My Friend Flicka

Rob is Ken’s father and Nell’s husband. He is the owner and person in charge of Goose Bar Ranch. As a former Army captain, he is frequently referred to as “Captain McLaughlin” or just “McLaughlin,” emphasizing the respect and loyalty that he commands. As Ken reflects, “He and Howard had to say Yes, sir, and No, sir, to their father because he had been an Army officer before he had the ranch, and he believed in respect and discipline” (5-6).

This devotion to discipline becomes McLaughlin’s primary characteristic in the novel, as he is defined by his commanding rule of the ranch and his family. For example, when Howard and Ken are excited to go into town, at the last moment he makes Howard stay behind to brush and clean his colt. Despite his strong relationship with Howard and his appreciation for what Howard does, he still holds him to a high standard, emphasizing the importance of caring for his animals over the enjoyment of the rare trip to town.

In addition to the respect that McLaughlin commands from those around him, he emphasizes a similar respect for the animals on the ranch, demonstrating his appreciation of nature and animals. Repeatedly throughout the novel, McLaughlin teaches his sons lessons about caring for the horses. He teaches them to train them with firm kindness instead of anger, gives them the freedom of the range, and tells them to learn to communicate and respect what the horses need. In one key scene, as Ken stresses over the idea of saddle-breaking Flicka, his father makes a joke of the situation to show Ken how simple it can be. Instead of forcing Flicka to be ridden or commanding him, he instead has Ken simply hook up the saddle and Flicka willingly follows him. This moment emphasizes McLaughlin’s deep respect and understanding of nature, as he runs a humane ranch that values its animals.

As a dynamic character, McLaughlin changes throughout the course of the text as he learns an even deeper respect and understanding from Ken. Despite McLaughlin’s treatment of his animals, he also focuses on the value of bloodline and stock, repeatedly telling Ken that Flicka will never be trainable because of who her ancestors are. McLaughlin’s opinion of Flicka reflects his shortcomings, as he values profit and common sense when it comes to his stock, choosing to get rid of Flicka’s siblings rather than putting in the effort to train them.

While McLaughlin’s expertise has value and he is acting in response to the needs of the ranch, he also learns from Ken just how big of a role emotional connection and support can play. When Flicka ends up recovering from her illness largely thanks to Ken’s support, he realizes both that Flicka truly can be trained and that her friendship is invaluable to his son. As McLaughlin stands vigil and protects Flicka the entire night, it is clear that he has changed, valuing his son’s relationship with Flicka over the potential for profits or wasted money training her.

Nell is Rob’s wife and the mother of Ken and Howard. She is 37 years old. She is a skilled horse rider, with “tanned” skin and “a long, slender waist [with] curves held where they belonged by trained muscles” (11). Although not much of Nell’s backstory is given, it is explained that she moved out West from Boston after she met Rob and learned of his dream to start a ranch. Although she often thinks of the difficulties of their life, their financial struggles, and the strain of what they are doing, she is nonetheless dedicated to helping her family succeed. While McLaughlin is strict and demanding to everyone in the novel, Nell is the only character who questions him and sways his opinion, doing so only in private while publicly supporting him.

Throughout the novel, Nell faces an internal conflict over the life she is living versus the one that she used to have. The first time that she is introduced, she stands at the window and looks out at the trees, thinking of how they remind her of the sounds of “the sea” back home. Her life on the ranch requires her to care for the children, clean the house, cook, and, occasionally, care for the cows. Instead of feeling like this work is overwhelming, she decries her lack of ability to help in other areas. When the ranch workers call her “Missus,” she always thinks of the weight that that title carries, largely meaning that she is to stay within the home and take care of the duties there. Instead, she longs to do more work and physical labor on the farm.

As a compromise, McLaughlin encourages her to ride the horses and seeks her help in breaking the ones, like Rumba, who need extra care and attention. Instead of being controlling or demanding, McLaughlin seeks Nell’s advice and allows her freedom with the horses, while maintaining expectations for the work that she does on the farm. Ultimately, Nell is not unhappy; although she longs for some parts of the life that she used to live in the city, she is devoted to McLaughlin and her family and willingly does the duties required of her to help the ranch succeed.