# Jane Withersteen — Riders of the Purple Sage character guide > Jane Withersteen in Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Jane, Withersteen, Miss Jane, Miss Withersteen, old Withersteen **First appearance:** 0001-ii-cottonwoods ## Snapshot A wealthy Mormon rancher whose love for her horses, her herds, and her independence sets her on a collision course with the church that owns her loyalty. ## Who they are Jane Withersteen owns the richest ranch in Cottonwoods and has always obeyed her church, but her refusal to marry Elder Tull and her quiet charity to Gentile families have made her a target. She pours her will into saving Lassiter from his dark path, half-flirting, half-praying, while her own riders are called away and her herds are driven off. Her struggle between duty and freedom, and her jealousy when she learns of Bess, makes her the emotional center of the early and middle chapters. ## Relationships ### [Lassiter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/lassiter) _romantic_ Jane and Lassiter share a deep, evolving romantic bond built on trust and mutual protection amidst the Utah frontier's conflicts. ### [Tull](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/tull) _psychological_ Tull manipulates and pressures Jane Withersteen through religious authority and social control, creating a tense, coercive dynamic. ### [Judkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/judkins) _professional_ Judkins is a loyal rider and employee on Jane Withersteen's ranch, carrying out her orders with dedication. ### [Oldring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/oldring) _rivalry_ Oldring is a rustler and outlaw who threatens Jane's property and community, creating a hostile relationship. ### [Bishop Dyer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/bishop_dyer) _psychological_ Bishop Dyer exerts religious and social pressure on Jane Withersteen, attempting to control her choices and property. ### [Blake](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/blake) _professional_ Blake is a rider and employee on Jane's ranch, though his loyalty is questionable and he often acts as a spy for Tull. ### [Bess](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/bess) _friendship_ Bess and Jane develop a close, protective friendship, with Jane acting as a maternal figure to the younger woman. ### [Milly Erne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/milly_erne) _friendship_ Jane Withersteen was a close friend to Milly Erne, and her memory influences Jane's compassion and defiance. ### [Fay Larkin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/fay_larkin) _family_ Fay Larkin is a young girl adopted and cared for by Jane Withersteen, forming a mother-daughter bond. ### [Lassiter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/lassiter) _romantic_ Jane and Lassiter share a deep, evolving romantic bond built on trust and mutual protection amidst the Utah frontier's conflicts. ### [Lassiter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/lassiter) _romantic_ Jane and Lassiter share a deep, evolving romantic bond built on trust and mutual protection amidst the Utah frontier's conflicts. ### [Judkins](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/judkins) _professional_ Judkins is a loyal rider and employee on Jane Withersteen's ranch, carrying out her orders with dedication. ## In the story ### [Lassiter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/i-lassiter) Gazes down the purple slope with dreamy and troubled eyes, reflecting on her father's legacy and the unrest in Cottonwoods. She prays for help and is answered by Lassiter's arrival. ### [Cottonwoods](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/ii-cottonwoods) Hosts Lassiter and Venters, defies Mormon elders by breaking bread with Lassiter, and agrees to show him Milly Erne's grave. ### [III: Amber Spring](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/iii-amber-spring) Mentioned as Milly Erne's only real friend; owner of Amber Spring; appears briefly leading a horse in the barnyard. ### [IV: Deception Pass](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/iv-deception-pass) Distressed by the loss of the red herd and the disappearance of her riders; pleads with Venters not to go. ### [The Masked Rider](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/v-the-masked-rider) Her red herd is discovered in Oldring's hidden valley. ### [The Mill-Wheel of Steers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/vi-the-mill-wheel-of-steers) Struggles with church pressure, loss of her herd, and her complex feelings toward Lassiter; she seeks to influence him through her womanly charm. ### [The Daughter of Withersteen](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/vii-the-daughter-of-withersteen) Hires Lassiter as her rider, gives him the horse Bells, and reflects on her power and limitations in Cottonwoods. ### [X: Love](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/x-love) Mentioned as the owner of the red herd from which Venters unknowingly rustles calves. ### [Faith and Unfaith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xi-faith-and-unfaith) Jane employs deliberate coquettishness and maternal warmth to win Lassiter over, but is later accused by him of being blind and unfaithful to herself due to her Mormon loyalty. ### [XII: The Invisible Hand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xii-the-invisible-hand) Struggles with betrayal by her own women and employees, clings to her horses Black Star and Night, and confronts the bitter truth that she is a prisoner in her own home. ### [XIV: West Wind](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xiv-west-wind) Mentioned in Venters' thoughts as someone he must tell about his plans. ### [XV: Shadows on the Sage-Slope](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xv-shadows-on-the-sage-slope) Jane meditates on sacrifice and love, adopts Fay after Mrs. Larkin's death, and faces the growing threat from her churchmen. She tends to Lassiter's wound and reluctantly accepts Venters's decision to end their friendship. ### [Gold](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xvi-gold) Mentioned in Venters's thoughts and Lassiter's reflections; Venters regrets not being frank with her. ### [XIX: Fay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xix-fay) Struggles with her faith and feelings for Lassiter; admits her heart is broken but hopes to rise from her agony. ### [Lassiter's Way](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xx-lassiter-s-way) Devastated by Fay's abduction, she offers to marry Tull to get Fay back, but Lassiter prevents her. After Dyer's death, she undergoes a profound transformation and rides away with Lassiter, never looking back. ### [XXI: Black Star and Night](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xxi-black-star-and-night) Helps orchestrate the escape, gives Bess to Venters, and inadvertently reveals Venters killed Oldring, causing Bess distress. ### [XXII: Riders of the Purple Sage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xxii-riders-of-the-purple-sage) Mentioned as having given the blacks to Venters and Bess; waves farewell as they ride away. ### [XXIII: The Fall of Balancing Rock](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/chapters/xxiii-the-fall-of-balancing-rock) Emotionally exhausted but resolute, she follows Lassiter and clings to little Fay during the escape. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters/jane_withersteen - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/riders_of_the_purple_sage_se/characters