Sarah, Plain and Tall

The opening chapter drops the reader right into the story, establishing both young Anna as the first-person narrator and the tenor of her family relationships. She is kneading bread, a sign that she oversees the domestic household duties, including managing her brother while her father is busy. From Anna’s interactions with her little brother Caleb, the reader learns much about the Whiting family history and gains insight into Anna’s sorrow over the loss of her mother. Caleb’s innocent inquiries about the day of his birth contrast with the sharpness of Anna’s grief and unearth layers of residual trauma. Through Anna’s interior monologue, MacLachlan establishes that Anna has a complicated relationship with her brother. She loves and cares for him, but he is a daily reminder of the loss of their mother. Her mother’s final words and the fact that she did not say goodnight to her haunt Anna, yet she must carry on without showing her grief. Anna emerges as an observant and self-aware young girl who bears a heavy burden in carrying her grief as well as serving as the memory-keeper for Caleb.

Jacob’s abrupt announcement might be jarring to a modern reader, but in the historical context it is normal, and the children appear to absorb the news not only without hesitation but with excitement and anticipation. Their longing for the renewal of their father’s happiness is just as strong as their desire for a mother. The absence of singing in the house represents their father’s grief and loneliness, and the children’s longing for the return of music illustrates A Child’s Desire for Security and Stability. Caleb’s wish for a mother is so palpable that Anna must manage his expectations of their potential new mother. Though she keeps her emotions private, Anna also longs for a mother, not only to share the burden of Caleb’s care, but also to provide particularly female guidance and love, as illustrated by Anna’s asking Sarah if she can braid hair.

The author employs a partially epistolary format in Chapter 2 to introduce Sarah and illustrate the children’s fervent desire for her to accept Jacob’s invitation to visit. Sarah’s letters reveal her character before the family even meets her in person. She is direct yet witty and willingly answers all the family’s questions. The means of identification she gives—a yellow bonnet—symbolizes her bright, cheery disposition. Nevertheless, her response to Jacob’s advertisement reflects the realities of her situation as an unmarried woman at this time. Her brother is engaged, and when his wife moves in, she will expect Sarah to exit. Sarah answers the ad of her own volition but also out of necessity. However, she wastes no time asserting her independence and equality over the question of where Seal will live: She has already given up a lot by leaving her home, and she expects Jacob to be accommodating. This is the first wrinkle in their rapport and signals their contrasting lifestyles.

The author sets the story in the late 19th century on the midwestern plains but gives few details to situate it in a specific time or place. The sparse prose and nebulous setting give the story timelessness and lend a sense of universality to its themes. At its core, this is a story about The Beauty of New Beginnings as spring blossoms on the prairie, a grief-stricken family seeks to start again after tragedy, and one brave woman picks up and moves across the country to try a new life. The author asserts that starting over must begin with the pain of loss; the Whitings grieve death and Sarah makes peace with leaving the sea. However, there can be immense joy and adventure in making a fresh start. Though they have not left their home, the Whitings must also embrace the uncertainty of new beginnings as they welcome a stranger into their home. Sarah not only brings a housecat, an unfamiliar idea to the Whitings, but also a unique way of life predicated on her coastal upbringing. The story highlights the beauty of accepting and even learning from someone’s differences.