Sarah, Plain and Tall

Caleb Whiting is Anna’s talkative and inquisitive younger brother, who brings a sense of childish whimsy to the narrative. Having never known his mother, who died just one day after his birth, Caleb looks to his older sister as a mother figure and turns to her to comfort his fears. He is a perceptive child, and it is Caleb who alerts the reader to the sadness in the Whitings’ home; though too young to recognize that his father is depressed and lonely, he does know that singing is a part of their family culture, so the cessation of the ritual signals that something is wrong. Anna attempts to allay his fears and teases him about his disposition, saying, “I would have named you Troublesome […]” even while indulging his curiosity (4).

Once Sarah arrives, Caleb takes to her immediately, asking endless questions about her life near the sea. She is patient with him and answers all his inquiries, but he also watches her responses for signs that she intends to stay. Caleb’s anxious nature brings tension to the story, raising doubts about whether Sarah will in fact become their mother. In fact, Caleb worries that his personality will itself drive Sarah away. When Sarah returns with her gifts, solidifying her intention to stay, Caleb dissolves into tears and releases all his worry: “And the house is too small, we thought! And I am loud and pesky!” (56). Sarah’s decision to stay not only provides Caleb with the motherly attention he needs but with confirmation that he can be himself and doesn’t need to change to be loved.

Jacob Whiting is the widowed father of Anna and Caleb. When the novel opens, he is sad and lonely. Jacob represents the difficulty of frontier life, where tragedy can strike at any time and one must live with the looming shadow of grief and disaster. Raising two children and caring for his farm alone has proven challenging, so Jacob decides to search for a new partner. His careful presentation of the idea to the children and his inclusion of them in the process through the letter-writing display his compassion and sensitivity to their emotional needs.

Jacob extends that same graciousness to Sarah as he allows their bond to form slowly. Though he is in dire need of material assistance around the farm, Jacob also seeks the love of a partner, so he does not treat Sarah merely as a cook or housekeeper. Though the two occasionally butt heads, Jacob respects Sarah’s independent spirit and does not try to change her or force her to conform to his expectations: As he says, “Sarah is Sarah. She does things her way, you know” (55). When he brings her the first roses of the season, it symbolizes his love and his intention to treasure her for the rest of his life.

Though Sarah Wheaton describes herself as “plain and tall” (14), she is anything but ordinary. Before the Whitings meet her in person, her letters reveal her to be a strong but also kind and humorous person. Sarah’s willingness to respond to the request of a stranger, move across the country, and potentially become someone’s wife and a mother to his children displays courage and resolve. Sarah also makes it clear from her first communication that she is unwilling to change the core of who she is: “I am strong and I work hard and I am willing to travel. But I am not mild mannered” (9).

Once Sarah arrives, she dives right into helping with the children and the household, but Anna can sense she deeply misses her home. Sarah bonds with the animals first, which signals not only that she is goodhearted, but also that she is well suited to life on the prairie farm. Her devotion to the animals is a precursor to bonding with Anna and Caleb, and when Maggie’s daughters gift her the chickens, she treats them as though they were her children: “Sarah loved the chickens. She clucked back to them and fed them grain” (39). Maggie’s visit is itself a turning point for Sarah, as she connects with a person who is an outsider like herself and as Maggie empathizes with her homesickness and validates her feelings. By giving her permission to grieve the loss of her home by the sea, Maggie opens the door for Sarah to embrace The Beauty of New Beginnings. The garden Sarah plants with the flowers Maggie gave her symbolizes Sarah’s new life with the Whitings.