Published in 1854, The Lamplighter is realistic fiction novel by American novelist Maria Cummins. The novel takes on a sentimental point of view, with themes that try to persuade the reader towards the righteous path of being kind towards children. As the book follows the story of main character Gertrude Flint, readers can see how this orphan is abused by an abusive guardian named Nan Grant. The savior of the novel is none other than the lamplighter the novel was named after, Trueman Flint. Seeing how his symbolic name is "Trueman", Flint raises Gertrude to be a woman of morals and religious values, and she grows up to live a happy life.
Maria Cummins was born in 1827 in Salem, Massachusetts, and The Lamplighter is her most acclaimed novel. The book was a best-seller almost immediately, as it sold over 20,000 copies in just the first twenty days upon release. Cummins was inspired to become a writer by her father, who led the home in an upper-class neighborhood. Cummins passed away in 1866, just twelve years after she published The Lamplighter.
