Who Sara Crewe is
Sara Crewe is a clever, thoughtful girl who notices how people treat one another. At Miss Minchin's school, her fine clothes attract attention, but her storytelling wins her friends. She treats servants with respect and offers kindness to children whom others scold or overlook.
What Sara Crewe wants
Sara wants to behave like a princess, meaning someone generous and dignified rather than someone wealthy. She has pride and a temper, so remaining calm is a choice she must keep making. Her imagination helps her resist the temptation to answer cruelty with cruelty.
Sara Crewe and the others in the story
Sara helps Ermengarde St. John with lessons and shares the stories her friend loves. She comforts Lottie Legh by becoming her pretend mother when the little girl is distressed. With Becky, the overworked scullery maid, Sara shares warmth, food and friendship without treating her as beneath her.
A best-known line
“Whatever comes cannot alter one thing. If I am a princess in rags and tatters, I can be a princess inside.”
Questions
Is Sara Crewe a real princess?
No, Sara's princess identity is an imaginative ideal, not a royal title. She uses it to remind herself to act with kindness and dignity.
Why does Sara Crewe tell stories?
Stories comfort Sara and the children around her. Pretending helps her imagine a kinder world and face hardship without giving up her generosity.
How does Miss Minchin treat Sara Crewe?
Miss Minchin gives Sara special treatment because her father pays generously. Her concern is money rather than affection, and Sara senses her hidden dislike.