Sophia's War Analysis

Adventure! Conspiracies! Tragedy! All of this and more is what Sophia Calderwood experiences in the novel, “Sophia’s War,” by Avi. Sophia’s simple life as a 12 year old New York City girl living in the times of the American Revolutionary War gets turned upside down after witnessing the hanging of the famous American spy, Nathan Hale. Sophia claims this to be “the beginning of my extraordinary adventures.” On page 9 of “Sophia’s War,” the text states, “Over time, his [Nathan Hale’s] death proved of greater consequence than his life. Without any doubt, it altered the history of my country as it altered mine. Indeed, what I had just witnessed was the beginning of my extraordinary adventures.” As you can see, Sophia is foreshadowing her future

Sophia was immediately flattered by their boarder, John Andre, who wrote poems, played the flute, and drew sketches for Sophia. Soon after John Andre arrived, Sophia became a printer for Mr. Gaine, a loyalist newspaper publisher, to help support her family and earn money to find her older brother, William, who was an American soldier that had been captured. Sophia finally finds William and promises that she will come back to get him released, but when inquiring about him on a ship, the Good Intent, Sophia discovers that William has died. Sophia’s feelings are expressed on page 118 where the text says, “So I trust you will completely accept it when I reveal that in my grief I vowed I would avenge William’s awful death.” The story then fast-forwards to 15 year old Sophia, who is still a strong Patriot and still is determined to avenge her brother’s death. She meets a man named Robert Townsend, who eventually asks Sophia to become an American spy. Sophia realizes that this opportunity would give her the chance to avenge William’s death, and do her part in the war. Page 147 states, “Surely if Mr. Paulding could expose himself to so much danger on behalf of our country, if William could give his life, if Nathan Hale could give his, if I must witness British officers dance upon our graves, how dare I do nothing?... I made up my mind. I would join