Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Life in a Soddy

Today, we learned about life in a soddy, a type of house on the Great Plains that is made out of soil called sod. Because people who moved to the frontier did not have unlimited financial resources, they could not afford to build houses out of wood, which was an expensive luxury. Life in a soddy was difficult, but it provided shelter for a family so they could establish a life on the prairie.
 
My overall impression of living in a soddy is that life would be extremely difficult. The model soddy in the classroom was small and uncomfortable. There are five people in my family, so living close together for an extended period of time would be hard because I like to have space to myself. Also, living in a soddy could be dangerous. The fire or cook stove might be in the middle of the room, and there would be the risk of falling into the fire or setting the house on fire. The dampness of the soil and the close proximity of many people could cause sickness to spread easily. Life in a soddy would be difficult due to the small space and many dangers, but it would be interesting to live so close to nature.
 
I believe I could live in a soddy for a long period of time. I am positive that I could live in a soddy for at least a year. I would spend most of my time outdoors, and would spend the remaining daylight hours efficiently so the hours without light could be reserved for rest. Life on the prairie required people to farm and work the land, so most of my time would be spent outside of the soddy. The rest of my time in the soddy would eventually become easier because I would become used to the smell, the overcrowding, and living in the earth. After time to adapt to life in a soddy, I am confident that I could live in one for more than a year.
 
Based on my knowledge of the frontier and soddies, I would choose life on the Great Plains opposed to life in a city. I appreciate the beauty and freedom of the prairies. I would rather live on a farm and sustain myself than live in a dirty city. City life has its own dangers and hardships, and I would rather have space and land to myself. Life in a soddy may be difficult, but I believe that it would be an interesting and exciting life to live.
 
 

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