Essay Questions

What qualities does Pippi have that makes her so good at daring things?

Pippi is very courageous little girl who was often placed in dangerous situations during her voyages with her father, which probably taught her to work through her fear and carry on regardless. She does not seem to acknowledge or feel fear and things that might seem frightening or daunting to other people seem to be exciting to her, such as performing acrobatics on a circus horse. Pippi does not seem to see the potential dangerous consequences of a situation and this gives her a certain pragmatism, especially when rescuing children from a burning house - she sees only what needs to be done, not what might potentially go wrong, which enables her to pull off any act of courage.

Pippi is also very straightforward in what she says as well. She helps her friends to overcome their fears as well. She is one of making choices and having things work out whether good or bad. Pippi is a girl who is wiser than one can believe most adults are. She is a thinker and gets things done and a true multi-tasker, as when she and her friends were cleaning Pippi's house when she was scrubbing the floors with scrub brushes on her feet and trying to put dishes away at the same time.

Does Pippi want the framework of a normal childhood?

Although Pippi clearly yearns for the life she enjoyed with her father, it never seems as though her life with him was particularly "normal" or typical, so it is hard for Pippi to want a framework with which she is very unfamiliar. Each time in the book that she is called upon to behave in a more accepted fashion, for example, at school, she does not manage to do so although she is aware what is expected - she just cannot seem to make herself behave that way. Pippi would seem to abhor frameworks or expected behavior as her behavior is completely spontaneous, and moment-to-moment, so it is unlikely that she desires one.

What role does Mr Nielsson have in the book?

Mr Nielsson is comic relief and also a trusty sidekick in most of Pippi's adventures. He is Pippi's best friend and her most live connection to her father as it was he who gave her the monkey. He is also charged with keeping her safe. His own bravery and simian agility also help enormously on the rescue of the kids from the burning house, and just like Pippi he is also very brave when the situation warrants.