Summary
Summary of Little Lord Fauntleroy
Key ideas
Key idea 1
A trusting boy faces a change
Cedric Errol, called Ceddie, lives happily but simply with his mother in New York. Then a lawyer arrives from England with news that will change his ordinary life. A boy who has known a modest home is about to enter a very different world.
At the center of his story is a hopeful question: can a seven-year-old soften a hard old man's heart simply by expecting him to be good? Cedric's trust, rather than wealth or power, is what matters.
Key idea 2
An inheritance separates mother and son
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Key idea 3
Cedric carries his friendships with him
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Key idea 4
Simple friendliness unsettles the Earl
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Key idea 5
Kindness becomes a request for action
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Key idea 6
Goodness matters more than social rank
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Key idea 7
Contrasts give Cedric's world meaning
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Key idea 8
Cedric's image reaches beyond the story
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Key idea 9
Quiet goodness can influence others
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The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
Read the rest freeWho it’s for
For readers who love gentle stories about kindness, family and a child who wins over stern hearts. It is also a warm choice for parents reading aloud.
What this book is
What if a seven-year-old boy could melt the heart of the hardest old man in England, just by expecting him to be good? That is the question at the center of Little Lord Fauntleroy, a novel for young readers by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first printed in a magazine in 1885 and as a book in 1886. Cedric Errol, called Ceddie, lives happily but simply in New York with his mother. Then a lawyer arrives from England with astonishing news. Let us begin in New York, where Ceddie's ordinary life is about to end.
In this summary
- 1A happy boy in a New York streetFree
- 2A lawyer brings news from England
- 3Saying goodbye to Mr. Hobbs and Dick
- 4Across the sea to Dorincourt Castle
- 5A proud old man meets a trusting child
- 6Cedric opens the Earl's hard heart
- 7What the story says about goodness and rank
- 8How Burnett tells the story
- 9Why the book caught on and how it lasts
Key point 1 of 9
A happy boy in a New York street
Seven-year-old Cedric Errol lives with his mother in a modest house on a quiet street in New York. His English father died when he was small. Cedric calls his mother Dearest, as his father did, and she is the center of his world.
Cedric trusts people and expects them to be good. He listens to grown-ups with great seriousness, and he makes everyone feel that he is truly interested in them. His best friend is Mr. Hobbs, the grocer, who loves the American Republic and despises lords and kings. His other friend is Dick Tipton, a young bootblack.
This opening shows who Cedric is before anything happens to him. He is warm, open and unselfish, and these qualities belong to him and not to his circumstances. When his fortunes change, we will know what has to stay the same.
That’s 1 of 9 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Check yourself
Why does Cedric's mother hide the Earl's feelings from him?
Right. “She decides that Cedric must not learn how his grandfather feels, so that he can love the old man without prejudice.”Not quite. “She decides that Cedric must not learn how his grandfather feels, so that he can love the old man without prejudice.”
How does Cedric encourage people to become better?
Right. “He expects the best of everyone, and in a surprising number of cases, people rise to meet him.”Not quite. “He expects the best of everyone, and in a surprising number of cases, people rise to meet him.”
What prompts Cedric to ask his grandfather for help?
Right. “As the weeks pass, Cedric learns that some of the Earl's tenants live in poor, crowded cottages.”Not quite. “As the weeks pass, Cedric learns that some of the Earl's tenants live in poor, crowded cottages.”
Who’s who
- Cedric Errol
- Cedric is a kind seven-year-old New Yorker whose English grandfather wants him brought up as his heir.
- Mrs. Errol (Dearest)
- Cedric's loving American mother raises him with little money and faces distrust from his English grandfather.
- The Earl of Dorincourt
- Cedric's wealthy, stern grandfather distrusts the boy's mother and sends his lawyer to bring Cedric to England.
- Mr. Havisham
- The Earl's careful lawyer travels to New York to tell Cedric and his mother about the inheritance.
- Mr. Hobbs
- Cedric's outspoken grocer friend in New York dislikes aristocrats but remains deeply fond of the boy.
- Dick Brown
- Dick is a hardworking young bootblack in New York and a close friend of Cedric.
- Mr. Mordaunt
- The village minister near Dorincourt knows the Earl and takes an interest in his young grandson.
- Higgins
- Higgins is a struggling tenant on the Earl's estate whose difficulties draw Cedric's concern and help.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 60,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 4 h
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages
Questions about Little Lord Fauntleroy
What is Little Lord Fauntleroy about?
It follows Cedric Errol, a kind American boy who learns he is the heir to an English earl. He moves to a castle, meets a stern grandfather, and gradually softens him through his friendly, trusting nature.
Who wrote Little Lord Fauntleroy and when?
Frances Hodgson Burnett wrote it. It was first published in the magazine St. Nicholas in 1885 and 1886 and came out as a book in 1886. It is a work of fiction, not a true story.
Why did boys wear velvet suits because of this book?
The first edition's pictures by Reginald Birch showed Cedric in a velvet suit with a lace collar and long curls. The look became a fashion for young boys, and later many people mocked it.
Who is Dearest in Little Lord Fauntleroy?
Dearest is Cedric's name for his mother, Mrs. Errol. He learned it from his late father, who called her that. She is an American woman and the most important person in his life.
Is Little Lord Fauntleroy hard to read?
No. The language is simple and the plot is clear. The tone is sentimental, and the story is easy to follow.
