Chutes and Ladders - A Game of Morals

A friend of a friend was giving away her old board games and I snagged a version of Chutes and Ladders from the good ole 80s. I think I only played this game a handful of times (maybe) when I was a child. I don't believe my family owned a copy. Playing the game now, I find myself pondering the various goods and ills that make you either climb the ladders or fall down the chutes. What does this game teach the youngsters? Here's a little rundown of what I've learned from this old version of a classic children's game.

The good deed that gives you access to the tallest ladder--you move ahead seven rows, giving you what is mostly likely a huge lead--is the act of rescuing an animal. This young man has climbed a tree to save a stranded cat. The reward is the love of a grateful pet. This is indeed a good value; caring for animals is an appropriate way for children to spend their time. It's curious to me that this trumps all other values. Let's take a look at some other actions that earn rewards.



Eating a balanced meal. Every parent's
desire for their child.  Here we see a lad eating a complete breakfast--it must be the weekend. His reward? Why, he grows up big and strong! You'll see from the numbers that this good deed only moves you up one row. Turns out eating well doesn't give you the biggest rewards.




A Flinstone kid if ever I saw one.

A meatier good deed is the ever-popular chore! Here we see a kid mowing the lawn (with manpower, not fossil fuels! Environmental subtext!) What does this earn him? A trip to the circus! Good job, son. In the game, this moves you up three rows.



 

 

 

Lest you think only the boys are doing any good stuff around the neighborhood, here are some of the girls' good deeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we have a girl planting a garden. Her reward is having a beautiful bouquet in her home. Nevermind the obvious gender division of yardwork, this household chore also means moving up three rows.

This young lady is mending her dog's hurt paw. Here again we see someone coming to the aid of an animal, only this time the player only moves up two rows. There seems to be a distinction between rescuing an animal and merely bandaging a wound.

So what have we learned? It seems the big reward comes from showing courage, bravery, and selflessness. It takes some guts to climb a tree and save a cat. Eating a good breakfast and planting some flowers are mundane in comparison. Perhaps that's what the creators of this game had in mind.






Now to the bad behavior. If the highest good is risking life and limb to save an animal, what's the lowest low? Getting hurt. The biggest drop comes from this guy who is stealing cookies. After a six row fall, you find out he fell, broke the cookie jar, and hurt himself. Clearly stealing is bad and leads to injury and probably having to pay for that broken jar with your allowance.

What's curious is that the kid skating on the pond when it says "No Skating" only results in a two row setback. He's shown sitting in icy water, head in hands. I would think that the possibility of drowning and hypothermia might trump stealing, but not according to Milton Bradley.

Minor infractions are carrying too many dishes at one time--don't be too helpful!

And, of course, if you read your comics instead of your (revisionist) history textbook (thank Texas!), you'll end up the class dunce.

Somehow I don't think this image would make it in today's game . . .




















So, the worst you can do is steal. Lesser evils are being deceptive, overestimating your strength and ability to balance a pile of china, and skating on a partially-frozen pond. The most common consequence to bad behavior is getting hurt. It makes sense that the game would include warnings about this as it's something most parents warn their children about.

It seems I'm not the first to ponder the goings on of this game. Here's an interesting rundown of the scholarship behind interpretations of Chutes and Ladders. Basically, one school of thought is aligned with what I've laid out. The ups and downs represent real life choices. The competing theory is that because children arrive at chutes or ladders by chance (the spinning of a wheel), it doesn't represent the choice to be good or bad. Rather, it represents the highs and lows of emotions that children feel, which are subject to chance. I'm not sure I agree as the pictures in the game represent real life situations. I see it as saying, "When you choose good behavior, you are rewarded. Bad behavior brings a negative consequence." You land on spots where children are either choosing wisely or foolishly. I don't see the fact that a random spin does away with the obvious choices the game presents.

The other thing about this game is that it takes soooooooooooooooooooo long to play. You think you're getting close to winning and bam! You're right back to the beginning.You have to be in for the long haul.

In conclusion, I'd like to note that the ladder that allows you to climb right to the winning spot is getting first prize at the pet show (again with the animals!). The real way to win the game? Be a winner.