Porter's primary goals were reinforcing the era's moral code and developing her readers' appreciation of nature.

The protagonist of Freckles, which she dedicated to her husband, Charles Dorwin Porter, is clearly intended to be her masculine ideal.

The daughter of a minister, Porter believed strongly in traditional values — purity, honor, courage, truth, perseverance, duty, courtesy, and aesthetic sensibility. Because Freckles epitomizes these virtues, he wins the respect of McLean, the Bird Woman, the Swamp Angel, her father, and even the villainous Black Jack.

Love of nature helps the characters develop moral rectitude. Despite his initial fear of the Limberlost Swamp, the city-bred Freckles quickly appreciates its diverse life forms, and his experiences in the swamp refine his sensibilities. His curiosity about the swamp creatures causes him to study them, and his aesthetic sense leads to the creation of a beautiful natural room of wild plants...