The Courage of Sarah Noble

John Noble is Sarah’s father, and he is a static character who does not change throughout the text. He assures Sarah early in their journey that the Schaghticoke are friendly and peaceful, and he insists upon kindness above all, clearly espousing honest dealings with Indigenous peoples, such as paying fairly for their land and allowing them to keep their fishing rights. He dislikes Mistress Robinson, who is much more judgmental and suspicious of the Schaghticoke and appears early in the story. Near the story’s end, he is pleased by Sarah’s more truthful descriptions of the Schaghticoke, despite his wife, Mary’s, distrust of them and Mary’s sense of cultural superiority. His statement to his wife that “Tall John’s wife is almost as careful as you” (51) seems intended to placate his wife and to subtly expose her to the idea that the life and practices of the Schaghticoke are equal to her own. John is a family man, going to great trouble to secure property, build a home with little help, and then retrieve his entire large family so that they can move into the new home.

At the same time, John is characterized as much by his uncertainty as he is by his relative open-mindedness, at least in comparison to Mistress Robinson and Mary Noble. Although he questions how much he truly “know[s] about these strange people” (32), by which he means the Schaghticoke, he also has enough faith in “Tall John’s” family to entrust them with the care of his young daughter when he must return to Massachusetts. He questions himself often about whether he was right to bring Sarah with him, and—notably—it appears to have been the right decision because there is, ultimately, no danger to Sarah from any of the threats she initially fears. His dislike of Mistress Robinson and his fondness for and trust in “Tall John” suggests that he cares more about kindness than skin color or cultural differences, unlike Mistress Robinson, who seems to stand in for the population of white colonists who justify their fears by claiming that Indigenous peoples are, by nature, malicious and violent.

Mistress Robinson’s racism and critical nature serve as a metaphorical yardstick by which readers can measure the attitudes of the Nobles. Though John and Sarah think of the Schaghticoke as “strange” or scary until they develop a greater understanding of and familiarity with the community, Mistress Robinson’s inflexible opinions about the Schaghticoke are based on misinformation and paranoia. When John and Sarah knock on her door, she meets them, unsmiling, saying she “thought [they] might be wandering Indians” (7), implying that her apprehensiveness is warranted because such individuals might pose a threat to her. This is an unreasonable fear because, as she later admits, she has “heard that they are friendly” (10); she maintains her sense of cultural and racial superiority, underwritten by a fearfulness that might legitimize it to other white colonists but is factually unwarranted. When her children tell Sarah that the “Indians will eat [her], [….] chop off her head, [… or] skin [her] alive” (10), Mistress Robinson does not correct them. She is, however, quick to snap at her daughter, Abigail, merely because the girl says she would like to have a new cloak. This discrepancy shows that Mistress Robinson is quite willing to correct her children when she feels they’ve said something wrong; therefore, she must agree with her sons’ inaccurate and offensive representations of the Schaghticoke as murderous cannibals who take pleasure in violence.

Mistress Robinson’s mien and behavior also contrast that of Mary Noble, Sarah’s mother. Sarah immediately senses that Mistress Robinson is “not like [her] mother […]. Her face is not like a mother’s face” (7). Mary Noble is loving and encouraging, and though her warning to Sarah to “keep up” her courage actually frightens the girl a little, Mary “fussed” over her children in a “loving” manner, contrasting Mistress Robinson’s far less affectionate fussing. When Mistress Robinson helps Sarah to bed, covering the girl warmly, she seems a “little” like Mary Noble, but the impression dissolves when she says to Sarah, “So young, so young […]. A great pity” (11). This apparent criticism of John’s Noble’s decision to bring his daughter with him to Connecticut implies that Sarah will come to harm, needlessly frightening the little girl anew by suggesting that the Schaghticoke pose a threat to her.

Mary Noble is Sarah’s mother. Her suspicion and fear of the Schaghticoke, while typical of many white colonists’ attitudes toward Indigenous groups, throws into sharper relief just how much Sarah grows during her time in Connecticut with her father. In this way, Mary serves as Sarah’s foil. Her fears and worries influence Sarah’s, as she tells her daughter multiple times to “keep up your courage, Sarah Noble!” (2). If there was nothing to fear, then Sarah would not need to be so brave; Sarah’s introduction to the Schaghticoke shows how far her cultural awareness develops, given that her ideas about this community originated with her mother’s fear.

Sarah’s recognition of the lack of love in Mistress Robinson’s home, wholly unlike the home Mary Noble keeps, showcases Sarah’s emotional intelligence and encourages a belief that Mary can also become less racist and more culturally aware and accepting. John Noble values kindness above all else, and so it seems likely that his wife would embody this quality; likewise, Mary’s kindness seems to be confirmed by Sarah’s memories of her mother’s love and affectionate attentions. This kindness differentiates Mary from Mistress Robinson in a significant way; while Mistress Robinson—who cannot even be kind to her own children—maintains her racist attitudes, Mary’s kindness suggests that she can (and will) develop the same awareness and sensitivity that Sarah does. In the end, Mary’s xenophobia stands in stark contrast to Sarah’s understanding and empathy, not only showing just how much Sarah has grown but also hinting at Mary’s ability to change with experience.