These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901

Discuss Sarah’s growth as a character over the course of the novel. How would you describe her in the first four chapters? Which life events reveal significant maturation of her character? Which aspects of her life and her narrative perspective hold her back?

Analyze Jack’s character. What drives and motivates him when Sarah first meets him? How and when do his motivations change? Is there “a secret man inside” Jack Elliot that Sarah may never know (237), or is he a more dynamic and complex character than she realizes?

What role do animals play in Sarah’s marriages, and how does this change as she matures?