When Sarah comes to join the Witting family in Sarah, Plain and Tall, it's not a complete walk in the park. After all, she's not going off to marry some prince in a foreign land where she'll live a life of luxury. Nope, Sarah has to leave behind her family and beloved ocean in order to come to the prairie land and join the family of a hardworking farmer. Sarah's decision—to stay with the Witting family or to return to her hometown—is all the more difficult because she'll have to give something up either way. There's sacrifice involved that she has to weigh in order to figure out which is the better decision.
Questions About Sacrifice
- What does Sarah miss the most about Maine? How do you think this will change over time?
- Why doesn't Sarah leave the Witting family in the end? Do you think this is the right choice? Why or why not?
- How does Sarah feel about living so far away from the ocean? Is it all bad?
Chew on This
Anna's just as worried and scared about Sarah's decision as Caleb is, but she hides her true feelings in order to offer her little brother comfort and a shoulder to cry on.
Although Sarah will always miss the ocean and her brother, she decides to give these things up in order to stay with the Witting family.