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Chapter 23
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
The flood washes out the irrigation ditch dam, and Ralph’s father and the other ranchers work for weeks to fix the damage. The gold panic ends, but there is little work for Ralph. He complains about it at school, and the next day Mr. Cooper drops by Ralph’s house, offering to pay him 20 dollars a month to work and live on his ranch. Ralph begs to work for him, and after some negotiations with Fred Aultland—who Ralph has worked for historically—Ralph’s parents agree on the condition that he return home on Saturday nights. When Ralph arrives at Mr. Cooper’s ranch, he learns that Hi is his cattle foreman. Hi gifts Ralph a homemade saddle and a quilt, and then he suggests that Ralph pick out a horse.
Ralph begins a new chapter in his life, moving away from home to work on Mr. Cooper’s ranch. This change signals a shift in Ralph’s relationship with his parents, with them trusting him to act and live responsibly without their constant oversight. Upon arriving, Ralph discovers Hi to be an employee of Mr. Cooper, which delights him. Hi seems to reciprocate Ralph’s excitement, gifting him several homemade riding accessories, a testament to his affection for Ralph.
Themes
Being responsible for Ralph, Mr. Cooper is resistant to the idea of him picking out his own horse. He suggests Ralph choose either Topsy or Eva, two gentle, broken horses, but Ralph likes neither one of them. He has an eye on a blue roan like Hi’s, and Hi cajoles Mr. Cooper into letting Ralph “take a shot at him.” Mr. Cooper is nervous because the horse is young and unbroken, but Hi promises to gentle-break him first. Ralph watches as Hi gentle breaks the horse, becoming increasingly scared as he sees how spirited and strong the blue roan is. However, when it’s time for him to ride the horse, Ralph is ready.
Almost immediately, Hi proves to be a major ally of Ralph’s, convincing Mr. Cooper to let Ralph choose his own horse. He can tell that Ralph has his eyes on a spirited blue roan colt and he wants to give Ralph the opportunity to break him. Despite the inherent dangers of breaking a horse, Hi expresses his belief in Ralph’s abilities, bolstering Ralph’s confidence while challenging him. In this way, Hi emerges as a new mentor for Ralph, picking up where his father left off.
Themes
The roan colt bucks intensely, but Ralph manages to stay on. Though he can barely see straight, he wants to keep riding the horse, and Hi lets him, opening the gate to the alfalfa field. As he rides him, Ralph feels the colt stop fighting him, and he knows that the roan is going to be his horse. Afterward, Mr. Cooper shakes Ralphs’ hand, saying he’ll make a good “cow poke.” He promises that Ralph can ride the horse so long as he works for him.
Ralph’s breaking of the blue roan colt proves to be a formative experience. Not only does it win him the respect and admiration of Mr. Cooper and the other cow hands, but it also bolsters his self-confidence. Hi’s gamble, in other words, pays off, and Ralph begins this new chapter of his life with a sense of momentum.
Themes
