The Good Little Girl
The story revolves around a young girl who is overly concerned with being good and following rules. She is obsessed with pleasing her parents and teachers, and this obsession leads to a series of humorous events. The narrative explores the consequences of excessive goodness and the importance of finding a balance between being obedient and developing one's own identity.
By Thomas Anstey Guthrie · First published 1914 · Genre: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Comedy · 9,694 words
First lines
Her name was Priscilla Prodgers, and she was a very good little girl indeed. So good was she, in fact, that she could not help being aware of it herself, and that is a stage to which very many quite excellent persons never succeed in attaining. She was only just a child, it is true, but she had read a great many beautiful story-books, and so she knew what a powerful reforming influence a childish and innocent remark, or a youthful example, or a happy combination of both, can exert over grown-up people. And early in life -- she was but eleven at the date of this history -- early in life she had seen clearly that her mission was to reform her family and relatives generally.
What this Textopian page supports
The Good Little Girl is listed on Textopian as a short story by Thomas Anstey Guthrie, dated 1914 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- Date: 1914 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Children's Literature, Fantasy, Comedy, Moral Tale, Social Satire
- Length: 9,694 words
- Structure: 1 section, 186 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Good Little Girl by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Good Little Girl?
- How does this short story by Thomas Anstey Guthrie fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Children's Literature first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Tommy And His Sister Jane by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- The Curates Friend by E. M. Forster
- A Hole In The Wall by Louisa May Alcott
- Bricks Without Straw by Thomas Anstey Guthrie
- The Cricket Match by J. M. Barrie
- The Prince And The Pauper by Mark Twain
Genres
- Children's Literature — The story centers around a young girl, Priscilla, and her moral lessons, making it primarily aimed at a child audience.
- Fantasy — The presence of a fairy and magical elements, such as jewels appearing when Priscilla speaks, places the story within the fantasy genre.
- Comedy — The humorous situations arising from Priscilla's attempts to reform her family and the misunderstandings about her jewels contribute to a comedic tone.
- Moral Tale — The narrative conveys moral lessons about goodness, family dynamics, and the challenges of being virtuous.
Tags
Coming-of-age · Feminism · Social-class · Family-drama · Victorian-era · Childhood · Growing-up · Morality-tale · Satire · Humor · Irony · Critique-of-society