A Reflection of Sarah, Plain and Tall

Title : Sarah, Plain and Tall
Author : Patricia MacLachlan
Publisher : Harper Trophy
City : New York
Year : 1987
Pages : 56

A Reflection to Sarah, Plain and Tall

Summary:
Jacob witting is a widower farmer with two children, Caleb and Anna. Since his wife passed away after giving birth Caleb several years earlier, he must handle his farm and the two children alone. Moreover, Caleb and Anna feel loneliness without mother who always take care them. So Mr. Jacob decides to write a letter to the newspaper to get a wife. Sarah, from Maine answers the letter and takes a trip to become his wife. But Sarah feels homesick. She always remembers the Maine sea shore which prairie grass can not substitute it. When she rides the wagon to the town alone, the kids wonder if she would come back. And she did. The kids love her so much. In the end, Sarah and Jacob get married. And they lead good life together.

Comment:
It is a very interesting book, especially for those who love family atmosphere. The story in this novel is simple, but it can express many things in family life. After reading this novel I can feel more about family life; the respect, love, strengthening each other, help, and understanding each other are really family values which are revealed in this novel. All the characters which are played in this novel are very interesting. There is Jacob witting, a tough man who should take responsibility to take care his children and field alone without his wife. There is Anna, a very good sister who should act as sister and daughter. She must help her father after her mother died. There is Caleb, young boy who always care to his family. He can bring fun atmosphere to the family. There is also Sarah, a woman who is ready to leave his memory in Maine and live with witting’s family as a wife and mother. The all characters can make the story reflects truly family atmosphere. The family atmosphere makes this novel suitable for all ages. Even as a teacher, we can teach our students by using this novel. We can teach about the characters, cultural understanding, tools and dress which already existed that time, and also family values. And if the novel has already been studied by the students we can make a drama based on the story. It will be fun.

Experience:
The story reminds me about my friend’s story. He has the only one young sister. He and his sister lived with his father. His mother had passed away. Shortly, his father wanted to get married again. He felt so lonely without a wife next to him. Then his father married a woman he liked and brought to his house. But my friend and his sister could not accept her to be his step mother, so he did evil things in order to make his step mother feel sad. But, then, he realized that his step mother was very good and care about him and his sister, so they changed their attitudes to his step. They became more respect to their step mother until present time. And they have a good family life. I can compare cultural sides from the both stories; the novel story and my friend’s story.. There is cultural difference between the stories. From the novel we can see there is no refusal to step mother, but my friend’s story shows that step mother is always regarded as bad person and refusal is a must to the step mother.