Farm Boy (Up and Down)

Author: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: There is an elderly woman who began writing novels at the age of sixty-five and continued until she was seventy-five, writing a total of nine books. She did not have a high level of education or rigorous writing training. These nine novels did not feature suspenseful or intricate plots, nor were they adorned with elegant prose. However, the nine books written by this elderly woman have become classic masterpieces of world children's literature. In all parts of the world, countless children have been nourished by love and gained the courage to face the future after reading this series. For many children, this series has even become an indispensable guide and encouragement during their growth. This series, the "Little House" series of novels, is the work of this lovely elderly woman—Laura Ingalls Wilder. Laura was born in Wisconsin, the central part of the United States. At that time, the American Civil War had just ended, and a wave of westward expansion was sweeping across the country. Laura began moving with her parents at the age of two. Before she turned thirteen, she had been to the vast forests of Wisconsin, the Great Plains of Kansas, the banks of the Maquoketa River in Warner Forest, Minnesota, the town of Pepin in Iowa, and the Territory of Dakota. They had lived in log cabins and also in dugouts under the hills. Laura was the second child in her family, with an older sister, Mary, and younger sisters, Laura (Caroline), Grace, and a younger brother, Frederick. Mary lost her sight at the age of fourteen after contracting scarlet fever, and Frederick died at the age of nine. The misfortunes of her sister and brother, along with the hardships of settling a new home, helped Laura grow from a naive little girl into a strong and brave young woman. At the age of sixteen, to help Mary attend the expensive school for the blind, she left home alone to teach. At the same time, she met a steady farm boy—Almanzo Wilder. At the age of eighteen, Laura married Almanzo Wilder, who was ten years older than her, and later they had a daughter named Rose. Laura and Almanzo loved each other deeply, but their early married life was very difficult. They worked together and, after years of struggle, their life gradually improved. Later, they settled in Missouri and built a large house with ten rooms on their farm. By then, Laura's daughter Rose had grown up, gotten married, and become a very accomplished journalist. Rose encouraged Laura to write about their pioneer life. They read many pioneer literature works together and discussed writing techniques. Laura began writing novels at the age of sixty-five, and over a decade, she wrote nine books in the "Little House" series. These nine novels are "Little House in the Big Woods," "Little House on the Prairie," "Farmer Boy," "On the Banks of Plum Creek," "By the Shores of Silver Lake," "The Long Winter," "Little Town on the Prairie," "The First Four Years," and "The Little House on the Prairie." Laura's novels were very popular from the time of their publication. By the time she was eighty-seven, the "Little House" series had been translated into multiple languages and published worldwide. In 1957, Laura died on her Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri at the age of ninety. The "Little House" series can be said to be an autobiography of Laura's early life, with the protagonist Laura embodying the real Laura. Laura begins her story with her birthplace—the Big Woods of Wisconsin—and uses "Little House in the Big Woods" as the prelude to this series. In this book, Laura observes the little details of life through the innocent eyes of a young girl. The moose and black bears in the Big Woods, the snow of winter, the green buds of spring trees, and the warm glow of the fire in the log cabin, the delicious treats her mother made, and her father's melodious piano music—all are Laura's sweet childhood memories. The second book, "Little House on the Prairie," is the most famous and representative work in the series. It describes Laura's family leaving the Big Woods of Wisconsin and migrating to the Great Plains of Kansas in a covered wagon, which is a typical portrayal of the American westward settlers of that time. During this move, Laura's family narrowly escaped danger while crossing flooded rivers. After arriving in the Great Plains, they also encountered Native Americans and suffered from wolf attacks, prairie fires, and attacks by heat-related illnesses. However, in the end, they settled into the log cabin her father built and spent a sweet time living off the land by hunting. The third book, "Farmer Boy," features Laura's husband, Almanzo Wilder. Almanzo was a farm boy from New York. In the book, Laura vividly describes Almanzo's experience of attending school in the sky and his pride when he received his own horse, which he also tamed. Additionally, through the account of Almanzo's growth, Laura expresses her views on the value of money—fifty cents meant working many hours in the potato field to earn it. The fourth book, "On the Banks of Plum Creek," describes Laura's family leaving the Great Plains and traveling through Missouri, Iowa, to Minnesota, settling by the Maquoketa River. During their time on the banks of Plum Creek, Laura's family lived in a dugout, and all of her father's crops were eaten by locusts, leaving the family in dire straits. Eventually, her father had to leave for work in the East. At this point, Laura was already eight years old, so the perspective of the narrative changes as Laura grows, making the challenges of life and the strength of the family more concrete in her eyes. Additionally, Laura and Mary began attending school, and their relationships expanded beyond the family. The fifth book, "By the Shores of Silver Lake," tells the story of Laura's family leaving the banks of Plum Creek and traveling to the shores of Silver Lake in the Territory of Dakota. From the banks of Plum Creek to the Territory of Dakota, Laura did not travel in a covered wagon but by train, which was her first time riding a train. At that time, Laura was almost thirteen, and since Mary was blind, Laura's personality had changed noticeably. She no longer had a sister to rely on or the right to be willful and unruly, so Laura grew deeper in understanding the meaning of growing up and learned to face the things she did not like but had to do. Additionally, for the whole family, life on Silver Lake brought them new hope—her father could apply for a hundred and sixty-acre parcel of land here. The sixth book, "The Long Winter." Just after Laura's father applied for land on Silver Lake and built a log cabin, a terrible blizzard came. At that time, Laura's family lived in a small town not far from Silver Lake, and the blizzard trapped the town, cutting off all communication for seven months. During these seven months, Laura's family had no food and could only survive on a little cornmeal porridge; they had no firewood and had to burn hay to stay warm. They struggled every day to stay alive, and her father even cracked his hands from twisting hay bales, making it impossible for him to play the violin. This time, the solution to their problems came from two boys in the town. They risked freezing to death or getting lost while riding out of town to bring back food. One of the boys was Almanzo. After "The Long Winter," the hardships gradually faded, and Laura's family slowly entered a better life. As the tide of settlers surged, the small town near Silver Lake gradually prospered, forming the town of De Smet. The life in the town is described in the seventh book, "Little Town on the Prairie." In "Little Town on the Prairie," Laura is fifteen years old. She makes friends with other girls and boys at school and begins to pay attention to her appearance. The sensitivity and rebelliousness of adolescence make her realize the importance of self-control. At the same time, her parents saved enough money to send Mary to the school for the blind. Mary's departure deepened the sisterly bond, and Laura worked hard to study and earn money to help Mary stay in school, eventually earning a teaching certificate. At the end of the story, Laura unexpectedly gets a teaching job and is ready to leave home. The last two books of the "Little House" series are "The Happy Golden Years" and "The First Four Years." "The Happy Golden Years" describes Laura's first experience of teaching alone outside her home. At this time, Almanzo was already pursuing Laura, and he drove a carriage to pick Laura up from school every week and take her back, gradually deepening their subtle feelings. At the end of the story, Laura and Almanzo got married, and she truly left her parents' home to start a new life with Almanzo. "The First Four Years" is a manuscript discovered after Laura's death. This manuscript describes the little details of Laura and Almanzo's life in the first four years of their marriage. During these four years, Laura and Almanzo's life was very hard. They suffered from the destruction of their house by fire, a drought, both falling ill, and the death of their child. The only comfort they had was the healthy growth of their daughter, Rose. However, Laura and Almanzo were not defeated by one after another. With their deep love as their support, they remained hopeful and courageous, facing the future and creating their own home. From a pioneer girl to a world-renowned children's literature author, Laura's life story is full of twists and turns. The "Little House" series fully embodies the spirit of perseverance in westward expansion. With her delicate and sincere writing style, Laura vividly portrays the growth of a girl, as well as the love between parents and siblings, the subtle and enduring love between her and Almanzo, and the diligence, courage, and respect for nature of people in the pioneer era. The value of the "Little House" series lies in the fact that it not only records the history of American westward expansion but also records personal growth. In fact, not only did Laura experience the pioneer era, but our ancestors also used their hands and sweat to build a beautiful home and passed it down to their descendants. When we look back at their lives, we see how they tilled the land, hunted, sewed, built houses, and dug wells through countless life challenges, making them wiser and more appreciative and grateful. The "Little House" series does not have many plots, but it is a wonderful, enjoyable, and enduring classic of world children's literature. The text is full of charm, covering many interests of teenagers such as nature, adventure, animals, family, and growth, which can greatly attract their reading interest and is a valuable book that benefits their pursuit of knowledge and growth. Today, we publish the "Little House" series, hoping that readers can, through Laura's growth, re-examine their relationship with their family and nature. We also hope that readers can draw inspiration from this difficult pioneer journey and, in this modern society of material excess and distant relationships, find simplicity, courage, perseverance, and love!