Book Anatomy · A Little Princess
A Little Princess: Prose style
17 lenses on prose style for A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 H8 H9 H10 H11 H12 H13 H14 H15 H16 H17
H1. Readability score per chapter. Count
Flesch reading ease for the whole book is about 77 (higher is easier; 60 to 70 is plain English).
Reading ease per chapter, chapter by chapter
H2. Vocabulary range. Count
4,968 different words. On average 48 in every 100 words are new within a 500 word stretch. 2,202 words appear only once.
H3. Signature words: what this author uses far more than others. Count
minchin, attic, indian, schoolroom, child. See the full lens on the book page.
H4. Adverb and adjective rates. Count
About 13.63 words ending in 'ly' and 6.31 likely adjectives per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
'ly' words per 1,000, chapter by chapter
H5. Share of weak verbs such as "was" and "had". Count
'Was', 'were', 'had', 'is' and 'are' make up 4.5% of all words.
H6. Passive voice rate. Count
About 6.4% of sentences use a passive form such as 'was taken'. (rough estimate from word lists)
H7. Variety of sentence openings. Count
The five most common first words start 34% of sentences: she, i, the, it, and.
| First word | Sentences |
|---|---|
| she | 541 |
| i | 374 |
| the | 266 |
| it | 234 |
| and | 167 |
| sara | 156 |
| he | 156 |
| you | 145 |
| but | 115 |
| if | 107 |
H8. Rhythm: how much sentence length varies. Count
Sentence length varies by 0.79 of its mean on average (higher means a more varied rhythm).
Variation per chapter, chapter by chapter
H9. Similes and metaphors: how many, and of what kind. Both
129 likely similes ('like a', 'as ... as'): 1.92 per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
Ch 1, para 15: Principally, she was thinking of what a queer thing it was that at one time one was in India in the blazing sun, and then in the middle …
Ch 1, para 21: During her short life only one thing had troubled her, and that thing was "the place" she was to be taken to some day. The climate of India …
Ch 1, para 24: She had liked to think of that. To keep the house for her father; to ride with him, and sit at the head of his table when he …
Ch 1, para 30: "Here we are, Sara," said Captain Crewe, making his voice sound as cheerful as possible. Then he lifted her out of the cab and they mounted the steps …
Ch 1, para 34: "Oh, little Sara," he said. "What shall I do when I have no one to say solemn things to me? No one else is as solemn as you …
Ch 1, para 41: She was mistaken, however, in thinking she was an ugly child. She was not in the least like Isobel Grange, who had been the beauty of the regiment, …
The novel uses similes sparingly but effectively, mostly comparing Sara's inner state to external conditions. Metaphors dominate, especially the princess disguise (spiritual resilience) and the attic transformation (magical reward for virtue). Burnett favours concrete imagery over figurative language.
Chapters: Ch 13, Ch 17, Ch 18
and I was thinking what would happen if I were a princess and you boxed my ears--what I should do to you. (Ch 13, para 20)
In the grate there was a glowing, blazing fire; on the hob was a little brass kettle hissing and boiling; spread upon the floor was a thick, warm crimson rug (Ch 18, para 14)
H10. Senses used: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Both
Share of sense words. sight 58%, sound 22%, touch 20%, taste 1%, smell 0%. (rough estimate from word lists)
| Sense | Words |
|---|---|
| sight | 733 |
| sound | 276 |
| touch | 250 |
| taste | 9 |
| smell | 4 |
Sight dominates throughout, tracking Sara's observations and the visual markers of wealth and poverty. Touch appears in moments of comfort and cold. Sound is sparse. Taste and smell are minimal, though hunger is a recurring sensation rather than a described flavour.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 8, Ch 15, Ch 17
Once on a dark winter's day, when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of London that the lamps were lighted (Ch 1, para 11)
In the grate there was a glowing, blazing fire; on the hob was a little brass kettle hissing and boiling; spread upon the floor was a thick, warm crimson rug (Ch 18, para 14)
H11. Repetition, lists of three and other patterns. Both
22 lists of three in the pattern 'a, b and c': 0.33 per 1,000 words. (rough estimate from word lists)
Burnett uses lists of three frequently: Sara's three main friendships (Ermengarde, Becky, Lottie), three magical gifts (fire, furniture, clothes), three stages of Sara's journey (wealth, poverty, restoration). Repetition of key phrases like 'Little Missus' and 'princess' anchors themes.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 19, Ch 22
He used to call her by an odd pet name he had invented. He called her his 'Little Missus. (Ch 14, para 14)
Please let me say just these words. It seems as if I OUGHT to say them. THANK you--THANK you--THANK you! (Ch 19, para 60)
H12. Old words that may trip modern readers. Count
Old forms that may trip a modern reader: twas, ere, hither, thither.
| Word | Times |
|---|---|
| twas | 1 |
| ere | 1 |
| hither | 1 |
| thither | 1 |
H13. Showing against telling, with examples. AI
Burnett shows character through action and dialogue more than summary. Sara's dignity is shown through her refusal to cry when punished, her kindness to Becky, and her bold declaration to Miss Minchin, rather than being told she is noble.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 13, Ch 15, Ch 21
You are NOT kind, and it is NOT a home. (Ch 8, para 44)
and I was thinking what would happen if I were a princess and you boxed my ears--what I should do to you. (Ch 13, para 20)
H14. How much description comes before action. Both
Description is woven into action rather than preceding it. Rooms are described as Sara enters them; weather is noted as she experiences it. The attic transformation is revealed through Sara's awakening and discovery, not through static description.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 8, Ch 17
Once on a dark winter's day, when the yellow fog hung so thick and heavy in the streets of London that the lamps were lighted (Ch 1, para 11)
In the grate there was a glowing, blazing fire; on the hob was a little brass kettle hissing and boiling; spread upon the floor was a thick, warm crimson rug (Ch 18, para 14)
H15. Filter words such as "saw", "felt", "heard". Count
Filter words ('saw', 'felt', 'heard' and so on): 7.98 per 1,000 words.
| Word | Times |
|---|---|
| knew | 90 |
| saw | 87 |
| thought | 87 |
| seemed | 86 |
| felt | 83 |
| heard | 74 |
| realized | 10 |
| watched | 8 |
| wondered | 6 |
| noticed | 5 |
H16. Shifts in tone. AI
Tone shifts from affectionate and playful in early chapters to harsh and austere after chapter 7, then gradually brightens with magical interventions. The final chapters return to warmth and hope. Shifts mark Sara's emotional journey rather than narrative distance.
Chapters: Ch 7, Ch 8, Ch 17, Ch 22
I will turn her into the street! (Ch 7, para 70)
In the grate there was a glowing, blazing fire; on the hob was a little brass kettle hissing and boiling; spread upon the floor was a thick, warm crimson rug (Ch 18, para 14)
H17. How the comedy works. AI
Comedy is gentle and character-driven. Lavinia's jealousy, Miss Minchin's shock at Sara's transformation, and Melchisedec the rat provide light moments. Humour often undercuts cruelty, showing Sara's resilience through her ability to find absurdity in hardship.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 13, Ch 18, Ch 19
You are CLEVER, aren't you? (Ch 3, para 20)
And lies--well, you see, they are not only wicked--they're VULGAR. (Ch 16, para 36)
Ask A Little Princess a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
Weekly email: coming soon
One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.