In the passage, “Betsy Hold the Reins,” Elizabeth Ann is a sweet little child who is going to visit her uncle in Vermont. Elizabeth seems as if she is dependent on someone telling her what to do because that’s the way she was brought up. But, in the beginning of the passage when they are on their way to her Uncle Henry’s farm, he hands the reins of the wagon over to Elizabeth. For Elizabeth this is startling because she doesn’t know what to do or how to handle them. In fact though, that’s why her Uncle handed them to her is because he is trying to teach her how to handle and do things on her own. For example in the passage it states, “They stood as still now as though their feet had grown to the road. Elizabeth Ann looked up at the old man