Little Lord Fauntleroy by Frances Hodgson Burnett

First published: 1886; illustrated

Type of work: Fairy tale

Themes: Family, friendship, poverty, and social issues

Time of work: The late nineteenth century

Recommended Ages: 10-13

Locale: New York City, and Dorincourt Castle, Erleboro, England

Principal Characters:

• Cedric Errol, the future Lord Fauntleroy, an affectionate, thoughtful American boy
• Mrs. Errol, Cedric’s mother, a pretty and courteous woman, who was reared in poverty
• Lord Dorincourt, Cedric’s surly and cantankerous grandfather, who distrusts Americans
• Mr. Hobbs, Cedric’s tenderhearted friend, a simple, honest groceryman
• Dick, a poor bootblack, whom Cedric befriends
• Mr. Havisham, the Earl of Dorincourt’s family lawyer

The Story

In its plot and setting, Little Lord Fauntleroy follows a relatively simple scheme and resembles the Cinderella story, except that instead of providing a fairy godmother who transforms a young woman, this tale features an irascible old grandfather who enriches a young boy. Here people are changed not by magic but by simple trust and kindness. The story begins with the Earl of Dorincourt, a man who has three sons. He is a hard old man who detests his two oldest sons, both of whom live hard, wasteful lives and die in their prime. The youngest son, a onetime army captain who is brave, generous, and handsome, moves to New York in search of a position after his jealous father sends him there in a fit of anger.

While there, he meets and falls in love with a beautiful but penniless American girl. The earl, incensed with rage after learning of the affair, warns his son not to marry the girl. Despite these threats, the young couple proceed with the wedding, and the earl promptly disowns them. The couple have one son, Cedric Errol, the future Lord Fauntleroy. The father dies, forcing Cedric and his mother to live in humble circumstances. Though they find themselves in an unfortunate position, neither Cedric nor his mother gives in to despair. Through their generosity and kindness, they make many acquaintances. Cedric’s best friends include Mr. Hobbs, the neighborhood grocer, Dick the bootblack, and Bridget the washerwoman.

After all the earl’s sons are dead, he reluctantly sends an emissary, Mr. Havisham, to New York to announce to Cedric that he is the only surviving heir to the earl’s name and fortune. Cedric and his mother are then invited to England and stay on the earl’s estate. Unfortunately, they are forced to live in separate quarters because the earl does not want Cedric’s common mother under the same roof with the future Lord Fauntleroy. The earl, who expects his grandson to be a surly, barbaric urchin and the boy’s mother to be an ignorant, vulgar wench, is surprised to find that both possess unusual grace, innocence, and dignity. Cedric’s mother distinguishes herself by unselfish devotion to the poor of nearby Erleboro. Meanwhile, Cedric’s unwavering kindness and dedication, along with his untiring belief in his grandfather’s generosity, eventually win the earl’s affections and trust.

Events become complicated when a woman claims that the earl’s second son had married her six years earlier, and she has a five-year-old son she alleges to be the real Lord Fauntleroy. The claim is later proven false by testimony from Cedric’s old friend from New York, Dick the bootblack, who read about the affair in the newspapers and recognized the woman as the runaway wife of his brother Ben. For his fine efforts, the earl rewards Dick with funds for his education and welfare. In the end, the shock of these events serves to reconcile the earl with Cedric’s mother, and all live happily ever after at Dorincourt.

Context

In its day, Little Lord Fauntleroy was a sensation and capitalized on the ubiquitous rags-to-riches theme that permeated the popular fiction of the nineteenth century. According to the critic Ann Thwaite, the book sold more than forty-three thousand copies in its first year and became one of the biggest sellers of all time, selling more than one million copies in English alone and being translated into more than a dozen languages. By 1893, only one popular book was found in more libraries than Little Lord Fauntleroy: Lewis Wallace’s Ben-Hur (1880). Fueled by large sales and a London play that ran for 680 performances, a Fauntleroy fad erupted in the 1880’s in England and the United States; manufacturers flooded the market with velvet jackets, pants, lace collars, and cuffs designed after stage Fauntleroys. Children everywhere, especially in large cities, were seen outfitted in Fauntleroy costumes.

Several explanations account for the story’s lasting success, but perhaps the strongest reason can be attributed to Cedric’s virtues. Readers then as now readily identify with a hero who never gives anyone trouble, is always well, and is handsome, charming, and courteous. A character that achieves success not through narrow, materialistic self-interest but through charm and generosity always has broad popular appeal.

In a tired world that is too often fraught with unhappiness and complexity, the Fauntleroy story supplies a formula for happiness and offers a simple escape to an imaginary realm where penitent lovers are always forgiven, rash ones are reconciled, wickedness is always punished, and offended relatives always relent. Cedric and Mrs. Errol may be idealized, but that is precisely what gives them their attractiveness. Not only do they represent the kind of mother and child many readers wish they had, but their story also conjures up an enchanting dreamworld where children can have anything they want, where everything is grand and beautiful, and where people are presented in the way they ought to be rather than the way they are.