By the Shores of Silver Lake

In the novel’s third section, winter brings changes for the Ingalls, from a new temporary residence to the discovery of a permanent homestead. The theme of Adaptation to Change advances as the family must find a way to survive the cold winter months. At first, it seems as though they will be forced to retreat eastward until spring, which would undo all of their hard work up to this point in the novel and drastically reduce their chances of claiming a homestead near the lake. As a result, the Ingalls welcome the opportunity to stay at the surveyors’ house despite the dangers and isolation this decision brings. Chapter 13 also contributes to the novel’s character development. The chapter’s events shine a light on Pa’s sense of fairness. For example, he maintains that Uncle Hi did not steal anything: “The company cheated him [at his previous camp], and he’s got even here. That’s all there is to it” (131). Pa also acts on his sense of justice when he helps Mr. Boast acquire the agreed-upon payment for his horses. In the novel’s next section, both Mr. Boast and his new wife become important characters.

In Chapter 14, Laura explores a new setting that becomes the Ingalls’ home for 13 chapters. To the young protagonist, the surveyors’ house is the height of luxury: “It was fine to be eating in such a large place, with a board floor, and the glass windows glittering black against the night outside” (146). The house represents a positive change in the Ingalls’ fortunes because they can stay there without paying for food or lodging. Pa’s fiddle is mentioned for the first time in Chapter 14. Music serves as a motif for the theme of The Strength of Family Bonds. Pa’s playing and the family’s singing emphasize their joy and togetherness on their first night in the surveyors’ house. The wolf’s howl causes an abrupt mood shift from merriment to fright, foreshadowing the wolf’s appearance in Chapter 17. Chapter 15 expands on this ominous foreshadowing by emphasizing the Ingalls’ isolation. Their nearest neighbor retreats, and enormous wolves circle the stable at night. In the morning, Pa notes that the tracks belong to buffalo wolves, “the largest wolves on the prairie and very fierce” (153).

Another consequence of the Ingalls’ isolation is that they must find ways to entertain themselves and one another because they’re the only people around for 40 miles. Thus, their adjustment to their new home develops the themes of The Strength of Family Bonds and Adaptation to Change, as the story shows how they while away the pleasant winter days while adapting to a new isolated location. In Chapter 15, Pa teaches Laura how to dance because she’s “growing up now” (156). This demonstrates that some of the changes associated with The Transition From Childhood to Adolescence are light and pleasant rather than the added hard work and weighty responsibilities she shoulders. In Chapter 16, Wilder paints a joyful and cozy picture of the Ingalls family bonding. Like Laura, Mary is a storyteller who uses this skill to care for her youngest sibling. Mary is also a skilled seamstress, which shows Mary’s Adaptation to Change. She can sew longer and more beautifully than Laura: “I can sew when you can’t see to, because I see with my fingers” (159). Wilder’s descriptions of Mary’s activities make Laura’s admiration for her older sister apparent. Laura also bonds with her father by playing checkers on their newly constructed board and with Carrie by gliding on the frozen lake. The latter activity has important implications for this section’s ending.

The suspense soars in Chapter 17 when Laura and Carrie come face to face with a wolf. Despite the peril for the characters, the scene has a majestic, almost mystical beauty: “Laura’s heart swelled. She felt herself a part of the wide land, of the far deep sky and the brilliant moonlight. She wanted to fly” (165). The protagonist’s connection with and awe toward nature extends to the wolf: “And there, dark against the moonlight, stood a great wolf! He was looking toward her. The wind stirred his fur and the moonlight seemed to run in and out of it” (166). Laura seems to have a shared understanding with the wolf, and she urges Pa not to harm the animal because it didn’t hurt her or her sister. Indeed, if anything had happened to Carrie, Laura believes the blame should fall on her rather than the wolf. This sense of responsibility connects to the familial bonds between the characters and the theme of The Transition From Childhood to Adolescence.

The wolf’s appearance turns out to be fortuitous for the characters. Pa doubts that he would have found the perfect piece of land for their homestead if he hadn’t been tracking the animals. The buffalo wolves’ adds a natural element to the theme of Adaptation to Change because they are forced from their habitat by human activity: “Buffalo wolves were all over this country once, but there’s not many left now, even around here. The railroads and settlements kept driving them farther west” (172). The movement of the wolves shows that the changes unfolding across the prairie benefit some but come at a steep cost to those who cannot adapt. Ironically, the wolves help a family of humans find a home at the same time that they are losing their own. Although the Ingalls have chosen a homestead, many challenges lie ahead before they can reach this new home.