Ah, the pursuit of happiness. In Sarah, Plain and Tall, the Witting family and Sarah Wheaton are both trying out their new relationship to see if they can bring each other happiness in the form of family. When Sarah answers Jacob's ad for a wife, she obviously wants to see if she can see herself as a part of his family. And even though she's super lonely and uncertain when she first comes to their home, Sarah does end up finding happiness with the Witting family, while bringing happiness into their lives, too. The Wittings even start to sing again, something they haven't done since Anna and Caleb's mother died.
Questions About Happiness
- Why haven't Jacob and the kids sung in so long? Be specific, please.
- What about the Midwest makes Sarah happy? What makes her sad?
- How does Sarah bring happiness into the Witting family? How do the Wittings bring happiness to Sarah? What similarities and differences do you notice?
- Is Maggie happy in her Midwestern home? Why or why not?
Chew on This
When Sarah arrives, Jacob and the children start to sing again for the first time in a long while, which just shows how happy they are now that she's with them.
Jacob manages to take away some of Sarah's homesickness by fixing up a "dune" for her out of hay—and the gesture makes her laugh and smile and realize she can be at home here.