Tiny Soderball

Character Analysis

Tiny is another of the "hired girls," immigrant girls who comes to town to work in order to support their families. Tiny works at a men's boarding house, much to the concern of families like the Harlings. As with Lena, there is the constant concern that Tiny will get into trouble with the men who are always chasing after her. And yet Tiny turns out well – possibly better than the rest of the hired girls, depending on your point of view. She makes a fortune in the gold rush in Alaska and ends up a wealthy woman living in San Francisco. This shows us that Cather rewards the women who ignore traditional gender roles, maintain their independence, and take risks.