Plot Summary
In the village of Shropshire, the inhabitants are charmed by the enigmatic and beautiful orphan Fanny, whose kindness and modesty are as intriguing as her mysterious past. She lives with her aunt and accompanies her to tend to those with illnesses and maladies around the village. Upon her aunt’s passing, Fanny was taken in under the care of the Manlys’, a kind-hearted couple who have always had a great fondness and affection for her.
In the meantime, Fanny caught the attention of Mr. Playfair, a young gentleman with a respectable wealth, to the annoyance of a rich young lady, Miss Trunse. Jealous by Mr. Playfair’s interest in Fanny, Miss Trunse plotted to manipulate her superstitious maid to spread rumours about Fanny being a practitioner of witchcraft. In a time period with heightened unease towards the supernatural, the townspeople were easily persuaded by the rumours and Fanny became the subject of hostile scrutiny. Mr. and Mrs. Manly suggested Fanny to move to another village to start over. Having decided to settle at a new village named Caernarvon, Mr. Manly and Fanny encountered the Seton family, who provided them with accommodations while they prepared for the move.
Caernarvon is known as the home of the ruins of many castles back in the ancient times. One castle in particular, the largest and the most intact of them all, is said to be infested with evil spirits. Not long ago, a gruesome murder has taken place and is now said to be haunted by a vengeful ghost. Young William Seton was fascinated by the story, but was reprimanded by his father each time he brought it up. Years later, after a surprise visit to his parents during a short military leave, William decided to explore the castle ruins, in attempts to satisfy his unresolved childhood curiosity. He ventured far into the castle and bumped into an old man and his porter. After initial distrust from both parties, the old man and William bonded over their shared military experience. They became close friends and William would visit the old man each time he came back to visit his family. During one of these visits, William brought his friend Henry along, who happened to be Fanny’s brother. It was there discovered the old man was in fact Henry’s father.
It was then revealed that the old man in the castle was once a soldier who was captured after all the soldiers in his platoon were killed. Due to some miscommunication, his family believed that he was one of the dead. His wife passed shortly because of a broken heart and his children were sent to the care of their aunt. He was able to escape from his captivity, but was informed that his entire family died upon his return. Heartbroken by the loss of his entire family, he vowed to live the rest of his life in isolation. Upon this discovery, Henry and Fanny were reunited with their father and they lived together happily ever after.
Analysis
The book consists of twelve chapters with three overarching narratives. The main plot is focalized around Fanny’s journey from the orphan of Shropshire to reuniting with her father. Using frame narration, we get two other subplots that provide necessary context for the main plot, one being William’s chance encounter in the castle and the other being the old man’s backstory.
The prose is written consistently in third person past tense, in exception to an interjection of a first person narrative voice in the fourth chapter. This interjection is written in a clear authorial voice, explaining that instead of describing Fanny’s reaction to her surroundings, a description of the setting will be more informative. The abrupt use of the first person “I” feels a little out of place, but slips back into third person omniscient just as quickly.
For a piece of juvenile literature, the writing style is fairly straightforward, but often convoluted with heavy descriptive language that does not always contribute to the main plot. For a children’s book, I would have expected an emphasis on the story, as opposed to descriptive language that may not necessarily advance the plot. The author employs an interesting technique, where characters are first introduced as a description of their character, then inserts their name into the narrative without abruptly. This relies on understanding the character when it is first introduced and being able to make the connection when a random name is being referenced. For example, when Henry is introduced, he is referred to as the “young soldier” who accompanied Fanny on her aunt’s death bed. As the narrative unfolds, the reader learns that he is Fanny’s brother, explaining the closeness with her aunt. Later, the narration makes a reference to Fanny’s brother as “Henry,” which allows the reader to associate a name to the character. This technique relies on paying close attention to the details hidden in the narrative language, which may not be an optimal reading strategy for children.
A strength of the book is that the plot is fairly interesting and able to resolve the main storyline nicely. While it is a fairly predictable story, the narrative manages to keep the mystery for most of the book as many key details are withheld until the final few chapters. The happy ending may be a little cliché, but a positive conclusion to the narrative would seem to resonate well with a younger readership.
Paratextual Material
The Village Orphan opens with an “Advertisement,” detailing the author’s intended message for the book. It states that it wishes to “cherish the minds of youth” with “natural principles of rectitude and benevolence” (2). In other words, it would seem that Fanny exemplifies the type of character that one should strive to be. Despite her trials and tribulations that she had to endure, she was able to achieve a happy ending with her virtue and pure goodness.
Attached to the end of the book is an excerpt of The Basket-Maker, seemingly another juvenile fiction story possibly written by the same author. It is no more than a few pages and details a family preparing their home for an upcoming storm, when they encounter a familiar face seeking shelter
The Village Orphan 