Little House on the Prairie

The prairie house symbolizes safety and security to Laura, in contrast to the relatively flimsy covered wagon. The house also symbolizes stability rather than the upheaval and constant change implied by the mobile wagon. The process by which Pa improves and reinforces the house with features such as a door, latch to lock the door from inside, glass windows, hearth, a floor, built-in bedstead, etc. all serve as signs that the family intends to permanently stay in Kansas, providing Laura with a sense of safety. The house’s protective features such as the door, windows and latch also increase its ability to shield the family from the elements and perceived threats like wolves and hostile Native Americans. Thus, when the family leaves their house at the end of the book, they are not just leaving its physical structure but also the protection, security, and stability it embodies.

Fire serves both a protective and a destructive function in Little House. Fittingly, Pa in his role as mediator between the females and the natural world makes the fire each night while the family is traveling in the wagon, and he has mastery over the element.