We must remember that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about her childhood in the Little House books, but she fictionalized the books. So was Mary Ingalls blind? Yes, she was. We know that from letters and newspaper articles from when she was alive.
But how did Mary Ingalls lose her sight? Let's explore that...
In recent years, Dr. Beth A. Tarini devoted a lot of time to understanding what actually caused Mary's blindness. Scarlet fever can cause the loss of sight, but it's only temporary.
Dr. Tarini and a team studied the evidence, including the Pioneer Girl manuscript of Wilder's autobiography (linked to my review), letters, and even newspaper accounts about Mary. Of course, she also consulted medical journals.
Read additional articles discussing how Mary Ingalls lost her sight at CNN, CBS, New York Times, and Ann Arbor News. (You likely saw some of those if you follow the Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion on Facebook.)
A Medical Team Explores
Dr. Tarini and a team studied the evidence, including the Pioneer Girl manuscript of Wilder's autobiography (linked to my review), letters, and even newspaper accounts about Mary. Of course, she also consulted medical journals.
How Mary Ingalls Went Blind
Eventually the team came to the conclusion that Mary Ingalls's blindness was caused by meningoencephalitis, a brain infection and not scarlet fever. Dr. Tarini reported her findings in a pediatric medical journal. National media ran articles about how Mary Ingalls lost her sight.Mary Ingalls and Scarlet Fever
Why did Laura Ingalls Wilder say scarlet fever caused Mary's blindness? We can't know for sure, but scarlet fever was a feared disease. Books like Louisa May Alcott's Little Women made readers aware of the deadly disease. It's possible Wilder or an editor chose scarlet fever because it was familiar. Straying from the facts certainly happens in historical fiction, which the Little House books are--though they are also about real people, places, and things. Wilder based the books on her childhood, but not every word in the books is true.Did Mary Ingalls Attend College?
Laura Ingalls Wilder likely became a masterful observer and story teller as she became "eyes" for Mary. Later, Mary thrived at the Iowa College for the Blind in Vinton, Iowa. She enrolled there in November of 1881. The Dakota Territory paid for her schooling until she graduated on June 12, 1889.More About Mary Ingalls
The Museum of the American Printing House for the Blind has more information on Mary.Read additional articles discussing how Mary Ingalls lost her sight at CNN, CBS, New York Times, and Ann Arbor News. (You likely saw some of those if you follow the Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion on Facebook.)
If you like learning the facts behind the fiction of the Little House books, consider my book The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (Chicago Review Press, 2020, affiliate link). Fans of the Little House books, young and old, have said great things about it. Check out the reviews to see if it might be a book you'd appreciate.
Note: This updated article was first published on April 9, 2018.
~ Annette Whipple
Annette Whipple celebrates curiosity and is the author of about forty nonfiction books. Learn more about her and her books at at www.AnnetteWhipple.com.
~ Annette Whipple
Annette Whipple celebrates curiosity and is the author of about forty nonfiction books. Learn more about her and her books at at www.AnnetteWhipple.com.
