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

Symbols & Motifs

The First Aid Box

In Rescue on the Oregon Trail, the First Aid box symbolizes Ranger’s special calling to be the first to provide aid. Despite his intelligence and desire to help people, Ranger can’t work as a search-and-rescue dog because his training instructor considers him too distraction-prone. This saddens Ranger because he feels called to use his skills and wants to be useful: “Ranger would never go chasing after a squirrel if a real, live person needed help” (13).

However, Ranger’s relationship with his work changes completely when he digs up an old First Aid box in his backyard. The magical box transports Ranger through time to mid-19th century Missouri, where his skills are sorely needed by the Abbott family and their friends. By ensuring that Ranger can use his skills to fulfill his destiny of working as a search-and-rescue dog, the First Aid box represents an important life calling.

The Quilt Squares

Sam Abbott’s quilt squares symbolize remembrance. Sam carries these quilt pieces with him in his pocket to remind himself of his home farm in Missouri and the family he left behind there. As the story progresses, Sam becomes less homesick for Missouri and more invested in his current relationships. When he parts ways with Sarah, Sam gifts her a quilt square to remember him by: “Sam pulled the three quilt squares from his pocket and unfolded them. He chose the one with the apple tree and held it out to Sarah. ‘It’s part of a friendship quilt my cousins made. You can keep it to remember me’” (82).

Ranger uses the quilt squares for remembrance too. When he gets ready to leave Sam, Ranger takes a quilt square home with him as a memento of his journey and his special connection to Sam: “Ranger sniffed the square, then picked it up carefully in his teeth […] Sam took the fabric and tucked it under Ranger’s collar” (120). When Ranger arrives home, he cherishes his quilt square and uses its smell to remember the Abbott family: “Then Ranger curled up and gave the quilt square a good, long sniff. Sam’s scent still clung to the fabric. Ranger could smell Ma, too—her mix of wildflowers and worry. And Lizzie and Amelia and trail bacon and oxen. But mostly Sam” (124).

The Wagon

In Rescue on the Oregon Trail, the family’s wagon is a motif that connects to the theme of Courage in the Face of Uncertainty. The wagon, a typical pioneer vehicle, is a steady, reliable home for the family as they traverse the Oregon Trail. The wagon’s sturdy nature and continuous movement symbolize the Abbott family’s ongoing courage and resilience. For instance, when the buffalo stampede threatens their group, the Abbotts and their friends form a circle with their wagons for protection: “Pa stared across the water to the plains on the other side, and his eyes grew wide. He whirled around to Sam. ‘Find your sisters and get in the wagon. Hurry!’ Then Pa turned to the rest of the men. He hollered at the top of his voice, ‘Circle the wagons!’” (45).

While the trail holds many dangers and disappointments, the family and their wagon keep traveling, an indication of their courage and resilience. For instance, after Sarah Ferguson’s parents’ deaths, the group must continue on:

But there were miles to be covered. They had to get through the mountains before winter. So Pa hitched up the oxen. He said, “Get on, Fergus! Get on, Jed!” like he did every morning. The men drove every last wagon over the grave as if they were saying goodbye (55).