Sarah, Plain and Tall - Culture

[James B Rollins]

What is the effect of physical environment on the cultures in this story?
a. The sea—Maine (New England)
b. The prairie (sea of grass)—Kansas, Nebraska, etc.
c. The American South (Tennessee)

[Amanda]

Human activities including the lifestyle, food, and economic activities will be affected by the environment where they live.
People living in Maine, like Sarah's brother, would make a living fishing offshore while people living in Kanas, like Jacob, would work on the farm and raise cow , sheep chickens for what they need.
One of the reason of the story is so touching is because of the love between Sarah and the Witting family that made Sarah willing to live far away from her brother and adjust her lifestyle with such as difference.

[Huiching Kuo]

There is no doubted that different physical environment influences people's lifestyle. Obviously, as far as culture is concerned, there is culture conflict between Sarah and this family. Sarah living in Maine presents the the culture of New England where the new early immigrate lived. And people living by the sea who have adventurous characteristic always like to travel. However, this family presents the culture of Tennessee where agriculture is people lifestyle, such as raising animals and growing corns or other plants. The scene residents can see is the prairie, sea of grass. Sarah, a brave and adventurous girl tried to find the balance point of culture and reconcile the culture conflict between the American South and North.

[priscilla]

These three states reveals not only different physical environment and distinct lifestyles and the character personality. For the physical environment, Maine is a state almost surrounded by the sea. And it's also the place where Sarah comes from. It implies Sarah's eager for freedom and carefree mind, not feelings of restraint. She, therefore, sometimes wants to escape from the family.
Second, the prairie, for example, Kansas, is the state fraught with grass. And also it's the place where Jacob's family live. This also symbolizes the family themselves are open with any new friends and simple-life personality. Besides, since it's a field place, there are farmers, which hints the easygoing personality to guests.
Third, Tennessee is a place where Maggie, Jacob neighbor's wife, comes from. This place is a bit similar to her new home. However, no matter what, the original home always gives people more emotional attachment and belongingness. And the big and broad field in Tennessee slightly represents welcoming heart to friends and enthusiasm for help. For example, Maggie shows her empathy to Sarah when she is homesick.
There are still other possible hidden implications of these different physical environments. But people can still have different opinions towards the same angle.

[tytylu22]

Jacob, Sarah and the children use the natural resources of the farm to satisfy their wants and needs. (They raised cows, sheep, chickens and grew corn and other vegetables for food. They used horses for transportation and to plow the fields. They built a windmill to pump the water out of the ground for irrigation. They planted flowers for seeds and beauty.)

Located by the Atlantic Ocean, the seacoast had rocky cliffs and sand dunes that rise up from the sea; and the hills were covered with pine and spruce trees. People could make a living fishing offshore for flounder, sea bass and bluefish. People could travel by boat, train, foot, horse and carriage. The climate could be very cold with rain squalls and snow in the winter.)

Reference:http://140.123.42.2/f06/temf06/Saved%20websites/robeson.htm

[ruthyang]

Physical environment exerts a powerful influence on the main characters in the story. Sarah, for the most part of the story, struggles with her nostalgia for the sea in the waterless Great Plains. In her culture, everyone swims in the sea and women gather and talk.

The Wittings, who have seen nothing but the sea of grass all their lives, struggle to understand Sarah's love for a great body of water. In their culture, everyone rides a horse or drives a wagon to get to the closest neighbor.

Maggie exhibits the hospitable and friendly nature of the Southerners. She, too, misses her culture enormously.

For Sarah, to go from hearing three old aunts “squawking together like crows at dawn” to seeing nothing but farm animals and three human beings for an entire month, the loneliness must be overwhelming. Eventually she does manage, but the process can be agonizing at times.

[andreakao]

From the novelette, we see people in Maine swim and see seals, of which Sarah is the stereotype, while people in Kansas, including the Wittings, grow grain and raise farm animals. The differences between the two states do not bring violent conflicts between Sarah and the Wittings. Sarah tries very hard to adapt herself to a new life without sea. The Wittings at the same time make their best trying to experience a life with “sea” and water. Their neighbor, Maggie, plays a role to comfort Sarah’s growing nostalgia for the sea. Maggie’s generosity to share with friends can be the sharp characteristic of the people who come from the south of America.

[changkaifu]

Kansas: It would first comes to my mind that Kansas is an agricultural state. Through the famous story, The Wizard of Oz, we can see that there could be endless green paths and harsh weather. People may be diligent because living on agriculture.
Maine: People can approach the sea. I think that can bring a more broad mind to people.
Tennessee: Vaguely recalled my memory of my junior high school life, my English teacher taught me a song and the lyrics went like this: was not "born on a mountaintop in Tennessee¡KDavy, Davy Crockett, king of the wild frontier.¡¨ Based on this memory, I am of the opinion that, the environment has cultivated her people more adventurous than those of other state. Although recently, when I surfed on the Internet, found that Davy Crockett was born by the river.