Courage

Courage is the main theme throughout the book. From the very first chapter Courage is stressed in the form of a mantra—"Keep up your courage Sarah Noble," a mantra that is referenced in the title of the novel. Courage is weaved throughout the book in various ways. The first is in the novel's opening chapter with Sarah and her father in the forest at night. While the situation isn’t that serious it sets up for the rest of the book to be about keeping with Courage to overcome adversity. However there are a few places where her Courage seems to falter, namely in Mistress Robinson’s cabin. She allows the children’s teasing to get to her and thus induce even more fear of Indians into her.

The next place where Courage is needed is when Sarah is left alone in the shed while...