Chapter 4, Jacksonville & Railroad (cs 7 & 8 incl) Summary and Analysis

Chapter 7, Jacksonville, opens with Zora following her mother's early death. Her father, the widower, has succeeded in finding a new wife. The trouble is that the new wife doesn't want her husband's children much, but does want the husband. The eldest girl has a terrible time with the woman because of this. The new stepmother is jealous of Sarah's connection with her father. The father is giving in to the wishes of his new wife - who he probably very much needs, and the children are dissatisfied generally. The eldest girl is old enough to flee the situation by going and marrying young, which she does. Zora has explained in earlier chapters that one quality she noticed about herself growing up was that she was a bit rough. This led to her playing...