Sarah Winger

Sarah Winger is the deuteragonist of the 1963 autobiographical novel The Learning Tree, and its 1969 film adaptation. She's the matriarch of the Winger family, and the mother of Newt, Prissy and Pete Winger. She's also a beloved citizen within Cherokee Flats and a close friend of Judge Cavanaugh.
In the film adaptation, she was portrayed by the late Estelle Evans.
== Biography ==
Not much is known about Sarah's beginnings and origins, although it's made clear she had spent most of her life growing up in Cherokee Flats, Kansas up to the 1920s. Despite she and her family often having to deal with prejudice and racism, she was able to mostly maintain optimism and avoid letting the hate corrupt her. She's also a domestic for the local circuit judge, and thus play a major role in various court cases.
One day, a strong tornado arrived in a field with Sarah's son Newt being outdoors at the time. Sarah, who was indoors at the time, fears for Newt's safety, and when Pete volunteers to search for his brother, Mrs. Winger tells him to hurry. Big Mabel manages to find an injured, unconscious Newt, bring him back indoors, and help him regain his senses. After the weather settles down, the adults in the Winger family express their disdain with the Savage family's dynamics, especially considering Marcus' abusive father had kicked Marcus out of the house during the tornado. Sarah in particular expressing sympathy for Marcus as he lost his mother at a young age and has to live with an abusive father.
The next day at church, the Winger family attended a prayer session, and at the end of the session, the priest introduces the crowd to the Jefferson family, who had just moved to town recently. Newt would spend that afternoon with his friends and Marcus as they stole some apples from Jake Kiner's field, only for Marcus to fall behind, get beaten up by Kiner with a whip, and then beat Kiner up in retaliation with his own whip. However, Newt and his friends all get blamed for the assault. Sheriff Kirky would up at the Winger residence and talk with Sarah claiming that Newt and his gang stole apples and that Newt beat up Jake Kiner, only for Sarah to stand up for Newt claiming that he may have stolen some apples, but he wouldn't beat up Mr. Kiner. Nevertheless, Kirky goes into the forest near the lake where Newt and the others were, and impulsively shoots Tuck, an innocent back man as the latter tries and fails to escape. Later that day, Kiner's recovering in the hospital, and Sarah and Newt would check up on him and his wife. They'd send him some flowers, and Sarah had baked a pie for Mr. Kiner. Sarah also had Newt agree to work the summer for Kiner for free as a way to make up for what went down. The group settles on Fridays and Saturdays. That night, Newt would have a nightmare over Tuck's violent death, which he blamed himself for, leading Sarah to go to his room and console Newt over how death was inevitable.
The next day, Sarah and Newt officially meet up with Mrs. Jefferson and her daughter Arcella, and introduce themselves. She'd also attempt to Mr. Cavanaugh, the town judge, into giving Marcus a lighter punishment for beating up Mr. Kiner, due to his Marcus’ troubled childhood and upbringing, though the judge still sentences Marcus to 6 months in prison.
Category:Live Action Heroes
Category:Movie Heroes
Category:Book Heroes
Category:Female
Category:Parents
Category:Selfless
Category:Wise
Category:Victims
Category:Officials
Category:Nurturers
Category:Sympathetic
Category:Honorable
Category:Freedom Fighters
Category:Feminists
Category:Pacifists
Category:Protectors of Innocence
Category:Hope Bringers
Category:Protectors
Category:Deceased
Category:Disciplinarians
Category:Voice of Reason
Category:Optimists
Category:Charismatic