Gifts and Material Goods (Situational Irony)
Sara is sent to Miss Minchin's with every possible need and want provided for. She is to be “a parlor boarder,” with far better living conditions than most of her peers. She is given “a pretty bedroom and sitting room of her own,” “a pony and a carriage,” and a maid. Ironically, though, Sara desires these luxuries perhaps even less than any of her peers might. While Lavinia, Ermengarde, and even Miss Minchin are impressed by Sara's clothes and toys, Sara cares only about her doll, Emily, and about her beloved father. Ultimately, the book hints, the children who are most deserving of gifts, and who are beloved enough to receive them, are the ones who care the least for material goods.
Donald Carmichael's Charity (Situational Irony)
During the Christmas season, the Carmichael children hear moral stories describing wealthy children who give charity to their poor neighbors. Donald, a well-meaning child, is inspired by this. When he sees Sara looking exhausted and hungry in their shared neighborhood, he goes out of his way to give her a sixpence piece even when she first refuses. Ironically, even though Donald's only goal is to help make Sara's life easier, he ends up making her feel self-conscious and confused. She takes the money he offers, but only to help him feel better. This irony demonstrates both the way in which well-meaning actions can backfire, and the way in which Sara continues to put others first regardless of her desperation.
Lavinia's sarcasm (Verbal Irony)
Sarcasm, or verbal irony, is Lavinia's weapon of choice. Because she cannot rebut Sara's arguments in any serious way, she generally chooses to mock them by responding in an exaggerated manner. For instance, when she appears to be in danger of losing such an argument, she lashes out, saying, “Ah, yes, your royal highness,” she said. “We are princesses, I believe. At least one of us is. The school ought to be very fashionable now Miss Minchin has a princess for a pupil.” She loses the argument, since Sara responds to sarcasm with sincerity, earnestly explaining that she pretends to be a princess in order to act in a kinder and more thoughtful manner. In this novel, sincerity is both morally and strategically superior to sarcasm.
Carrisford's Search (Dramatic Irony)
Dramatic irony occurs when the audience is aware of something before a character is made aware of it. In A Little Princess, readers understand that Sara is being looked for by Carrisford long before Sara herself knows. Moreover, while Carrisford desperately searches all of Europe for the lost Sara Crewe, readers know that she lives next door to him. Therefore, this dramatic irony is two-pronged. This irony helps build suspense, since readers know that Sara and Carrisford must eventually learn the truth about one another. At the same time, it gives young readers comfort, assuring them that Sara is not as alone as she herself believes.
