Who Rebecca Randall is
Rebecca Randall is about ten when she leaves Sunnybrook Farm for her aunts' house in Riverboro. Talkative and eager, she makes friends with the stagecoach driver, Jeremiah Cobb, before the journey is over. Beneath her excited chatter, she feels anxious and wants to be liked.
What Rebecca Randall wants
Rebecca wants to do well because she knows her family places hope in her education. Her widowed mother, Aurelia Randall, struggles to raise seven children and keep their mortgaged farm going. Rebecca's wish to help reaches beyond her family when she sells soap to assist a poor household.
Rebecca Randall and the others in the story
Aunt Miranda Sawyer values order and duty, while Rebecca brings imagination and noise into the tidy brick house. Aunt Jane Sawyer offers gentler care, although she cannot always defend Rebecca against Miranda's corrections. At school, Emma Jane Perkins becomes Rebecca's closest friend and admires her quick mind.
How Rebecca Randall changes
Rebecca learns self-control without losing her delight in stories, rhymes and the world around her. Teachers notice her talent for words, and she begins to join imagination with hard work. She also starts to understand what her aunts give up to shelter and educate her.
Questions
Who is Rebecca Randall?
Rebecca Randall is a poor farm girl whose move to Riverboro opens a new life of school, friendship and family duties.
Is Rebecca Randall a well-behaved child?
Rebecca tries to be good, but she forgets rules, becomes restless and sometimes answers back. Her generosity sits alongside pride and a wish to show off.
Why does Rebecca call Adam Ladd Mr. Aladdin?
She gives Adam Ladd the name because it plays on his surname and the tale of the magic lamp. His kindness during her soap-selling effort fills her with wonder.
