37 pages • 1 hour read
John PetersonThe Littles
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1967A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
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BetaThemes
The Importance of Adaptability and Resourcefulness
The Littles, a family of tiny people living in a world made for much larger beings, must constantly adapt to their surroundings to survive. With Mr. Little representing the tallest Little at six inches, the Littles’ size forces them to navigate challenges that bigger people do not face.
The Littles’ secretive, cozy home that they have built inside the walls of the Biggs’ house demonstrates their adaptability and ingenuity. Despite encountering a harsh environment, they have made a livable, safe space for the entire family. They also take every precaution to safeguard their home and family, such as having a “secret look-out place behind the light switch in the hall of the Biggs’ house” (15). This vantage point, which is nearly invisible to the big people, allows the Littles to discreetly keep an eye on the arrivals and departures in the Biggs’ home. The corresponding illustration on pages 16 and 17 shows what this setting looks like to the Littles: They have fashioned a ladder so they can reach the small missing screw hole, “which was large enough for a Little to look and listen through” (15). This adaptation of their environment is one example of how the Littles have turned an ordinary feature of the Biggs’ home into a tool for their safety and survival.
Similarly, the layout of the Littles’ living room further highlights their adaptability. Their living room “was in the wall next to the Biggs’ living room” (24), and it is designed for secret surveillance. The Littles’ living room has a hole in the wall, which is covered with wallpaper on the Biggs’ side. Mr. Little has poked holes in using a needle so the Littles can listen to the Biggs’ living room happenings, and they block the hole with a cork when they want to block sound. The Littles have adapted their living space to be both comfortable and safe while maintaining their secret existence. This reinforces the importance of adaptability to their survival.
The Littles also prove their adaptability in the face of the cat problem in the final few chapters. When their initial plan to get the cat in trouble fails, Tom Little suggests an alternative approach: Rather than try to scare away the cat, the Littles can try to befriend it. Although this is unprecedented—“A cat has never been a friend to a Little” (69)—Tom’s plan turns out successful. While Tom is initially trapped by the cat, he manages to turn the cat not only into a friend but also into a mount upon which he can ride around the house. This innovative solution demonstrates the Littles’ capacity for creative problem-solving and also highlights the importance of adaptability in a dangerous environment.
The Littles are also resourceful out of necessity, as their small size means most things are not made for them. This is exemplified in how Granny Little unravels Henry Biggs’s old red sock into enough yarn “to start a knitting factory” (12), and she uses it to knit clothes for the Little family members. Granny remarks that the sock “had a real bad hole in the toe” (11), which justifies her decision to repurpose it. By making use of the Biggs’ discarded and worn-out items, the Littles show their resourceful nature. This also develops the idea that adaptation and resourcefulness are important traits for their survival since they live in a harsh and dangerous world that is not made for them.
Focusing on Cleanliness and Order
The novel explores the importance of cleanliness and order within a home, particularly through the conflicts between the Littles, the Newcombs, and the mice. The novel’s opening establishes the Littles as being diligently protective of their shared space, and they even make sure to care for the Biggs’ home whenever it requires maintenance. For example, the Littles “ran back and forth inside the walls repairing the electric wires whenever they needed it,” and “[on] cold winter days they kept the outside water pipes from freezing” (10). The Littles’ care for the Biggs’ home illustrates their strong sense of responsibility and their expectation that their home must be clean and well-kept.
However, the Littles’ sense of cleanliness and order faces challenges with the arrival of the Newcombs. Mr. Newcomb tells his wife: “Forget about housework […] If the faucets drip, let ‘em drip! I may not even take out the garbage” (19). His disregard for cleanliness and the upkeep of the Biggs’ house quickly escalates to a problem for the Littles. Soon, Uncle Pete laments the state of the house, saying: “This place is a mess since [the Newcombs] came” (20). Granny Little’s subsequent warning—“All those crumbs! Mark my words, […] there WILL be mice” (26)—foreshadows the problems to come. The Newcombs’ neglect not only disrupts the cleanliness of the Biggs’ home but creates safety issues for the Littles, who must endure the consequences of this negligence.
When mice are drawn to the unattended garbage and crumbs at the Biggs’ home, the Littles are forced to take drastic measures to protect themselves. They must “see that all the doors are locked,” and they “[d]on’t go out alone” and are “armed at all times” (27). The presence of mice disrupts the Littles’ peaceful life, bringing stress, fear, and uncertainty to the family. Mr. Little believes “the Newcombs are bound to find out they have mice” (30), and that they’ll take care of the issue when they realize this. However, the issue persists, forcing the Littles to fight for their lives against the mice. This development highlights the importance of cleanliness and order since a clean environment is vital for the safety of all those who live within it.
The contrast between the condition of the same house when it was inhabited by the Biggs as opposed to the Newcombs highlights the importance of order. The Littles carefully managed the house when they cohabitated with the Biggs, showing that mutual respect and care of the house benefits both families. However, when the Newcombs begin to disrespect the same environment, it creates problems for the Littles, emphasizing that the well-being of a space is dependent on the care and respect of those who inhabit it. Additionally, a clean and orderly environment is crucial for the well-being of its inhabitants.
The Power of Unity
In The Littles, the close-knit family is more than just a multi-generational extended household; they are a unified community, bound together as they stay hidden from the “big people.” This unity becomes all the more important in times of danger and uncertainty. The novel’s opening establishes the communal nature of the Littles’ lives, with each member contributing to the group’s well-being. Granny Little knits clothes for the family, while Tom and Mr. Little work together to bring food home for everyone. These acts establish the idea that each of the Littles carries the responsibility of keeping the entire community safe, well-fed, and comfortable.
The theme of unity as a source of strength comes into focus when the Littles’ peaceful existence is threatened by a mouse infestation. Mr. Little’s immediate advice to the family while addressing the mouse problem—“Don’t go out alone” (27)—stresses the importance of safety in numbers. This is evident when Mr. Little and Tom encounter a mouse on their way back from the kitchen. Mr. Little quickly formulates a plan in which Tom will shoot if the light from the match fails to scare the mouse, illustrating the benefits of having a two-person team when facing a threat. Similarly, Uncle Pete and Lucy also encounter two mice and must work together to save themselves. When Uncle Pete’s weapon breaks, they must rely on each other and wave matches to scare them away. These encounters show how unity strengthens their ability to fend off threats.
The concept of strength in unity comes up again when Mr. Little goes out alone to look for Uncle Pete and Tom, who have not returned from their morning trip to the kitchen. Lucy, who has previously declared that she will be staying in the safety of her room, begins to worry about her father being out alone and realizes that she “should have gone with him” (58). Lucy’s hunch proves right when she catches up with Mr. Little just in time to witness “a giant cat [leap] at him out of the shadows” (60). Lucy rescues her father by stabbing the cat in the tail, scaring it away. With the cat gone, Uncle Pete and Tom also emerge from where they were hiding from the feline. Lucy’s recognition that there is greater safety in numbers not only saves the lives of three of her family members but also develops the idea that unity is crucial in a community. Whether facing a mouse invasion or a lurking cat, the Littles’ sense of unity protects them.
