Character Analysis
Baby of the Family
Say hello to Caleb, the baby of the Witting family. No, he isn't an actual baby—he's just the youngest sibling, and his older sister, Anna, is super committed to protecting and caring for him. Perhaps because of this, Caleb's innocent, optimistic, and has high hopes for how things will turn out.
Caleb doesn't remember anything about his mother, so he isn't steeped in the same grief that Anna and Jacob know so well. Like Anna and Jacob, though, he's absolutely delighted when Sarah shows up, and he charms her with his chattiness and exuberance for life. This kid talks constantly and makes up silly songs along the way:
"Woolly ragwort!" Caleb whooped. He made up a song.
"Woolly ragwort all around,
Woolly ragwort on the ground,
Woolly ragwort grows and grows,
Woolly ragwort in your nose." (4.15-16)
It's clear from Caleb's behavior that he's still a little kid and sees the world through the eyes of a child. This means that he has a lot of fun and a vivid imagination, but it also makes it so he really longs for a mother in his life, despite not remembering ever having one.
Attachment Issues
Caleb wants a mother so badly that when Sarah shows up, he latches onto her immediately. He talks her ear off all day and won't let Sarah out of his sight:
"Where are you going?" he asked. "To do what?" (4.6)
All he wants in the world is for Sarah to stay with them forever, so not knowing what her ultimate decision will be drives him bananas. He gets super upset whenever she goes off on her own, and he's especially horrified when she decides to drive the wagon into town by herself:
"I could get sick and make her stay here," said Caleb.
"No."
"We could tie her up."
"No."
And Caleb began to cry, and I took him inside the barn where we could both cry. (9.7-11)
Caleb is completely attached to Sarah and thinks that he can force her to stay. Thing is, he doesn't realize that this isn't how you keep people around—in the end he has to trust Sarah to return to them. And she does, much to his eternal relief.