Dolls (motif)
When Sara is young and innocent, prior to Captain Crewe's death, dolls are a luxurious presence in her life and a sign of her father's doting love. Captain Crewe buys her Emily, an expensive toy, and, before his death, gives her "the Last Doll," and even more extravagant one. As always, though, Sara's reaction to these gifts is not to become spoiled but rather to become more empathetic, imaginative, and generous. Therefore, she treats Emily as a friend, and even offers Emily's friendship to other girls who feel lonely or lost, such as Ermengarde. When Sara's father dies, she is forced to give up the "Last Doll," just as she is forced to give up every other true luxury. Emily, though, is at this point more of a friend than a toy, and Sara is allowed to hold on to her. Over time, she comes to rely on Emily less and grows closer to her living human companions. Still, Emily serves as a reminder of Sara's childhood prior to the tumultuous events described in the book.
Princesses (symbol)
Princesses, to Sara, symbolize all that is good, selfless, and worthy in the world. Sara wishes to be a princess, not in order to live comfortably herself, but in order to distribute resources to those whose needs are greater than her own. As a result, even when she has very little herself, thinking about the symbolic princess allows Sara to feel useful rather than powerless. Sara's princesses are not always happy palace-dwellers: one of her favorite related fantasies involves being a French aristocrat deposed during the revolution. In this case, the symbolism of the princess lends a certain gravity to a bleak situation, helping Sara think of herself as an important, interesting, and slightly romantic figure. This gives her the motivation she needs to survive and to even help others despite her dire circumstances.
Clothing (motif)
Sara's relationship to clothes, and the clothes she has access to, changes throughout the novel, and tracking her clothes can be a helpful way to track her circumstances. When the novel begins, Sara's clothes are far more expensive and luxurious than necessary, and are provided as gifts from her father. Like the other gifts her father provides, Sara's clothes set her apart from others: anyone can see that she is more expensively attired than her classmates. As she grows older and her father's attitude grows even more indulgent, she acquires an even more wildly unnecessary wardrobe, this time belonging to the doll she gets for her birthday. This set of clothes represents the peak of Sara's innocent childhood days. Shortly afterwards, she is stripped of her exciting wardrobe, as well as her doll's, and left only with a too-small mourning dress. As the book continues, Sara's clothes grow shabbier, though neighbors are intrigued to see that they are clearly expensively made. Like Sara herself, these clothes come from a place of luxury and finery, and do not lose their fundamental worth in spite of their increased raggedness.
Heaven (Allegory)
When Lottie is crying inconsolably about her mother's death, Sara comforts her with a fantastic story about their two mothers picking flowers and watching over them from the afterlife. Sara does not literally believe in the truth of this story, although she does become temporarily carried away in the telling of it. On an allegorical, metaphorical level, though, the tale reveals attitudes about death and grieving that are fundamental to this novel. In A Little Princess, the death of loved ones (especially parents) does not mean the severing of relationships. Sara's parents remain protective figures in her life from beyond the grave, giving her the skills, values, and material resources she needs to survive. Though she tells this story before her father's death, it hints at the way in which her father will remain a source of comfort and aid to her after he has died.
Animals (motif)
Sara is kind to almost everyone she meets from the beginning of this novel, but she expresses disgust towards just one group: animals, and more specifically rats. Animals, in this novel, represent the most foreign and alienating presences in most humans' lives. Therefore, Sara's eventual bonding with the rat who she calls Melchisedec proves two things to the reader. First, it makes clear just how lonely and desperate for companionship Sara is. Secondly, though, it shows how much Sara's powers of empathy grow and strengthen over the course of her many trials. Rather than pitying herself for having to live among rats, Sara decides to consider the situation from the perspective of this much-maligned animal. In doing so, she helps herself feel less alone.
