Throughout her journal, Catherine struggles to understand what true obedience means. As she moves from a childlike wish to be more obedient to adults to a deeper understanding of self-reliance, her view of obedience reflects her personal growth and ever-widening view of the world.

In just her second journal entry, Catherine expresses the wish to train herself “to want to do what [she] is asked to do” (5). Later in Chapter 1, she resolves to “assay such tasks and virtues” that will increase her father’s pride in her (8). This desire for obedience to those in authority is tested, however, when the self-liberated man writes in her lesson book asking for help. She knows her father’s opinion that people like him should be turned in, and she flounders with the question of what is right. Cassie’s initial disapproval adds to her confusion. Ultimately, after Cassie changes her mind and says, “Kindness must be the highest virtue” (28), Catherine decides to help the self-liberated man. She is still struggling with the concept of obedience at this point, discussing it openly with Cassie, but she no longer believes that it means absolute submission to authority. This reflects the journey of the man, too, who has decided to liberate himself from authority.