Point of View

Caddie Woodlawn is written in the third person. With few exceptions, the narrator describes only events at which Caddie is present and what she thinks of those events.

Setting

The events of Caddie Woodlawn take place in Dunnville, Wisconsin, along the banks of the Menomonie River in western Wisconsin, from fall of 1864 to the fall of 1865. The setting is integral to the formation of characters in the novel. The pioneer spirit is not something that springs up in a vacuum, but in conjunction with the demands of living in newly settled territory.

Language and Meaning

The novel has a few terms that are specific to the time and place that may be unfamiliar to many modern readers, but is generally written in very accessible language. The unfamiliar terms, such as “phoebe bird” and “hoarhound,” are included as a matter of course because they are terms...