By the Shores of Silver Lake

Throughout the novel, music serves as a motif for the theme of the strength of family bonds. In particular, Laura associates music with her father, who plays the fiddle and loves to sing. Music helps to describe the family’s structure and dynamics. Both in song and in life, Pa leads the Ingalls, and they are all in harmony with one another. Singing together helps the Ingalls bond during the frigid winter months when they are the only people within 40 miles. Surviving on the frontier involves a great deal of labor and hardship, and music offers a way for them to relax and enjoy one another’s company after a long day filled with toil. Despite the aforementioned hardships, the Ingalls approach life with a spirit of joy and gratitude. Music plays a key role in their celebrations, such as Christmas and their first night on the homestead. Whenever Pa asks Laura to bring him his fiddle, a festive mood is sure to ensue.

The lyrics that the Ingalls sing reflect their experiences and illustrate the values that bind them together as a family. For example, they sing about self-reliance and loving-kindness in Chapter 14: “Then love your neighbor as yourself / As the world you go traveling through / And never sit down with a tear or a frown / But paddle your own canoe!” (148).