Charles, Caroline, Laura, and Mary’s realistic depiction in the Netflix series makes fans speculate about the show’s source.
Netflix’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ has quickly become everyone’s latest obsession. The Ingall family moves from Wisconsin to the American frontier in this installment, hoping to begin a new life on land near Independence. During their voyage, the family learns several core values such as empathy and resilience while getting acquainted with a new community. The show seems like a breath of fresh air amongst all the fantasy that is being fed to viewers right now. The show’s realistic nature has led several fans to speculate whether the Ingalls’ tale is rooted in reality. They are not wrong with their doubts, as the Ingalls quartet was indeed a real family who moved around in the late 1800s. Laura, the youngest daughter of Caroline and Charles Ingalls, chronicled her family’s story in her famous ‘Little House’ series.
The books capture the challenges the Ingalls face as they move through the Midwest, from harsh winters, crop failures, and illness to new beginnings. In the very first episode, the quartet loses their beloved dog, Jack, similar to the books. This predicts the heartbreaks and lessons that lie in their path. The books feature many such instances that were previously adapted in the nine-season-long classic NBC series with the same name. As per PEOPLE, the books are not entirely autobiographical and do take some creative liberties. Ultimately, they are based on the family’s experience as pioneers in the ‘New America.’ “All I have told is true, but it is not the whole truth,” Laura said at a 1937 book fair, according to Caroline Fraser, the author of ‘Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder.’
The ‘Little House’ series comprises nine books, published between 1932 and 1971. The show features just the quartet: Charles, Caroline, Laura, and Mary. In the books, though, there was also another daughter named Carrie. The books follow the family’s life in Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory. The Netflix series is based on the series’ third book, also titled ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ The Ingalls settle down in Kansas both in the book and the show, specifically on land belonging to the Osages, and face several issues that cause them to move. This event did take place in the lives of the Ingalls. However, it is hard to say whether the instances recounted in the third book actually happened. The authenticity of the illness contracted by the family and the catastrophic fire remains up for debate.
In the books, the family eventually left the land, as Charles doubted whether the government would allow them to stay there permanently. It completely glosses over the fact that authorities pushed out settlers back then after refusing to take away the land from the Osages. There is also no mention of the family illegally occupying the land, which has over the years drawn criticism from the indigenous communities. The author did not provide an accurate context for certain instances in her novel. However, its emotional core remained authentic as the novel followed the family through exciting but dire times. The Netflix showrunner Rebecca Sonnenshine wanted to be both ‘faithful’ to the books and the reality of the times. All episodes of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ are currently streaming on Netflix.