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Chapter 7
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
School closes for the summer, and Mrs. Corcoran visits Ralph’s mother to ask if Ralph will work for them, offering 25 cents a day. Ralph’s mother accepts, and Ralph is thrilled, especially after learning he can use Fanny once his father is done with her. In the short term, Mr. Corcoran lends Ralph Ned, an older horse. Ralph is instructed not to let the cows eat their neighbors’ crops, but he quickly runs into trouble. Ned is slow and unresponsive, the cows are clever, and Ralph is inexperienced. When the cows begin to eat at Fred’s alfalfa, Fred is forced to come to Ralph’s aid. He is sympathetic, however, and he gives Ralph some pointers, lending him his blacksnake whip.
Though getting his first job is a major turning point in Ralph’s journey towards adulthood, his first day on the job is difficult, however, with Mrs. Corcoran’s horse, Ned, proving to be slow and lazy. Fortunately, Fred Aultland comes to Ralph’s rescue, both to save his own crops from Mrs. Corcoran’s cows as well as out of sympathy for Ralph’s plight. A natural mentor, he gives Ralph some helpful instructions and lends him his whip, exemplifying his generosity and neighborly goodwill.
Themes
After Fred leaves, Ralph runs into trouble again. His father shows up on Fanny to help him, however, and together they herd all the stray cows. His father assists him several more times and then helps him return them to the Corcorans’ at the end of the day. Mrs. Corcoran criticizes Ralph for his sloppy work, but she asks him to come back the next day. Ralph tells his father he could do it better with Fanny, and his father offers to let him use her.
Ralph continues to struggle with herding Mrs. Corcoran’s cows, requiring assistance from his father on several occasions. At the end of the day, Mrs. Corcoran shows no sympathy for Ralph’s struggles as a novice cowherd, criticizing him for his “sloppy” work. However, she turns out to be more bark than bite, and despite her criticism, hires Ralph to return the next day.
Themes
When they return home, Ralph’s father jokes about Mrs. Corcoran being a heifer, and Ralph’s mother scolds him. Ralph becomes a hero to his siblings for earning a full quarter, and Grace calculates how long it would take to buy a pony and a cart. Grace then tries to trick her mother into letting Ralph herd the cows on Sunday, but their mother sees through it and scolds her. Though his mother is angry, Ralph sees the corner of his father’s eyes wrinkle as he watches from behind the newspaper.
Ralph’s father, normally quiet and serious, reveals a previously unseen sense of humor, hinting at his newfound comfort and ease of life. Despite the ongoing challenges faced by their family, Ralph’s father seems to have gained enough peace of mind to find humor in the small things of life, exemplified by his amusement at Grace’s unsubtle attempt to get her mother to let Ralph work on Sundays.
Themes
