A Girl Called Samson

As Deborah Samson fights for the cause of American independence, she also wages a personal battle for freedom and gender equality. Harmon’s exploration of this theme addresses the ways in which the intersection of gender and class confine people. As the narrative states, “A man has more freedom than a woman, but only a few men have any real freedom at all. Freedom takes health and money” (66). This declaration resonates with the author’s broader goal to both honor a particular woman in history and to call attention to the social inequities that persist today. For example, Samson holds that she “wasn’t born free” because she “was born a girl” (194). In addition to her gender, Samson faces obstacles to her freedom because of her exploitation within the colonies’ socioeconomic system. The young protagonist sees parallels between her position as an indentured servant and the status of the British colonies when she says, “If we do not exist for the king, what do we exist for?” and observes, “I was not ill-treated, but I was not free. And I did not know my purpose, beyond work” (29). These parallels explain why the national cause of liberty becomes so personal to Samson even compared to her peers who also wish to enlist.