The Courage of Sarah Noble

The text abounds with similes. Find as many as possible and consider how they add to the text’s mood and meaning. Analyze these similes and their impact on characterization, setting, and theme.

This text is considered controversial due to the dehumanization and racist representations of the Schaghticoke, but it also offers important themes that could be useful to contemporary society. Do you think this text is appropriate for the elementary classroom? Explain why or why not.

Why are there so few references to the private thoughts and feelings of Schaghticoke characters? On what occasions does the narrator offer such descriptions? What is the effect of the narrator’s tendency to offer more information about English characters’ thoughts than Schaghticoke characters’ thoughts?