Who is Pastor Mayfield, Goody Mayfield from Caleb's Crossing: A Novel and what is their importance?

Pastor Mayfield is Bethia's father, Goody Mayfield is his wife (Goody being short for "goodwoman", a common form of address among Puritans of the period in which the narrative is set). At first Mayfield is a good father, compassionate and sensitive to the needs of his children, even his daughter, and a good minister, equally passionate and sensitive to the traditions of the natives who live nearby. But he is at heart a profoundly conservative Christian, with strong views about the place of children and family in the home and about the sinful paganism of natives. As Mayfield suffers increasingly traumatic losses and setbacks he becomes narrower and narrower in his ways and views, ultimately becoming rigid, merciless, and arrogantly hungry to eradicate sin in all its forms. His wife is portrayed as being a typical Christian woman of the time, entirely submissive and supportive. Bethia wants to be like her and also to be completely different from her, free and independent.