Rescue on the Oregon Trail (Ranger in Time, #1)

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2015

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-10

Chapters 11-15

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Natural Landscape as Both a Threat and a Provider

In Rescue on the Oregon Trail, the natural elements of the landscape and the wildlife on it both threaten and providefor the pioneers. By showing how the vast wilderness that surrounded the Oregon Trail supported the pioneers while also putting them in danger, the book explores the pioneer’s complicated relationship to the land.

The cycles of nature and its wildlife pose many hazards to the pioneers, who are strangers to the landscapes they’re traveling through. Sam Abbott and his family are frightened by the stampeding buffalo because the stampede could kill them or destroy their wagons: “Turn, turn! He willed the buffalo to change course. If they didn’t, they’d stomp the wagons into splinters” (49). Likewise, the river crossings make the Abbott family vulnerable because they need to navigate the currents with their farm animals in tow. Ma Abbott calls the Snake River crossing “treacherous” because of its reputation as a place where pioneers and animals are overwhelmed by the currents. By describing how the river nearly claims Pa Abbott’s life, the book shows how nature routinely threatened the lives of the pioneers.

However, the land also offers valuable resources to the Abbott family, who forage and hunt from the land to supplement their provisions, which cannot last them from town to town. Ma Abbott and the girls collect sticks and buffalo dung to make fires, and Sam helps his father skin and carve the dead buffalo. He’s grateful for the “greasy goodness” of the steaks, which are “the first fresh meat they’d had since they set out from Independence” (51).

The land also has symbolic meaning for the pioneers, who are eager to reach certain natural geological formations, which they interpret as milestones on the trail. For instance, when they encounter “the famous chimney rock,” a rock formation resembling a chimney, Sam knows that “It was a sign they were getting closer to their new home” (59). Similarly, Independence Rock is an important milestone for the Abbotts and other travelers, as they know that they’ve made it 800 miles toward their destination. By writing their names on the rock, the Abbotts join the ranks of other survivors who made it that far down the trail and proudly record their place among them. Sarah, Lizzie, and Sam write their names in the same section of rock to show that they traveled together: “‘Will you write yours close to mine?’ Sarah asked Sam and Lizzie. She took the cup while Sam and Lizzie wrote their names on the rough surface” (68). The various descriptions of the landscape and its roles in the pioneers' lives reveal their complicated relationship with the land, which both threatens and supports them.

Courage in the Face of Uncertainty

Sam Abbott and his family face months of uncertainty as they traverse the Oregon Trail. Guided only by a simple travel book written by an early pioneer, the Abbott family is unsure of what exactly to expect and worries about the many rumored dangers they could face on the trail. Ranger, too, faces great uncertainty. His time traveling adventure was completely accidental, and he frequently wonders what will happen next and when he’ll get to go home and reunite with Luke. To maintain their morale, Ranger and the Abbotts must approach each day with courage. Doing so helps them overcome the challenges of the trail and successfully reach their new home, the Willamette Valley.

Each new milestone on the trail presents new potential hazards, and the family must continue moving in spite of them. For instance, Ma Abbott worries about encountering Indigenous people and whether they’d be welcoming or hostile to the group. The family hopes that their interactions will be peaceful, and they’re pleased when Lakota and Shoshone men help them navigate dangerous river crossings. When Sarah Ferguson’s parents die of cholera while traveling on the trail, the tragedy tests the group’s morale because it could have happened to any of them: “The guidebooks all warned this trip was dangerous, and Sam knew that plenty of folks died out on the trail. But until now, they’d been nameless strangers—not people with actual voices and faces and hands Sam had shaken (54). Despite this loss, Sarah, the Abbotts, and Ranger courageously continue on their journey.

Ranger also faces constant uncertainty and confusion in his strange situation with the Abbott family: “But through all these days and miles, he kept wondering when his work would be done. When would Luke come and say, ‘Good job, boy!’ and scratch his ears and set out his water bowl? When would it be time to go home?’ (62). Nevertheless, he continues to courageously defend them from the natural hazards on the trail, helping the family overcome the worst of the trail’s dangers. When a rattlesnake comes close to Sam, Ranger risks being bitten to protect the boy: “Ranger barked and jumped in front of Sam to hold him back […] Curled on the rock ledge—right where Sam had been about to step—was a snake” (74).

In another instance, Ranger doesn’t hesitate to risk his own life to rescue Pa Abbott from drowning: “Ranger took the end in his mouth, leaped from the wagon, and ran for the riverbank […] With the rope in his teeth, he swam past Mr. Harrigan and Bess, toward the place where he’d last seen Pa” (105). By showing how Ranger and the Abbott family courageously face danger and uncertainty, the story highlights the bravery of pioneering families, who left behind familiar people and landscapes to forge a new life in a faraway territory they could only imagine.

The Dog-Human Bond

Rescue on the Oregon Trail showcases the unbreakable bond between people and their canine companions. The story highlights how the Abbott family and Luke value Ranger’s service and companionship and illustrates his deep attachment and acute sensitivity to his humans in both his life with Luke and his time with the Abbotts.

Ranger’s bond with his human companions is based on emotional ties as well as practical necessity. The dog’s instinct to protect the Abbott family from the many dangers along their journey helps save their lives several times. For example, Ranger intuitively knows that Ma Abbott and Sam are looking for Amelia when he meets them in Independence, and he quickly joins the effort: “The Amelia smell was getting stronger. Ranger kept going, into the thick of the crowd […] Sam whirled around toward the sound, and there, tucked into the blacksmith’s doorway, was the dusty golden dog, standing guard over Amelia” (24, 26). Ranger’s intelligence, rescue skills and bravery earn him the family’s trust and respect as they recognize his valuable contributions to the group: “‘You are a mighty fine dog,’ Ma told Ranger” (78).

In addition, Ranger’s comforting presence provides emotional support to the family and other pioneers as they struggle through daily life on the trail. For instance, he comforts Sarah when she grieves her parents’ deaths: “Ranger stayed, too, curled up next to Sarah by the campfire. He leaned his big, warm body against her. Ranger understood sad […] snuggling sometimes helped a little, so that’s what Ranger did” (54-55). The Abbotts’ gratitude and warmth to Ranger make him feel attached to the family and shows how dogs easily form friendships with humans: Ranger’s loyalty to Luke remains strong even after his months away from home: “Ranger had come to love Sam and the rest of the Abbotts and Sarah, but he never stopped missing his home family” (58). By describing Ranger’s homesickness and desire to see Luke, the book emphasizes dogs’ long memories and intense loyalty: “When would Luke come and say ‘Good job, boy!’ and scratch his ears and set out his water bowl?” (60). Ranger’s close relationship with the story’s human characters are a reminder of the deep bonds between dogs and humans.