A Girl Called Samson

In the novel’s first section, Harmon depicts the challenges of Deborah Samson’s childhood and adolescence to illustrate the reasons behind her eventual decision to enlist in the army, and The Struggle for Gender Equality and Personal Freedom takes center stage in this internal evolution. To this end, Harmon crafts a narrative depicting one woman’s struggle for identity and equality, and the protagonist’s journey is intensified by the tumultuous backdrop of the American Revolutionary War. The theme is further emphasized by the fact that all of the chapter titles are phrases taken from the Declaration of Independence. Samson’s personal struggle for freedom is accented by the novel’s examination of the pivotal historical events that led up to the war. For example, Chapter 1 opens on March 15, 1770, just 10 days after the Boston Massacre. Although Samson is not directly involved in this historical event, this context establishes the setting and shows how powerfully the novel’s major historical events will shape the young Samson’s sense of justice and her love for her young nation.

While Samson’s early years are challenging, she forges many positive relationships, even within her limited role as an indentured servant, and these influences have a profound impact on her journey into adulthood. For example, Reverend Sylvanus Conant becomes her “true friend and advocate” (60) and serves as a father figure to the protagonist, even kindling her faith in God and her belief in the revolution. In the realms of religion and politics, Samson is more interested in developing her personal convictions than in following the strictures of institutions and laws. This dynamic becomes clear when she tells Mrs. Thomas that her “faith is not in a church. [Her] faith is in God” (94). This declaration reinforces her status as a bold and independent person who thinks for herself and prioritizes her principles over societal expectations.

Reverend Conant provides Samson with another cherished friend when he introduces her to his niece, Elizabeth Paterson, who is “a young wife and a mother, and a woman of consequence” (14). The two young women only know each other through their writing, but Elizabeth remains a major influence on Samson long after her death, as demonstrated by Samson’s lifelong habit of addressing her diary entries to Elizabeth. In addition, Elizabeth offers an example of how a woman can demonstrate strength while fulfilling the roles that society expects of her.

Samson’s support system also includes the numerous Thomas brothers; Jeremiah gives Samson a sense of love and acceptance that is rare in her difficult life and bestows the nickname Rob upon her: a name that she later uses in the army. By contrast, her relationship with Phineas is more complex, for the mischievous boy is “always in competition” with Samson during their childhood, and just like several of his brothers, he develops romantic feelings for Samson. However, romance is more complicated for Samson than it is for the boys because marriage is one of the few socially acceptable opportunities that women have to attain social advancement and economic security during this time frame. As Samson states, “It’s my life. And I don’t know how many prospects I have. I have to consider them all” (47). Harmon uses Samson’s wariness of pursuing a relationship with the Thomas brothers to demonstrate the ways in which gender roles impact the protagonist’s decisions.

In a further attempt to examine The Struggle for Gender Equality and Personal Freedom, Harmon establishes the protagonist’s desperate yearning for liberty by describing the drudgery and hopelessness of her life as an indentured servant. As Samson admits, “I would not miss [Widow Thatcher’s] slaps, the harsh criticisms, or the endless tasks that were never done to her satisfaction, but I had no confidence that my new situation would be any better” (8). Because of her indentured servitude, Samson is invested in the conflict between England and the colonies, and the ideals of liberty and the pursuit of happiness speak deeply to her own longing for greater freedom in her personal life. The novel’s primary conflict is between the protagonist and her society as Samson’s desire for autonomy clashes with societal and familial expectations. For example, both her mother and the Thomases pressure her to marry but ignore her personal criteria for a suitable spouse. Thus, Harmon uses these early chapters to emphasize Samson’s lack of options, and her oppressive situation explains why she enlists in the army and risks both social scandal and criminal charges in a desperate bid to improve her life.

Reflecting the importance of celebrating the real Samson’s bold choice, Harmon’s novel also celebrates The Courage and Resilience of Women in History. Within the context of the novel, Samson herself takes inspiration from the women who came before her, including Jael, a heroine in the Book of Judges who “slayed a mighty general and liberated her people from the fist of oppression” (2). Like the biblical figure of Jael, Samson aspires to fight against oppression with her own hands. In Chapter 4, for example, she actively supports the war effort by weaving blankets for the ill-equipped troops. This brief detail stands as just one example of how Harmon uses her narrative to recognize women’s contributions throughout history. Her depiction also challenges demeaning or dismissive attitudes toward what is traditionally seen as “women’s work.”

As the story unfolds, Harmon’s decision to structure the novel around Samson’s diary entries is a significant one, for this format lends her experiences a contemplative tone, and her habit of keeping a journal becomes a powerful symbol of self-expression in the context of a restrictive society. She finds a sense of empowerment in recording her story, but her words make it clear that she is unable to fully express herself in writing, for fear that her thoughts might be seen by unwelcome eyes. As she admits, “I knew better than to write anything that would devastate me were someone to read it [....] The only privacy I truly had was in the space between my ears” (43). Samson’s self-editing reflects the precarious nature of her position in society as an indentured servant, and her lifelong practice with secrecy also prepares her for her time in the army.

Significantly, issues of clothing and freedom of movement become concrete examples of the struggle for gender equality and personal freedom. Just as cumbersome skirts limit Samson’s speed, society’s expectations of women limit her agency. Her first breeches are a gift from the Thomas boys, and this occurrence further emphasizes their influence on the protagonist’s development. She only wears the breeches during their races, which underlines the fact that she is not looking for special treatment and simply wants to compete with the boys on an equal level so that she can achieve her full potential. Similarly, the act of running emerges as a symbol of freedom, for the “speed and motion” of running is the antithesis of her confinement to the boundaries that others set for her. Samson’s position with the Thomas family affords her greater freedom, as demonstrated by Samson’s “dashing path” in the woods (17). Harmon uses Samson’s construction of the path to illustrate some of the protagonist’s key traits, including her hard work, her solitary nature, and her burning desire to prove herself.