A Lion to Guard Us

Even as the Freebold children’s economic situation improves with Dr. Crider as their protector, Amanda still sees the world through the lens of poverty. Dr. Crider buys the children clothes, but Amanda offers to make their clothes out of fabric, a less expensive option than tailored clothing. When they look at cloth, Amanda chooses “plain browns and greens” rather than “stripes and flowers” that are more beautiful (50). Amanda has never had beautiful things, so even when they are available to her, she doesn’t ask because she is used to the limited choices of poverty. This highlights the enduring impact of poverty on her mindset, as well as the resilience required of Amanda to deal with her circumstances so far.

Similarly, Amanda never complains about living in the crowded hold, but Jemmy does not like it, perhaps because he was confined all day in Mistress Trippett’s house and does not wish to have a similar experience. As part of the children’s Journey From Childhood to Independence, Jemmy becomes more vocal on the ship, sharing his opinions both good and bad—such as his nickname “the hole” for the hold—and acting more like himself as opposed to what is expected of him. Although the ship is a more egalitarian setting than London, the children realize that even here there are divisions between lower and middle-class individuals and upper-class ladies and gentlemen who have their own rooms. The doctor is able to cross all of these boundaries because of his profession, but the children may not.

While Jemmy is maturing, both Jemmy and Meg look to Amanda to interpret the events unfolding around them. When the ship departs port, Jemmy asks Amanda why people are crying. For Jemmy, the voyage is an adventure. By contrast, Amanda understands that the journey means they will not return to the only land they’ve ever known, and they have no certainty that America will be what they hope it is. This foreshadows the difference between The Imagined and Real “New World.” When Dr. Crider is lost, Jemmy and Meg also look to Amanda to fix the situation and see how they should react. Amanda continues her coming-of-age journey as she pushes back her feelings and once again takes on the role of full caregiver to her siblings. While Dr. Crider offered a reprieve from her responsibilities, his disappearance emphasizes that childhood is a temporary state, and Amanda will ultimately need to step into adulthood on this journey.