Bound For Oregon

Abbott Todd is a primary character. He is Mary Ellen’s, Louvina’s, Cynthia’s, and Elijah Todd’s father, and Angelina’s husband. Mary Ellen refers to him as Father throughout the novel. His character acts as an archetypal guide. He is not only the patriarchal head of the Todd family, but he also has a steady personality that makes him reliable and trustworthy. Mary Ellen describes him as her “gentle, patient father, who [does] not believe in violence, who [can] not be goaded into a fight, [and] who never even raise[s] his voice to correct a child” (51). He has “gentle blue-gray eyes,” which Mary Ellen often feels are “looking right inside [her] head” (9). She and Father therefore share a close bond. She trusts Father and knows that he sees and understands her. However, she starts to regard Father differently when he decides to move the family to Oregon “less than two years” after they moved to Arkansas (3). She wants to believe that Father knows what he is doing, but she also struggles to understand why he would want to leave his family, community, and home behind. Her perspective on Father’s character continues to evolve over the course of the novel as the family encounters more and more dangers along the Oregon Trail.

Father’s character changes because of The Challenges of Migration that he and his family face. He remains gentle, empathetic, and kind but also shows a harder exterior that is often unfamiliar to Mary Ellen. For example, she’s particularly surprised in Chapter 5, when she witnesses Father standing up to the other wagon train and lashing his whip at an unfamiliar rider who tries to lead the competing pioneers across their bridge. She doesn’t recognize this version of her Father. However, Father begins to exhibit these more stoic, determined, and strong-willed traits more often throughout their journey. He must lead his family to safety, and he knows that he must stand up for them in new ways. They are out in the wild, and this unpredictable territory requires new things of him. At the same time, Father strives to build friendships and community with the other pioneers he and his family meet along the way, too. He consistently supports other families in need and makes sacrifices for the collective. He also cares for his daughters and wife in the meantime, and he often encourages and comforts them with Bible verses and hymns. He is an innately even-tempered character but also derives his resilience and his patience from his faith.

Angelina Todd is a secondary character. She is Father’s third wife, Cynthia’s biological mother, and Mary Ellen and Louvina’s stepmother. Father marries her after his first and second wives die of unnamed illnesses. Mary Ellen refers to her as Mother throughout her account. Mother has a rougher exterior that Mary Ellen often struggles to get along with. She isn’t overtly unkind to Mary Ellen, but she isn’t as gentle or affectionate as characters like Father or Grandma. Mary Ellen often feels that she must prove herself to Mother by being ladylike and cheerful. She sometimes envies Louvina because Mother seems to favor her. Louvina is more obedient, demure, and compliant than Mary Ellen, and Mother rarely scolds her.

Mary Ellen starts to see a new side of Mother as they venture along the Oregon Trail. Mother doesn’t often show her emotions in an obvious way. However, the more challenges that they face, the more vulnerable Mother seems to Mary Ellen. She particularly notices her emotional fragility when Louvina falls ill and observes her physical fragility when Mother gets pregnant. She also learns about Mother’s true nature by observing her friendship with Martha Grant. Furthermore, Mary Ellen realizes how much Mother does for the family when she is unable to perform her chores after giving birth. These facets of the trip therefore grant Mary Ellen a new perspective on Mother’s character and make her more sympathetic to her experience.

John Ragsdale is a secondary, static character. At the novel’s start, he is 15 years old and helps Father out around the farm. He has a difficult home life because his mother has many children for whom she struggles to care. John therefore spends a lot of time with the Todd family even before his mother asks Father to take him with them to Oregon. John is “always teasing [Mary Ellen] [...] with his wide eyes and crooked grin” (6). However, Mary Ellen welcomes his energy and is glad for his presence throughout their western migration. John proves himself to be strong and capable throughout the journey. He consistently helps Father and even stands up to support the whole wagon train when Father later falls ill. He serves a minor role in Mary Ellen’s story but remains a constant fixture throughout.

Louvina Todd is a minor character. She is Mary Ellen’s little sister and Cynthia and Elijah’s older sister. Like Mary Ellen, Louvina’s biological mother died when she was just a baby. She therefore cannot remember her mother. However, unlike Mary Ellen, Louvina is attached to Mother, or Angelina, because she’s the only maternal figure she’s known. Louvina has experienced many of the same losses as Mary Ellen, but she has a different personality and spirit than her older sister. She is happier and more compliant. She doesn’t mind when Mother tells her to act like a lady and doesn’t mess up her dresses or behave as wildly as Mary Ellen. She can also entertain herself with little games for longer and doesn’t get as restless along the journey as Mary Ellen does. For these reasons, Mary Ellen sometimes envies Louvina. She wishes she could be more like her and that she could win Mother’s approval in the same way. She starts to feel guilty for these secret feelings when Louvina falls ill on the Oregon Trail. Indeed, Louvina almost dies when she contracts cholera. Her sickness challenges Mary Ellen to appreciate and love her sister better.

Grandma is a secondary character. She is Father’s mother and Mary Ellen, Louvina, Cynthia, and Elijah’s grandmother. Mary Ellen sees her as a maternal figure throughout the early years of her childhood. She is so close with Grandma because Grandma took care of her and of Louvina after both of their mothers died. Mary Ellen also looks up to and admires her grandmother. She tells Mary Ellen stories about her life as a young woman, about her late mother and teaches her new skills. Therefore, Mary Ellen is devastated when her family leaves for Oregon and Grandma doesn’t come with them. She wants to believe that Grandma will join them out west someday, but she eventually realizes that she may never see her again. Even still, Mary Ellen never forgets Grandma and often uses her memories of her to comfort herself. Grandma is symbolic of a guardian angel or protective spirit for Mary Ellen. Whenever Mary Ellen feels afraid or alone, she thinks of Grandma and feels better.