A Little Princess
Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849-1924) was a British-American writer. She is best known for children's novels, especially “A Little Princess”, which was written in 1904. The novel A Little Princess was inspired by real life events, although it has a touch of fantasy. The protagonist Sara believes that she is a princess and lives in a magical world of fairies, princes, and more fantastic characters. Early in the story the girl really does live like a princess with every available amenity. However, due to a misunderstanding about her father being killed in war, she is forced to work in squalor as a servant. She endures terrible hardship at the hand of the school headmistress, Miss Minchin. At the end of the novel, Sara's dreams all come true. "A Little Princess" has been adapted into musicals, a film, as well as television adaptations in New York and London. Acknowledging the important role of fantasy in this novel, I am going to use the Monomyth approach to describe the plot. As I said previously the protagonist of this novel is a little girl who is dealing with a tragedy, the school's director abuses her physically and psychologically. Sara Crew has the added mission of saving her friends from the wickedness of Miss Minchin.
A Little Princess is a story about a seven year-old girl named Sara Crew, continuously traveling with her adored father, Captain Crew. Sara lived happily in India, but unfortunately Sara's dad takes her to a school in London while he serves in war. Crew Captain is a very rich man and therefore Sara Crew does not have to worry about money. While her father is away she is attending a prestigious London school where the evil principal, Miss Minchin rules with an iron fist. She takes kindly to Sarah and Captain Crew because Miss Minchin obviously knows about the huge fortune that belongs to Sara and her father. Before Captain Crew goes to war, the Captain bought her a beautiful doll, which he called Emily. Sara is very excited about this gift and she clings to Emily. Sarah speaks to the doll as if it was really alive. This is an odd thing, that the teachers and classmates of Sara notice in her immediately and for this she is ostracized
Sara Crew is an innocent and spoiled girl who goes to live in a new place and knows not what to expect. Sara Crew becomes a hero in her school for having a special gift of storytelling to entertain the other girls in her school.
In the departure chapter of this novel, Sara Crew is sent to attend school in London. She doesn't like it; however she agrees to stay there because her father has to go to war in India. As "A Little Princess" develops, an important character appears, the Indian gentleman. He plays the role of the Sara's supernatural aid because he helps her with his magical powers, and he finds Sara's father. Sara feels so sad and lonely because of her father's death. Her belief in fantasy is gone, and she thinks her life doesn't make any sense without the love of her father. This situation could be interpreted as Sara being in the belly of the whale, because her world as a princess has crumbled as a result of the terrible news and Sara enters a deep depression.
So far Sara has enjoyed her stay at school but obviously she misses her father very much. Sara lives in luxury and creature comforts as well as the other girls who also have parents with deep pockets. All the girls enjoy many amenities, with the exception of one girl in particular, Becky, who is treated like a slave because she is a Negro and has no money. Sara feels touched by this situation and wants to help the Negro girl but the school principal does not allow it. Meanwhile, Sara enjoys telling stories of fantasy to her classmates, especially tales of enchanted princesses. Miss Minchin organizes a party to celebrate Sara's birthday, and in the midst of the celebration, Sara receives the worst news of her life: Sara's dad has died in war and the British government got hold of all his possessions and money. Miss Minchin decides to divest of all Sara's valuables and send her to live with Becky. The school principal tells Sara that if she wants to live in the school, Sara has to work like a slave, cleaning, cooking and doing other tasks that are very difficult for a young girl.
Miss Minchin and her sister, Amelia, undermine Sara. They send her to live in the dark and unpleasant attic with Becky, and she feels so sad that she no longer enjoys telling stories. Sara's eyes reflect a huge sadness, causing Becky to cry for Sara because she feels love for her and respects her like the princess she is. Becky even refers to Sara as "a little princess", but Sara refuses the preferential treatment, telling Becky that both of them are equal as servants who have to live together without privilege.
This novel shows how the little girl’s life has changed from wealth to poverty, and Sara is challenged by Miss Minchin for all the necessities she has. This is the time when the adventure of the novel starts as a result of her life changes. Sara wants to surrender and not think more about her fantasy world of princesses and fairies. Nevertheless, she is encouraged by Becky, her loyal friend and the rest of Sara's friends in the school. Additionally, Sara feels compelled to find out if it is true that her father is dead because she has a presentiment that her father is alive. By the middle of the story, Sara begins to suffer because of the extreme conditions of poverty, and because she works so hard to live in the school and follow all Miss Minchin's instructions. Thereafter, the novel describes how Sara meets the Indian man and how the fantasy becomes real in her life with the help of his mysterious magical powers.
Sara continues doing what Miss Minchin says without complaining and before Sara goes to sleep, girls enter the attic to listen to Sara's stories. This is the way Sara feels relief and finds a reason to not surrender under the tough conditions. Moreover, Sara has to be careful that Miss Minchin does not know what happens in the attic every night because it is forbidden for the girls to talk with Sara. The following days continue with the same routine. Sara works all day, and she enjoys telling stories to her friends at night. One day, when Sara opens the window of the attic, she sees a man wearing a turban with a funny little monkey on his shoulder. Sara feels excited, and she wants to know more about her new neighbor. Sara has many good memories of India and decides that if her neighbors are from there that she would like to know them better.
Sara's friends continue meeting at night in the attic like they always do and Sara tells them a beautiful fantasy tales about princesses and dragons from India. The way Sara tells the stories sounds so real that the girls imagine and see what is happening. However, Miss Minchin discovers what the girls are doing with Sara, and then furiously yells at and punishes them. The little girls go to their rooms while Sara and Becky stay in their dirty attic without food and are not permitted to leave. They feel so sad, but Sara thinks it is time to imagine they are princesses, in a beautiful room with food, flowers, nice clothes and more special things. At first Becky doesn't like what Sara says but after a while she warms up to the idea. They see the horrible, nasty, dark room as the abode of a princess. It is the place where anyone would desire to be. Sara and Becky fall asleep and the next day when they wake up they find something marvelous. They think it is a dream, but it is real. All they imagined the previous day is now real, and before them lays delicious food, a huge and comfortable bed with soft sheets, colorful curtains and both girls wear wonderful clothes. Sara and Becky cannot understand how this has happened. The one responsible for the miracle is man their neighbor from India who and his boss and an injured soldier who has amnesia. The Indian man has magic powers that he uses to help Sara escape the pain of Miss Minchin's cruelty.
Nevertheless, Sara is so unlucky because Miss Minchin finds what is in the attic. Feeling surprised about what is there; Miss Minchin decides to lock up Sara and calls the police because she thinks Sara is a thief. In the moment the police arrive, Sara escapes from the window risking her life. It is during a strong thunderstorm, but Sara successfully arrives at the next home where the mysterious Indian man lives. Meanwhile, Miss Minchin, in the company of the police wants to catch Sara but something changes in that instant. Sara sees her father, the Captain Crew. However, he doesn't recognize her, and Sara Crew screams: "Father is me Sara, your daughter. Papa!.” Miss Minchin grabs her strongly to give her to the police. Finally, Captain Crew obtains his memory and he remembers his daughter so he takes Sara from Miss Minchin’s arms.
Fortunately, Miss Minchin loses her job as a director of the school, and she is currently working as a servant in the same school while Sara and Becky become princesses. They are going to live in India with Captain Crew in a terrific castle with everything they want. By the end of Sara's adventure, she is brave enough to dare to confront Miss Minchin who was a ruthless woman without any feelings. Miss Minchin's plans are destroyed when the Indian gentleman helps Sara with his powers to get free and find her father. When Captain Crew recovers his memory, he rescues Sara from the evil Miss Minchin. Fortunately Miss Minchin pays for all her abuses, and she is completely humiliated and forced to work as a servant herself. In the beginning of the novel Sara is rich. In the adventure she becomes poor and in the end Sara returns being rich and happy with her father living in India again. She returns to the magic world she is accustomed to living in but Sara is not alone, because she lives with Becky too.
A Little Princess novel gives many examples of how the life of a person can change in one second. When Sara has everything she wants, she loses it all and is forced to work very hard as an adult to support herself. Sara takes refuge in her fantasy stories and she really believes she is a princess and that nobody can harm her. Sara finds peace in the fantasy world and she cannot believe that all her dreams become true. Through the gift of imagination anyone can have the opportunity to create a perfect world, a world without sadness or conflict. The imagination is a beautiful jewel, one to be treasured throughout one’s life. When shared, this jewel can bring others joy and bliss as well.
Work Cited
"A Little Princess". Wikipedia. Web. May 24, 2010.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Little_Princess
Burnett, Frances Hodgson. A Little Princess. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2005. Print.
