# Making a Place for Chickens explained — Driven Back to Eden

> Chapter companion for Driven Back to Eden by Edward Payson Roe.

## What happens

The family works together to clean out a space in the barn for Winnie's chickens, with the father leading the effort to create a warm, dry, and light-filled home for the poultry. The chapter also touches on game laws, the importance of protecting songbirds, and the family's growing comfort in their new home as they settle into rural life.

## Themes in this chapter

### Self-Reliance and Hard Work

The family undertakes the entire chicken coop project themselves, from cleaning to partitioning, demonstrating self-sufficiency.

### Family and Parental Duty

The father involves all the children in the work, assigning age-appropriate tasks and teaching them responsibility.

### Moral Education and Discipline

The father instructs the boys on obeying game laws and protecting songbirds, instilling ethical hunting practices.

## Character check-ins

### Winnie

Eagerly takes on the task of washing the chicken room window and is delighted by the project.

### Merton

Helps clear cornstalks and is initially inclined to discard them, but follows his father's instructions to keep them for cow bedding.

### Bobsey

Assists in carrying cornstalks and later helps make paths in the snow.

### Mousie

Wistfully watches the others go to work but is content when given light tasks by her mother.

### Junior

Mentioned as having killed two rabbits on the property; is instructed to focus on hawks and other poultry enemies.

### Papa

Leads the chicken coop project, discusses game laws, and emphasizes the importance of protecting songbirds.

## Key lines

> “You know all about cleaning house; we are going to clean barn, and make a place for Winnie’s chickens. There is a window in their future bedroom⁠—roost-room I suppose I should call it⁠—that looks as if it had never been washed, and to get off the dust of years will be Winnie’s task, while Merton, Bobsey, and I create an interior that should satisfy a knowing hen.”

The father explains to his wife that they will clean the barn and prepare a chicken coop, with Winnie washing the grimy window and the boys helping him build a comfortable interior.

_Highlights the family's collaborative effort and the father's playful tone._

> “Now, boys, there must be no more hunting until I find out about the game laws. They should be obeyed, especially by sportsmen.”

The father tells the boys to stop hunting until he learns the local game laws, emphasizing the importance of obeying regulations.

_Shows the father's commitment to legal and ethical behavior._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se/chapters/xvi-making-a-place-for-chickens
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/driven_back_to_eden_se/chapters