A Little Princess Theme of Courage

We've got to hand it to Sara Crewe—not only does she have impeccably good manners, but she's quite the brave little thing when faced with adversity that would make most girls scream. In A Little Princess, Sara manages to keep her head up and her spirits (somewhat) high while dealing with the news that her father has died, her inheritance is nowhere to be found, and that she is to work as a maid (a.k.a. all but a slave) at her school. And did we mention that she also has to share her new room with a family of rats?

Questions About Courage

  1. Why doesn't Sara just give up when faced with all the bad things happening to her? 
  2. Is Sara's courage really the courage of a British soldier? What different kinds of courage does the book show?
  3. What is the worst part of Sara's situation, and how does she overcome it? 
  4. Is Ermengarde a brave character? Is Lottie?

Chew on This

Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate.

Sara learns how to be brave from her father, who is a soldier, and takes that lesson with her when things start to change in ways that she could not have predicted.

Though Sara is the story's protagonist, Ermengarde also shows courage when she decides to stick by her friend through thick and thin.