It’s time
for another saunter down memory lane with one of my earliest childhood heroines
(Meg Murray was the first that I can clearly remember, but Sara came not long
after.) As usual, keep in mind that I
only know A Little Princess from the
1995 movie, so none of my observations have the slightest basis in the book
(major spoilers.)
Seriously,
how amazing is this little girl? First
up to bat in the list of Sara’s awesome qualities is her imagination. This one is a no-brainer. It’s just wonderful that she can weave
anything into a tale of magic, wonder, and love. Even when reading an actual book at school,
she gets so invested in the fate of the main characters that she imagines a
better, more exciting ending for her in the midst of reading it aloud to her
classmates, ad-libbing a new story complete with pirates, mermaids, and
handsome stable boys. Her midnight
stories become a regular feature among the girls at the school, and she
incorporates “the magic” into her daily life as well, such as consoling Lottie
classmate with a description of her late mother becoming an angel.
Sara’s
stories aren’t only creative and delightful – at Miss Minchin’s school, they’re
also forbidden. This leads into Sara’s
next great quality, her bravery and resolve.
She doesn’t accept anything simply because someone tells her it’s true,
and so she’s forever challenging rules and conventions. She doesn’t rebel merely for the sake of
it. Rather, when she comes across a
decree that seems unfair, or even just illogical, she either openly opposes it
or finds a hidden work-around.
Another
important aspect of Sara is her kindness.
This is crucial, especially considering Sara’s well-to-do – it would
probably be fair to say “spoiled” – upbringing.
It wouldn’t be surprising, especially in this time period, to see the
little rich girl thinking mainly of her own concerns instead of others. However, it’s a credit to how her excellent
father raised her that reaching out to others is just part and parcel of how
she goes about her day. She’s friendly
and inviting to everyone and even responds to Lavinia’s uppity attitude with
honey rather than vinegar most of the time.
But she’s particularly drawn to those who are more on the outside of
things: tempestuous Lottie and awkward
Ermengarde, as well as Becky, the timid servant girl who’s been harshly taught
to be seen and not heard.
One more
quality of note – Sara’s resilience.
It’s what allows her, with difficulty, to hang onto the other three when
she’s tested to her limits. When her
father is reported killed in action in WWI, the grieving child is yanked out of
the classroom and forced into servitude to earn her continued room and board,
and she’s wrecked. She spends a long
time shutting herself off from everyone around her as she mourns her father and
struggles through her new circumstances.
But even there, almost despite herself, she continues to be who she is in
small ways. Her imagination helps her
and Becky through a hungry day when they create a make-believe feast to sustain
them. She continues to find small ways
to resist, such as playing a trick on Miss Minchin after she’s cruel to a
chimney sweep. And she is still
ceaselessly kind, finding others who need help even in the midst of her own
hardships – she gives precious food to someone who needs it more than she does,
and she offers a gentle hand to a neighbor whose son, a soldier like her
father, is reported missing. That Sara
still finds wells of imagination, resolve, and kindness under such overwhelming
trials speaks tremendously to her strength.
