A Little Princess

1. Significance

This book is about a girl who even when the darkest of times comes her way, she is able to keep her head high, and give to those less fortunate even when she has almost nothing to give. This book represents that even though you think your life is horrible, there are people less fortunate, and you need to keep your head up, because if you don't, you will surely drown in your own misery.

2. Perspective

This book is told in the perspective of an eleven-year-old girl in about 1909. She is at a boarding school in England. She is the daughter of a rich captain in the British army. She lacks a mother. She is smarter than her age, and likes to pretend a lot. She is loved by everyone. She becomes a slave after her dad dies leaving her with nothing because he invested all his money in a a failing diamond mine in India.

Frances Hodgson Burnett's father 1854 leaving her in poverty in Manchester, England. Her family moved to Knoxville, Tennessee where her mother died in 1867 leaving Frances in charge of four younger siblings.  She then married and created books and plays. She had married twice in her life. Her most famous works are, The Secret Garden, Little Lord Fauntleroy, and of course, A Little Princess which was originally  called Sara Crewe. 

3. Evidence

I think the argument that Frances is trying to make is what I put before, if you keep your head up, you won't grown in your own sorrows, and that, even though you think your life is bad, someone else's is always worse, and if you can help them, even in the littlest way, you could help someone else from drowning in sorrows. I think an example of this is when Sara Crewe, the main character, finds a four-pence, she buys half a dozen of rolls. She gives five of these to a beggar hungrier than her. She leaves only one roll for herself. Another example is that, Sara is always pretending things and telling stories to others to keep them and herself happy.

4. Connection

This book shows the good side to the human spirit. Sara Crewe was shown nothing but cruelty from Miss Minchin who controlled the boarding school. This only happened after Sara lost her money. It shows that the world shows kindness only to those that can afford it. It also shows that people as a whole can be the most wonderful and evil of creatures. On one hand we have Sara that shows nothing but kindness, and tenderness to others. On the other hand, you've got Miss Minchin who gives Sara a home after Sara loses all her money. Miss Minchin calls this an act of charity, which it is, but she shows nothing but cruelty to Sara. She doesn't even give Sara enough food to sustain Sara and gives her all the odd jobs she can.

5. Supposition

If you changed the fact that Sara's dad lost all of his money, Sara would have finished boarding school and lived a happy life. Miss Minchin's bad side would have remained hidden. The other slave would have always lived like a slave. Sara would have never been able to help her. Sara would never had really known the importance of friends.