A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a whimsical, classic book about an

intelligent little girl who suddenly faces tragedy and struggles being kind and optimistic,

surrounded by people who want to tear her down. Burnett brings you into an imaginative child’s

perspective, as she makes the most of a bleak world while showing kindness and empathy to

even those who hurt her. We follow young Sara Crewe’s experience of poverty as she teaches

us the importance of empathy, perseverance, and friendship to carry through adversity.

The story begins with Sara, the heroine, and her father arriving in London from India,

where she is put into a strict boarding school, admired by her peers and teachers for her wealth,

beauty, and intelligence. Her entire life at the school changes once her father dies and she is left penniless with no one to care for her. She goes from a respected top student to a belittled

scullery maid of the school. Her imagination and strong character get her through the abuse of

the headmistress, as well as her kind heart and love for her friends. Burnett’s writing and use of

imagery immerses the reader into vivid scenes and feelings—of Sara’s despair, anger, as well

as her friends’ sympathy and admiration for her character. Written from the perspective of a

young, seven-year-old girl, we see how Sara navigates the cruel and unforgiving world as she

experiences grief on top of this new, wretched life.

Sara is optimistic and generous, a stark contrast to her miserable environment and Ms.

Michen, a bitter woman with a hatred for Sara. Sara is whimsical and carefree in the beginning,

being wealthy and adored. She is more lovable because of her generosity and kindness towards

others, like a princess, no matter their status compared to hers. As she falls into a penniless

state, she stays a dignified “princess” and continues to treat everyone kindly, even those who

abuse her, and is respected by her peers because of it, becoming a strong, positive influence on

others. She is imaginative and hopeful, overcoming horrible experiences with empathy and

kindness. Nevertheless, Sara is relatable; in the face of hardship, she isn’t always optimistic and

“princess-like”. She feels resentment about her situation, and on one particularly hard day, she

takes her anger out on her beloved doll her father had gotten her. In this poignant scene, Sara

breaks down, tired and angry, that no one cared to help her, and lashes out at her lifeless doll.

Even in anger, she stays dignified and kind, apologizing to her doll.

Though A Little Princess is a fantastic book with great characters, who are also

exceptional role models for little girls, it tends to have problematic undertones and stereotypes

of people that doesn’t bring a positive message to children. The negative idea brought out by

Burnett’s characterization of Ermengarde, Sara’s close friend, and Miss Amelia, Ms. Michen’s

sister, is that fat characters equal stupid characters. Burnett portrays Ermengarde as dimwitted

and slow, and Ms. Amelia as timid and dumb, but also brings up their weight and size when

describing them as so. Ermengarde, in particular, is subject to fatphobia, mostly by the author

rather than the characters around her. When Sara first meets Ermengarde, she is described as

being behind everyone in class and an intellectual anomaly in her family, the only “dumb one”

among multi-linguists and readers. The story seems to link possible learning disabilities to her

size. Moreover, Ermengarde compares herself to Sara, saying she’s “too fat to be a princess”

and is Sara’s subpar companion in everything—learning, languages, and beauty. Though it isn’t

explicit, the emphasis on Ermengarde size when describing her intelligence is repeatedly

brought up, even through Sara’s overarching message that looks aren’t what make a princess.

Overall, A Little Princess is an inspiring story for people of all ages with a generally great

message to children of what it means to be a “princess,” teaching them to be kind and generous

like Sara. It centers around a mostly female cast of characters and is a piece of strong feminist

work of the early 19th century. In a story about magic, wonder, and princesses, it also has

strong messages about kindness, empathy, inclusion and privilege. The most memorable

scenes are the ones where we really see the impact of poverty on Sara. Sara stays dignified

and kind after becoming a scullery maid but has days where she feels the weight of her

situation, and like any child would, she breaks down and uses her imagination to get her

through her sadness. We see past Sara’s perfection and feel her anguish for her sad reality. It’s

through these scenes where we see the power of imagination and overcoming through

perseverance. I’d recommend this to everyone, young girls especially, with its optimistic

message about character as well as the overall message of kindness and empathy towards

anyone regardless of their differences.

Check out A Little Princess from the Newport Beach Public Library!