Summary: After losing her father and her family's farm near Long Island to an angry mob of rebels, Sarah Bishop goes to a tavern to earn money and to get help to find her brother Chad, who ran away to join the Patriot army. After a while she leaves the tavern for New York City where the British falsely accuse her of starting a fire. While waiting for her trial, she is given permission to visit Chad, who was taken prisoner aboard a boat called the Scorpion. But when they tell her Chad died, Sarah runs away to a place where she can be away from the war. Along the way, she buys a musket from a ferryman and stops at a village called Ridgeford to stock up on supplies. A runaway girl tells Sarah about a place called Long Pond and Sarah decides to go there because it's practically isolated. Sarah lives a satisfactory life in the wilderness even though she is hateful towards most people.
Theme: The main theme of the novel is "surviving in your own after losing everything". I know it's a cliche but I think that it really is the main theme. I think that the author, Scott O'Dell, chose to write about Sarah because since the Revolution got her brother and father killed, she is forced to survive on her own while making difficult life choices. Also, I think that O'Dell chose to write about the American Revolution because it was a time where neighbors turned on each other and on their families based on their opinions and beliefs (Mr.Bishop vs. Chad).
Protagonist: Sarah is a round dynamic protagonist, which is common in most novels. At first, she was helpful, a little suspicious of people but not too much, and she would obey her father without question. Later on, she became anti-social, rude, and trusted practically no one. Throughout the novel, she's smart, hardworking, resourceful, and emotionally strong. Another important character is Isaac Morton because he is nice to Sarah and helps her out when some people of Ridgeford falsely accuse her of being a witch.
Symbolism: One important symbol is Sarah's musket. When Sarah bought the musket from the ferryman, she began to see it as a companion. The musket represents both violence and security. It reveals Sarah's trust issues and also her new fierce personality.
Why did you choose this book?: I chose this book for my Lit. Analysis because it was somewhat short so I thought that it would make this assignment easier for me. It came to my attention most likely in 7th grade. It appealed to me because it took place during a war. Even though I am opposed to warfare, I think that novels about wars are interesting to read.
Connections: The only connection I can make between something in the book and and something in my own life would be that I am a little like Isaac Morton. We are both against war, religious hypocrisy, and slavery(which is a part of religious hypocrisy).
An Idea from this Book: One idea from this book that I'll remember for a long time is that refusal to forgive changes you slowly and for the worse. This passage is not a very good example, but there is a tone of bitterness and that's why I'm using it:
"I got out the Bible. By firelight I read from Matthew. I came to Chapter 5, verse 44, and read,'But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' I read aloud. The words sounded strange in the darkening grove. They hung above me and drifted away...I read the verse again, leaning down to see by the dying fire. ' Love your enemies, bless them that curse you,' I read. The words sounded strange to my ears, stranger than they had before. I looked at the fire and saw my father standing at the doorway, Birdsall was holding a light, and his mob behind him was tossing a torch into the dry hayloft...I read aloud from memory,'And pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.' But I saw before me David Whitlock leaning over the rail of the Scorpion, calling down to me the word of my brother's death...I got to my feet. I felt like screaming, but I read the verse again. The words are dead, cold as the stars in the heavens above. Iheld the book open and carefully ripped the page from Matthew and laid it in the fire..."
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