquishes her newfound masculine duties, further destroying the progress made against traditional gender roles earlier in the chapter. This is yet another example of the fact that, whenever instances of patriarchy or simple sexism arrive in the narrative, Ma's reaction is consistently passive and in acknowledgement (or in this case gratitude) of the status-quo. Professor of American literature Brigitte Georgi-Findlay seems to reinforce this concept, stating that "The more I read [of women's pioneer diaries] the more complicit these women appear". This conclusion adds value and validity to Wilder's depiction of Ma who it seems does not assume the role of the victim, but rather someone who is glad of her traditional place in this social hierarchy, perhaps challenging our modern perception of repressed pioneer women as perpetual victims.

Further reinforcing this is the fact that Mr. Edwards is the epitome of the masculine; the quintessential frontiersman, 'lean and tall and brown', 'a fast worker' with 'tall boots', a self-appointed 'wildcat'. Arguably, this is the most significant affirmation of 19th century gender stereotypes seen in the chapter so far. Through Mr. Edwards timely appearance as the ultimate male figure, the evident implication is that the female was incapable and so it was necessary for a male to take her place in finishing the house.

Ma had
cooked an especially good supper because they had
company.

...

 Then Pa brought out his fiddle.

 ...

Mr. Edwards said he must go 

...

He said a
bachelor got mighty lonesome, and he surely
had enjoyed this evening of home life. 

Upon completing the hut, the Wilder family celebrate with Mr. Edwards. By this stage in the chapter, it seems that the return to conventional gender stereotypes of the time period is complete, with Ma cooking and Pa having finished the house in camaraderie with Mr. Edwards. Consequently, although their successful establishment on the prairie relied upon simultaneous adherence to and disregard of 19th century gender stereotypes, the celebration of their achievement that night, is based entirely on the former of these.

When he must leave, Mr. Edwards admits that life as a bachelor is 'mighty lonesome', suggesting that, while exclusively masculine characteristics may prove necessary in terms of survival and success on the prairie, without a feminine influence, that success is flawed and lacking in contentment and happiness. This shows then that the female and male are equally important which, on one level, challenges gender perceptions of the time which categorically held the male as a superior. However, on another level, the statement represents yet another reaffirmation of traditional gender conventions as it is implied that the female is responsible for happiness and 'home life' while the male is suited to physical labour and survival. Adding an interesting facet to this argument is Brown University Professor Howard Chudacoff, who writes that "the concepts of bachelorhood and individualism glide together almost naturally", with individualism being another key characteristic associated with the western expansion. According to this view and Wilder's presentation of Mr. Edwards as a savior for her family, the natural conclusion to make is that traditional gender roles, specifically the application of archetypal masculinity is ideal, if not necessary for a successful journey to the West.

Then from the woods by the creek a
nightingale began to sing.

...

The song ended. No one moved or spoke. Laura and Mary were quiet, Pa and Ma sat
motionless. Only the wind stirred and the grasses
sighed. Then Pa lifted the fiddle to his shoulder
and softly touched the bow to the strings. A few
notes fell like clear drops of water into the
stillness. A pause, and Pa began to play the
nightingale's song. The nightingale answered
him. The nightingale began to sing again. It was singing
with Pa's fiddle.  

When the strings were silent, the nightingale went
on singing. When it paused, the fiddle called to it
and it sang again. The bird and the fiddle were talking
to each other in the cool night under the moon.

These passages comprise the Chapter's conclusion, and they describe an encounter between Pa and a Nightingale, where the two seem to find a form of conversation through music. There are multiple ways of evaluating this passage, not all of which are mutually exclusive. Perhaps the most obvious response is to view this passage as an illustration of Pa's affinity with nature. This is because, through his fiddle, he is granted a kind of special relationship with nature, arguably representing his successful arrival in the wilderness of the Prairie. We might also view it as a metaphor for the westward expansion in its entirety as he is able to tame nature and impose his own culture on what was previously completely wild and savage. Overall, there is a definite harmony to this scene, with his notes like 'clear drops of water' maybe representing the new life he brings to this territory. However, Ma, Laura, Mary and Carrie are not engaged with Pa's music as they had been earlier in the presence of Mr. Edwards, laughing and clapping along. It is likely that this is only indicative of the serenity of the scene and the late hour, but it is nonetheless not impossible that the family's separation from Pa's conversation with the nightingale may represent how Pa's affinity with nature is male-exclusive, as would be consistent with earlier occurrences in the Chapter.

In summary, the prairie and the condition of travel towards the West in itself constitutes an extreme challenge to what we might describe as the normal social order of 19th century American society. However, in light of the evidence provided in Chapter 5 of Wilder's Little House on the Prairie, the impact of this migration on the operation of traditional gender roles within the family dynamic is minimal at best. The Chapter begins with simplistic reiterations of traditional gender stereotypes before challenging them through the building of the hut wherein traditional gender roles are rejected in order for success on the Prairie. At first, this constitutes an interesting disruption of traditional gender roles as the Prairie and demands of the pioneer lifestyle act as a catalyst for the subversion of these roles, not necessarily by choice, but rather through necessity. For a time, it seems we are headed for a conclusion wherein the moral lesson is that we should not be confined to our pre-determined social roles and that success as a pioneer in the American West requires progressive methods of thinking to refashion this new territory into a kind of utopia. However, as we delve deeper into the chapter, the likelihood of this outcome becomes increasingly faint, beginning with Ma's injury as she attempts to break out of her traditional social role as the mother. Her ultra-masculine replacement simply reinforces this allegory and confirms the fact that success as a pioneer is to some degree dependent on the fulfillment of customary gender roles. Not only then is the West an environment where traditional gender roles are maintained, but perhaps an environment where they become even more rigid and fixed compared to other communities which may have shown some signs of progression. This idea is well-described by critic Elizabeth Jameson who states simply that, in pioneer families, "work was divided [...] along gender lines" and while "the ideals [of the West as a liberating environment] were expressed by some Western women, the roles it prescribed were attainable only by leisure-class urban women".  Nonetheless, there is evidence in Little House on the Prairie to suggest a potential for the successful subversion of traditional gender roles. This may hint that in the future stages of the settlement of the West, traditional gender roles will become unnecessary, or even unhelpful when it comes to creating an ideal community. This idea is also acknowledged by Jameson who concedes that "the spheres, if separate, were permeable [...] Men could and did [...] care for the sick [...] Women could and did plow". Overall, While Wilder does take some opportunities to challenge gender stereotypes, the reaction is negative and it seems that overall, the pioneer experience is one that relies on the operation of traditional gender roles, with any deviation from these being considered a hindrance or threat to success.

Bibliography

Primary Source

Wilder, Laura Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie (Chapter 5), New York and London, Harper & brothers, 1935. 

Secondary sources

Carlisle, Rodney P. Handbook to American Life, Volume 3, New York: Infobase Publishing, 2009. 

Chudacoff, Howard P. The Age of the Bachelor: creating an American subculture, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.

Georgi-Findlay, Brigitte, The Frontiers of Women's writing: Women's narratives and the rhetoric of Westward Expansion, Tuscon: University of Arizona Press, 1996.

Jameson, Elizabeth, "Women as Workers, Women as Civilizers: True Womanhood in the American West" Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies vol. 7, no. 3 (1984): pp. 3.

Schlissel, Lillian, "women's diaries on the western frontier" American Studies vol. 18, no. 1 (1977): pp. 88.