The coldest winter night in the attic was the hardest night Sara had ever known.
She had been unfairly blamed, given no supper, and left completely alone in the dark.
Something very close to despair sat quietly beside her on the thin cold mattress.
But Sara made herself sit up straight and think about who she was and who she wanted to remain.
She had her name and her father's memory and the values he had given her to keep.
She decided that Miss Minchin could have her comfort and her freedom but not her self.
A person can lose everything on the outside and still hold the most important thing inside.
Even when life was most cruel, Sara never sacrificed her integrity or sense of self.