Trisha
Wild Geese
5/15/13
Judith Gare
The book “Wild Geese” is about a family who lives on a farm and has troubles with a
controlling father and a reserved mom with a secret. With three children and a teacher living at
the house, work always has to be done, but Judith, the middle child, she causes the tension to rise
in the family. Judith Gare is probably the most admirable character of all when it comes to
putting up with her father, doing a lot of work on the farm, and sneaking around to be with Sven.
Even after awhile not getting along with her siblings and causing tension and hatred between
them as well.
Judith’s father, Caleb Gare, is a black-mailing and controlling devil. Caleb does not let
any of his kids leave the farm other than to go trade supplies or once in a while to go to church.
He basically uses his kids as free labor so he can save money just to make even more. He won’t
even hire a helping man when one of his kids gets hurt and they need to get the crops in. Caleb is
also very selfish, he always wants more land for himself and will do anything to get it. Also,
using black-mailing because he finds out about everything and will use it against you, just like he
does to his wife, Judith’s mother, Amelia. Judith is very brave for putting up with him all those
years. She always did everything he said but it becomes the last straw when he sells one of her
calves that she did not want sold. She tries to confront him but he comes right back with her
trying to keep wool from one of her sheep and trying keeping it for herself. Caleb Gare can really
push her buttons and when Judith finally snaps, she is left with the memory of what she tried to
do. Caleb Gare will push the other characters outside their limits, and get anything from them
and can know everything about them, whether they like it or not.
When the phrase working on the farm is used, automatically associations include milking
cows, feeding chickens, harvesting corn and beans, but to Judith it means a whole other thing.
For her it means always working in the heat, never getting a break, and not having appropriate
apparel. It also means milking cows, feeding livestock, harvesting flax, hay, and wheat. Caleb
will work his kids from sunrise to sunset, only getting a break for lunch. Caleb also never wants
to spend money for them on clothes or shoes. He loves his crops, especially his flax, and every
year wants them to be better. It is hard to believe Judith would do all of that work for her father
as mean as he is.
Sneaking around with Sven is not helping Judith out either. Finally finding a guy who
likes her and she likes him back, her father has to come and ruin it. If it is not worse enough that
he will not even let his kids leave but they cannot even have relationships either. Always under
watch of Caleb, finding a little time each week to see Sven it all leads to trouble which Judith
does not want. When Caleb sees Judith with Sven in the woods he uses it to his advantage.
Knowing Judith would get mad at spying on her, he corners her in the barn to talk to her. When
Judith finally gets tired of him she tries to kill him with an ax. Missing Caleb, he ties her in a
barn for a night so she can think about what she did. When finally untying her, he sets her in
house arrest, basically not letting her go outside. Caleb keeps the ax in the wall where she missed
and locks the doors so no one can take it down and he can use it against her if she goes to the
police. When her father finally will let her out of the house, he watches very carefully over her,
rarely going into town. Judith decides she has to run away or she will never be able to stand him
anymore.
Judith Gare is a magnificent woman for when it comes to putting up with her father,
doing hard work on the farm, and sneaking around with Sven. Having her be able to do all of that
in the book and throwing major obstacles at her throughout the book, really made it interesting.
The author did a great job adding in details of Judith and her father and helping the reader picture
the scene. I think the character Judith Gare was the most important one in the book and really
made it come alive and helped you see what life was like back then and how hard work was
important.