The Thomas family, with whom Deborah lives and works as a servant for 10 years, provides an important setting for her developing independence. Deacon Thomas and his wife reflect contemporary assumptions about girls’ education, believing that “all a girl ha[s] to learn [i]s how to work well” (10). They provide for her basic needs, but she’s unable to attend school even when she asks Deacon Thomas for the opportunity. Their household is a place of constant work and limited educational opportunity, reflecting the limited educational opportunities available to girls during the period.

Living with the Thomases is a formative experience that develops Deborah’s resourcefulness alongside her dissatisfaction with the opportunities available to her. Unable to attend school herself, she teaches the older Thomas boys to read and continues her own education by borrowing their schoolbooks, reading at night, practicing writing, and keeping a diary. At the same time, her work on the farm develops practical skills and physical competence, while the lambs that Deacon Thomas allows her to raise and sell give Deborah her first experience of earning and managing money of her own. The Thomas household therefore has a mixed influence on her development: Its restrictions intensify her desire for education and greater independence, while the skills and self-reliance she develops there prepare her to pursue opportunities beyond the household.

Dr. Binney is the compassionate Philadelphia physician who discovers Deborah’s secret while treating her for a severe fever. After examining her and discovering that the soldier he knows as Robert Shurtliff is a woman, he gives no indication that he has learned her secret. His discretion allows Deborah to maintain her identity as Robert even after someone else knows the truth. He later introduces her as Robert Shurtliff to his wife and daughters, and Deborah spends time with the Binney family while she’s in Philadelphia.

Dr. Binney’s actions are an important turning point in the narrative. Until this point, Deborah has had to prevent others from discovering her identity herself; Binney’s response changes that situation because her secret is now shared with someone who chooses to preserve it. When the time comes for Deborah to return to her regiment, he gives her a letter addressed to General Paterson. After Paterson reads it, he questions Deborah about her identity, leading her to reveal that she is Deborah Sampson. McGovern’s portrayal of Binney emphasizes his discretion at a moment when Deborah can no longer control knowledge of her identity herself: Although his discovery places her secret in another person’s hands for the first time, he keeps it confidential and protects her from immediate exposure.

General Paterson is Deborah’s commanding officer and the final authority figure who learns of her true identity. Before discovering her secret, he has already heard that Robert Shurtliff is a quiet and brave soldier and chooses him as his personal orderly. His favorable opinion of Deborah’s military service is therefore established while he still knows her only as Robert. Upon reading Dr. Binney’s letter and asking Deborah whether what it says is true, he responds with admiration and respect. He reassures her, “You have nothing to fear […] You have only my admiration and respect” (53).

Paterson’s response is significant because his knowledge of Deborah’s identity doesn’t erase the positive judgment he has already formed of her as a soldier. When Deborah confirms the truth and gives him her real name, his reassurance directly addresses her fear about what will happen now that her identity is known. McGovern uses Paterson’s reaction to bring Deborah’s long period of secrecy within the army to a close while showing that his favorable view of her service remains unchanged after the disclosure. Deborah is subsequently discharged from the army with an excellent record of service, bringing her military experience to an end without diminishing her established reputation for bravery and competence.