John Altman

John Altman is Elizabeth’s husband and a father whose family life brings him into close contact with Angel. His responses to childbirth and bereavement show him as a caring family member, while his household offers Angel a lived example of the security and mutual care she struggles to trust.

Identity and Family

John is married to Elizabeth and is the father of their children. The Altmans’ household is organized around family and ordinary work: during Elizabeth’s labor, the children continue their lessons while Elizabeth sets aside one piece of sewing and takes up another. John, by contrast, is visibly worried and urges her to rest.

Care During Elizabeth’s Labor

When Angel arrives at the Altman cabin, John quickly takes her shawl and explains that Elizabeth’s pains are close together, but she refuses to lie down because she still has mending to do. Elizabeth remains composed through labor, and Angel assists with the birth and cares for her afterward. John learns that he has a son, praises God, and asks what the baby has been named. Angel then tells the family they have a beautiful new son and congratulates him. The scene places John’s anxious concern within a household where Angel’s practical care helps bring a child safely into the family.

Support for Michael

John later encounters Michael in profound grief after Angel has left. He acknowledges that he cannot imagine life without Elizabeth and recalls how deeply Michael loved Amanda, whom Miriam said loved him in return. John places a hand on Michael’s shoulder and suggests that Angel might come back on her own, though he recognizes that his words sound hollow. When he asks what he can do to help, Michael says nothing; John promises to return the next day. The exchange gives John a modest but meaningful role as a friend who offers presence even when he cannot relieve another person’s pain.

Narrative Role

John’s marriage and fatherhood form a domestic counterpoint to Angel’s history of rejection, loss, and fear of attachment. His concern for Elizabeth and his willingness to sit with Michael’s grief make family care visible through ordinary actions rather than grand declarations. Through the Altmans, Angel encounters a household in which labor, parenting, and support are shared realities, not promises she must simply take on trust.