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Chapter 17
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Little Britches, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Fathers, Sons, and Growing Up
Honesty and Pride
Work and Society
Community, Resources, and Conflict
Home and the American West
Summary
Analysis
Remembering how he and Grace used to get bags of candy in East Rochester, Ralph begins to yearn for chocolate. He reasons that if he steals a bit of chocolate from his family’s supply, but confesses immediately, he won’t get in any trouble. After all, his father told him that meeting his troubles is better than running from them. His thievery is interrupted by his mother, however, and Ralph is forced to stash the entire bar of chocolate in the barn. He feels increasingly guilty throughout the day and decides to just return the chocolate.
Ralph twists his father’s moral logic to convince himself he can steal his family’s chocolate without getting into trouble. By his reasoning, so long as he immediately confesses, he won’t be running away from his troubles and thus won’t be breaking his father’s rules. Upon stealing the chocolate, however, Ralph feels immediate guilt, suggesting that, deep down, he knows his logic is faulty.
Themes
Ralph changes his mind several more times. First, he convinces himself he deserves the whole bar—it might as well be his, since he earned some of the money to buy it—then he decides to leave it to a game of chance. The results are inconclusive, however, and Ralph interprets them to mean he should slice off a piece of chocolate. He sneaks out of the house to do so, but his father catches him and spanks him.
With the chocolate now in his possession, Ralph cannot decide what to do. Though deep down he seems to know eating the chocolate is wrong, he keeps finding ways to convince himself otherwise, illustrating his youth and immaturity: that is, he doesn’t yet have the maturity to fully embody his father’s moral teachings.
Themes
After the spanking, Ralph’s father expresses his disappointment in Ralph for being sneaky. He acknowledges that Ralph earned some of the family’s money but wishes he had been honest about what he wanted. He asks Ralph if he wants to keep his money separate, and Ralph cries, begging him to keep their money together. Ralph’s father chokes up and asks Ralph if he wants to be his partner, so long as he no longer acts sneakily. Ralph cries more, but this time out of love for his father. Ralph promises not to be sneaky again, and Ralph’s father shakes his hand saying, “Good night, partner.”
This interaction illustrates Ralph’s father’s thoughtful and effective approach to parenting. Instead of simply punishing Ralph for lying, he addresses Ralph’s burgeoning feelings of resentment and inequity, turning a mirror on Ralph while also displaying sympathy for his frustration. Because of this, Ralph is forced to reflect on his own mistakes. More broadly, this is also a major turning point in Ralph’s father’s relationship with Ralph, signaling a newfound respect and appreciation for his growing son.
Themes
