# The Visitor explained — A Little Princess

> Chapter companion for A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.

## What happens

Sara continues to receive mysterious comforts in her attic, including a fire, supper, and new clothing, which baffle Miss Minchin and give Sara a radiant demeanor despite her punishment. Miss Minchin grows suspicious and angry at Sara's apparent happiness, while Lavinia and Jessie gossip about her. Sara resolves to keep the secret of her benefactor, and the chapter ends with her receiving more parcels addressed to 'the Little Girl in the right-hand attic.'

## Themes in this chapter

### Resilience and Inner Strength

Sara's ability to maintain joy and dignity despite harsh punishment and deprivation highlights her inner strength.

### Injustice and Cruelty

Miss Minchin's unjust punishment and Lavinia's spiteful gossip underscore the cruelty Sara endures.

### Kindness and Empathy

The mysterious gifts and Becky's shared comfort represent acts of kindness that counterbalance the cruelty.

## Character check-ins

### Sara Crewe

Sara maintains a cheerful and resilient demeanor despite Miss Minchin's punishment, buoyed by the secret comforts in her attic.

### Miss Minchin

Miss Minchin is agitated and suspicious of Sara's unexplained well-being and the mysterious parcels, worrying about a possible powerful benefactor.

### Lavinia Herbert

Lavinia spitefully comments on Sara's appearance and gossips about her, revealing her jealousy and cruelty.

### Jessie

Jessie expresses some unease about Sara's punishment, showing a hint of sympathy despite her silliness.

### Becky

Becky shares in the secret comforts, growing plumper and happier, and is excitedly grateful for the blanket she found.

### Miss St. John

Miss Amelia (Miss St. John) inadvertently comments on Sara's improved appearance, drawing Miss Minchin's irritation.

## Key lines

> If the Magic had not saved me just in time, how horrible it would have been!

Sara reflects that the magical comforts she received prevented her from feeling the full horror of her punishment.

_Sara's gratitude for the mysterious help sustains her through Miss Minchin's cruelty._

> She's different from other people, said Jessie, watching Sara with her class. Sometimes I'm a bit frightened of her.

Jessie observes that Sara's unusual composure and resilience make her seem almost intimidating.

_Sara's calm defiance unsettles even her peers._

> The spirit and will of any other child would have been entirely humbled and broken by—by the changes she has had to submit to. But, upon my word, she seems as little subdued as if—as if she were a princess.

Miss Minchin complains that Sara's spirit remains unbroken despite her reduced circumstances, comparing her to a princess.

_Miss Minchin's frustration reveals Sara's regal bearing even in poverty._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_little_princess_se/chapters/xvi-the-visitor
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_little_princess_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_little_princess_se/chapters