Sarah Phillips: Analysis of Major Characters
"Sarah Phillips: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the life and relationships of its protagonist, Sarah Phillips, a twenty-one-year-old Black woman from an affluent Philadelphia suburb. The narrative is set against the backdrop of her recent graduation from Harvard University and her subsequent move to Paris, where she grapples with her identity and the influence of her family and heritage. Central to her story is her late father, Reverend James Forrest Phillips, a respected minister and civil rights activist, whose legacy looms large over Sarah's reflections. Her mother, Grace Renfrew Phillips, is depicted as a polished and witty figure, embodying the complexities of a minister's wife while possessing a fascination with the unconventional. Additionally, Sarah's older brother, Matthew, plays a significant role in her memories, transitioning from a smug youth to a rebellious figure challenging familial expectations by pursuing a relationship with a white Jewish girl. This exploration of family dynamics and personal identity highlights the struggle between individual aspirations and cultural roots, making it a rich topic for those interested in character-driven narratives.
Sarah Phillips: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Andrea Lee
First published: 1984
Genre: Novel
Locale: Paris and the French countryside; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Cambridge, Massachusetts
Plot: Domestic realism
Time: 1963–1974
Sarah Phillips, the protagonist and narrator, a pretty twenty-one-year-old black woman, who grew up in an affluent Philadelphia suburb. She went to a private school and to Harvard University, and now, after her graduation, has gone to live in Paris. When she realizes that she cannot break off with her family or her heritage, Sarah thinks back over the past in an attempt to find her own identity before her inevitable return home.
The Reverend James Forrest Phillips, her late father, who until his recent death was minister of the New African Baptist Church in Philadelphia. An outgoing, likable person and a natural leader, he is highly respected both as a superb preacher and as an activist in the Civil Rights movement.
Grace Renfrew Phillips, Sarah's mother, a teacher in a Quaker school. A polished, witty, and cultivated woman who plays the role of minister's wife flawlessly, she nevertheless has a fascination with the grotesque and the outlandish, which delights her daughter.
Matthew Phillips, Sarah's older brother, a law student. Matthew plays an important part in Sarah's recollections, first as a smug, superior thirteen-year-old boy who unlike his sister has agreed to be baptized, then later as a rebel who breaks his ties with the church and scandalizes his family by falling in love with a white Jewish girl.