Little Lord Fauntleroy

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1886

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-9

Chapters 10-12

Chapters 13-15

Character Analysis

Themes

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Chapters 1-3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 1 Summary

Cedric lives alone with his mother in modest circumstances after his father dies of an unnamed illness. His father, Cedric Errol, Sr. was a captain in the English army until he fell in love with and married an American woman, Cedric’s mother—who the younger only refers to as ‘Dearest’ after the way his father addressed her. Cedric Sr. came from an aristocratic family and was the youngest of three brothers. His elder brothers, who would inherit the bulk of their father’s estate, were untalented and ignoble. Cedric Sr., on the other hand, possessed all the gifts a nobleman should: “He had a beautiful face and a fine, strong, graceful figure; he had a bright smile and a sweet, gay voice; he was brave and generous, and had the kindest heart in the world, and seemed to have the power to make every one love him” (4). His father, Lord Dorincourt, was bitter at the injustice of having to grant his estate to his elder children and was angry with Cedric Sr. for being so perfect, and yet he couldn’t help but love him. However, when Cedric Sr. announced his intentions to marry an American girl, Lord Fauntleroy all but disowned him because of his hatred of Americans.

Cedric Sr. and his wife, Mrs. Errol, whose first name isn’t mentioned, made a loving home for their extraordinary baby Cedric Jr. despite not having very much money. As a baby, Cedric was remarkable in every way: Unfussy, handsome, and preternaturally mature, he charmed everyone he met, even the grumpy grocer, Mr. Hobbs. The domestic idyll in which the Errols lived nurtured Cedric’s kind nature: “He had never heard an unkind or uncourteous word spoken at home; he had always been loved and caressed and treated tenderly, and so his childish soul was full of kindness and innocent warm feeling” (8).

Cedric matures at an astonishing rate and when his father dies when he is a young boy, he shows an unusual ability to understand his mother’s feelings and comfort her. Mary—their longtime servant whose incorrect way of speaking indicates a lack of education—is proud of Cedric’s graceful, aristocratic manner. Cedric is unaware of his aristocratic looks and behavior and spends his time talking to Mr. Hobbs, who has become his closest friend. In a conversation about politics, Mr. Hobbs expresses his low view of England and its aristocracy to Cedric. He remarks, “Perhaps they wouldn’t be earls if they knew any better” (13).

Mary summons Cedric away from this conversation back to his house where a lawyer has made a surprise visit to inform Cedric that he will inherit his grandfather’s title.

Chapter 2 Summary

Cedric’s uncles—his father’s ignoble brothers—have both died, making Cedric the heir to his grandfather’s earldom. Cedric’s grandfather, John Arthur Molyneux Errol, Earl of Dorincourt, sent his family lawyer, Mr. Havisham, to bring Cedric and his mother to England to train him for his title.

At first Cedric isn’t drawn to the money and power that will be his, thinking only of having to say goodbye to Mr. Hobbs, and he asks his mother if he must be a lord. His mother replies that it’s what his father would have wanted and, feeling a duty to his late father, Cedric decides that if he must be an earl, he will be a good one: “I’m not going to be a tyrant. And if there is ever to be another war with America, I shall try to stop it” (26). He tells Mr. Havisham of all his acquaintances who he would like to help with his newfound wealth and Mr. Havisham, obeying Lord Dorincourt’s command that the boy be given whatever he wants and be told that it came from his grandfather, gives Cedric money for his friend whose husband is sick.

When Mr. Havisham first arrives at Cedric’s house he has a low view of people, believing them to be fundamentally selfish. He shares Lord Dorincourt’s conviction that Mrs. Errol entrapped Cedric Sr. into marrying her for his money. He also worries that Cedric takes after his uncles—who associated with low people to their father’s embarrassment—when he hears that Cedric spends much of his time at the grocer’s. Mr. Havisham quickly sees that Mrs. Errol is a loving, honest woman, and that Cedric has all the noble qualities that Lord Dorincourt lacks. Cedric charms Mr. Havisham with his unaffected, sometimes incorrect way of speaking, his maturity, and his curiosity about the earldom and England.

When Cedric wins a race against another boy, Mr. Havisham observes that Cedric can make anyone feel confident and at ease: “Even in the first flush of his triumphs, he remembered that the person who was beaten might not feel so gay as he did, and might like to think that he might have been the winner under different circumstances” (38).

Through Mr. Havisham we learn that Lord Dorincourt is selfish, lonely, and miserable. Mr. Havisham tells Mrs. Errol that Lord Dorincourt will force her to live separately from Cedric in England. Despite Dorincourt’s cruel intentions, she doesn’t resent him and refuses to poison Cedric’s picture of his grandfather as a generous and good man.

Chapter 3 Summary

In the weeks preceding his departure for England, Cedric helps various acquaintances with his new money. He buys an old woman who sells apples a tent, a stove, and a shawl so that her bones won’t hurt when it’s cold. Cedric explains to Mr. Havisham that he is returning a kindness: “Once when I fell down and cut my knee, she gave me an apple for nothing. I’ve always remembered her for it. You know you always remember people who are kind to you” (57). Cedric is too naive to understand that someone could act differently, “that there were people who could forget kindnesses” (58). For his friend Dick, a shoeshine, Cedric buys out Dick’s unreliable partner in their shoeshine business and gives his share to Dick so that business will improve. When Cedric tells Dick of this plan, Mr. Havisham is impressed by Cedric’s humble, direct way of talking to Dick.

Cedric spends a lot of time with Mr. Hobbs, who is saddened by his imminent departure. They exchange a heartfelt goodbye and Cedric promises to invite him to England as soon as he gets his grandfather’s permission. Mr. Hobbs agrees to put aside his dislike for aristocrats and promises he’ll visit.

Upon their departure, Cedric acknowledges the sadness he and his mother are feeling at leaving their home and they share a moment of sad appreciation for their former life. Onboard the ship, Cedric plans to ask the sailors about pirates. Just before the steamer departs, Dick runs to give Cedric an ornamented silk handkerchief, with which he waves goodbye to Dick as they launch.

Chapters 1-3 Analysis

The elements that define this book as a classic, rags-to-riches story are established in the sentimental style that was popular in the 19th century: Raised in relative poverty where tragedy strikes with the death of his father, Cedric nonetheless transcends his modest circumstances with his pure goodness even before he’s made unexpectedly wealthy by inheriting his grandfather’s title. Cedric’s trajectory in these first chapters also shares elements of the hero’s journey: Charged with the duty to become an Earl, Cedric must leave home to travel to an unfamiliar, daunting place, equipped with only his character.

The key elements of Cedric’s personality are already on display. He shows that he’s loyal to his friends as he, in turn, helps each of them with his new money. He knows how to make people feel good about themselves when they feel they’re not—such as when he tells the boy he races that it was just chance that he (Cedric) won—and he’s unusually attuned to and respectful of what others are feeling, such as when he acknowledges his mother’s sadness upon leaving their house for England.

Cedric also has a powerful effect on people. He brings Mr. Hobbs out of his grumpy shell and tempers his hatred of aristocrats. He surprises the cynical Mr. Havisham with his truly noble manner. He inspires deep loyalty and gratitude in his friend Dick, whose parting gift of a silk handkerchief is a symbol of the loyalty and goodwill Cedric inspires.

Both Cedric and his mother display the archetypal innocence essential to their characters. Both think the best of people: For Mrs. Errol it’s a conscious choice—she knows that people aren’t always good—but for Cedric it’s a result of his innocence and naivete. When he explains to Mr. Havisham why he’s helping the woman who sells apples, the narrator comments that Cedric doesn’t even consider the possibility of not returning her kindness: “It had never occurred to his honest, simple little mind that there were people who could forget kindnesses” (57-8). Both are also archetypal innocence in that they value simplicity, morality, and happiness over extravagance. Cedric shows this innocence in his desire not to become a lord—he isn’t enticed by the promise of money and power, only caring about them to the extent that they help him help those close to him. Setting and physical description characterize Mrs. Errol’s innocence. When Mr. Havisham first visits, he notices that contrary to his expectations, her home is tastefully decorated and that she is dressed in a simple, dignified way. He notes her prettiness and soon sees that her motives in marrying Cedric Errol, Sr. were pure, contrary to what the Earl thinks. Mr. Havisham’s realization of the Earl’s misjudgment foreshadows the full extent of his mistaken thinking and way of life that is yet to be revealed.