08 | February | 2014 | dual personalities

A Quiet Interlude

by chuckofish

By the end of the week I always seem to be tired and rundown. Sometimes I’d even describe myself as discouraged — it just depends on how the week has gone. I’m not going to dwell on the little things that wear me down — like the student who, standing not six feet from me, casually spat on the newly carpeted floor of my building! Really.

Yes, by the end of the week I need civilization and quiet, tea and cakes (hold the cakes, I’m trying to lose weight), and comfort reading. This week’s choice is Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic, A Little Princess, one of my favorite books of all time.

It’s not just a good riches-to-rags-to-riches story; Frances Hodgson Burnett has a lot of valuable things to say. Children’s literature used to teach as well as entertain. Take this excellent piece of advice, for example:

“When people are insulting you, there is nothing so good for them as not to say a word — just to look at them and think. When you will not fly into a passion people know you are stronger than they are, because you are strong enough to hold in your rage, and they are not, and they say stupid things they wished they hadn’t said afterward. There’s nothing so strong as rage, except what makes you hold it in — that’s stronger. It’s a good thing not to answer your enemies.”

This is a book that admits that life entails misfortune and the world is full of mean people. Instead of ignoring these facts or simply making the heroine a passive victim, Burnett teaches that good character and kindness can triumph over adversity.

“If nature has made you for a giver, your hands are born open, and so is your heart; and though there may be times when your hands are empty, your heart is always full, and you can give things out of that–warm things, kind things, sweet things–help and comfort and laughter–and sometimes gay, kind laughter is the best help of all.”

If you haven’t read the book, do! If you don’t have a copy or the time, then try one of the film versions. I’m partial to the Shirley Temple movie, although they do change the story quite a bit.

Shirley makes a great downtrodden scullery maid

If you prefer color, you can see the 1995 version, although they made it American and changed the time to WWI. I haven’t seen it, but judging from the stills, they (over)-emphasize the girl-power aspects of the story.