The Silent Boy

Katy is an intelligent girl with empathy for people in need. An only child, she is well cared for and given more attention than most children her age, especially from her father. In the early 1900s it was not common for a young girl to be invited so readily into her father’s work life. She accompanies him on his visits with patients and as such learns a great deal about her community and the way other people live. She also learns about practicing medicine, getting hands-on lessons and experience from her father. Katy recognizes that education is a critical asset and focuses intensely on learning and reading. Katy’s ability to perceive people the same way her father does, as a benevolent doctor, allows her to form a unique bond with Jacob Stoltz and see the good in him when other people see him as an imbecile. This quality allows Katy to form deep bonds with her friends and Peggy too. Katy is an example of a morally sound and compassionate character who serves as a guiding light for the reader. We are encouraged to see the novel’s characters as Katy does, which gives us an opportunity to learn compassion for the mentally ill and the poor.