Anita Clair Fellman

Because both Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, opposed the New Deal programs being implemented during the period in which they wrote, their books reflect their use of family history as an argument against the state's protection of individuals from economic uncertainty. Their writing emphasized the isolation of the Ingalls family and the family's resilience in the face of crises and consistently equated self-sufficiency with family acceptance, security, and warmth. Fellman argues that the popularity of these books- abetted by Lane's overtly libertarian views-helped lay the groundwork for a negative response to big government and a positive view of political individualism, contributing to the acceptance of contemporary conservatism while perpetuating a mythic West

Laura Ingalls Wilder's Impact on American Culture

Little House, Long Shadow

Veronica Jane Strong-Boag

Thoroughly revised and updated, this fourth edition, of Rethinking Canada: The Promise of Women's History is part of the continuing teminist effort to discover what it means to be women and Canadians. Rethinking Canada examines key developments in Canadian history -- from the founding of New, France to the present -- while at the same time highlighting the distinctive texture of women's experiences and identities. This decidedly non-traditional reconstruction of Canadian history focuses on the lives, struggles, and contributions of women, enlarging and diversifying the picture of the past found in conventional historical accounts. Of the 26 readings in this volume, 16 are new. Subjects range from the impact of colonialism on gender relations in Aboriginal societies; to the immigration of Japanese 'picture brides' in early twentieth-century British Columbia; to transnational political alliances formed by Canadian and Mexican women in response to NAFTA. Other topics include sexuality, workforce trends, gender and public policy, and much more. The selections aim, above all, to bring diverse and marginalized groups of women out of the historical shadows. The voices of First Nations women, women of colour, and immigrant women, for example, resound clearly in this volume. An informative introduction to each reading situates the article in its specific historical and historiographical context, and each introduction concludes with questions designed to stimulate analysis and discussion of the text. By presenting current scholarship in the context of three decades of research into Canadian women's history, Rethinking Canada, Fourth Edition, offers new and fascinating perspectives on women and on Canada. Book jacket.

The Promise of Women's History

Rethinking Canada

Beyond their status as classic children’s stories, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books play a significant role in American culture that most people cannot begin to appreciate. Millions of children have sampled the books in school; played out the roles of Laura and Mary; or visited Wilder homesites with their parents, who may be fans themselves. Yet, as Anita Clair Fellman shows, there is even more to this magical series with its clear emotional appeal: a covert political message that made many readers comfortable with the resurgence of conservatism in the Reagan years and beyond. In Little House, Long Shadow, a leading Wilder scholar offers a fresh interpretation of the Little House books that examines how this beloved body of children’s literature found its way into many facets of our culture and consciousness—even influencing the responsiveness of Americans to particular political views. Because both Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, opposed the New Deal programs being implemented during the period in which they wrote, their books reflect their use of family history as an argument against the state’s protection of individuals from economic uncertainty. Their writing emphasized the isolation of the Ingalls family and the family’s resilience in the face of crises and consistently equated self-sufficiency with family acceptance, security, and warmth. Fellman argues that the popularity of these books—abetted by Lane’s overtly libertarian views—helped lay the groundwork for a negative response to big government and a positive view of political individualism, contributing to the acceptance of contemporary conservatism while perpetuating a mythic West. Beyond tracing the emergence of this influence in the relationship between Wilder and her daughter, Fellman explores the continuing presence of the books—and their message—in modern cultural institutions from classrooms to tourism, newspaper editorials to Internet message boards. Little House, Long Shadow shows how ostensibly apolitical artifacts of popular culture can help explain shifts in political assumptions. It is a pioneering look at the dissemination of books in our culture that expands the discussion of recent political transformations—and suggests that sources other than political rhetoric have contributed to Americans’ renewed appreciation of individualist ideals.

Anita Clair Fellman

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