36 pages • 1 hour read
Astrid LindgrenPippi Longstocking
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1945A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
Imagination and Ingenuity
Content Warning: This section contains references to racial stereotypes contained within the novel.
Imagination and ingenuity are some of Pippi’s finest traits. As a child of nine who is unencumbered by any sorts of rules and expectations, or even a formal education, Pippi explores the limitless bounds of her imagination and her creativity. She makes use of whatever she finds and sees potential where others do not, such as in an empty spool of thread. Pippi knows how to solve problems and embraces them as a part of life and an opportunity to demonstrate her skills. She finds a clever way to save the boys who are trapped in the burning building with the help of a rope, a board, and Mr. Nilsson. Pippi’s adventures are always filled with whimsy and the vibrant, imaginative thoughts of childhood.
Pippi’s stories that she invents about the places she has been are one example of her ability to imagine fantastical things. Although Pippi’s stories are often mischievous and based on harmful stereotypes, they do demonstrate that she is creative even though she is lying. She spins long, detailed descriptions of things that never happened and imagines entire people, lives, and events, such as the servant who was misunderstood by everyone but the grandmother she worked for. When Pippi tells the story of her battle with the snake, she makes creative use of language and onomatopoeia: “I’ve been around a bit, I said, and hit him in the head, bang, and then he hissed uiuiuiuiuiuiuiuiitch, and then I hit him again, and bingo! he was dead” (55).
Pippi’s ingenuity helps her survive, and it is also the reason she feels that she doesn’t need to attend school. Pippi believes that her life is working out well with just the experiences she gains by living each day: “I have got along fine without any pluttifikation tables for nine years, and I guess I’ll get along without it from now on, too” (41). True to her word, Pippi finds innovative ways to clean, cook, handle problems, and entertain her friends. Because of this approach, Pippi never seems to miss out on the world around her. Instead, she is fully immersed in it through the unique brilliance of her mind. Pippi’s ingenuity is perhaps what Tommy and Annika most admire about her because it is the reason they have so many thrilling adventures and experience things they otherwise may never have experienced, like seeing the inside of an oak tree.
Strength of Body and Mind
Pippi is “the strongest girl in the world” (99). She is strong both physically and emotionally, and it is her strength that most defines her. Physically, Pippi can lift almost anything. She lifts two police officers off her property, some bullies into a tree, and her horse whenever she pleases. Pippi even breaks the horns off a bull with little effort and wrestles it for so long that the bull tires out. Pippi also uses her amazing strength to beat the world’s strongest man in a wrestling match and to save two children from a burning building. In most cases, Pippi uses her strength to do good, or at least to protect her friends. She is fierce and brave because she can overcome anyone or anything with her strength. Pippi fears nothing—not fire, heights, or anything that other children would consider dangerous. Instead, she takes them on fearlessly, as she does with life itself.
Pippi’s mind is also strong. She can withstand bullying, threats of being taken away, and even an attempted robbery. Through all these frightening experiences, Pippi remains courageous. If she is afraid, she does not show it. Pippi’s optimism is also one of her greatest strengths. It keeps her going despite her difficult circumstances after losing two parents. Pippi tells the sailors before leaving them, “Don’t you worry about me. I’ll always come out on top” (13). She takes with her some gold and her pet monkey and needs nothing else but the home her father already provided. Pippi bravely begins her new life, cooking for herself, singing herself to sleep, and keeping herself occupied during the long summer days. Pippi also optimistically believes that her mother is watching down on her from heaven and that her father is still alive and has become king of an exotic island. She never lets herself believe that she is alone or that she will never see her beloved father again. She sees the bright side in every situation, making games out of things that would terrify or sadden others. She even considers the benefits of having no parents around, remembering that nobody is there to tell her to eat things she doesn’t like. Pippi’s strength is also what leads to her becoming a hero of the town. After her many selfless feats and her performance at the circus, she secures herself as the toughest girl in the world.
Living Every Day as a New Adventure
Pippi Longstocking is a girl who treats every day, every opportunity, and every moment as a new adventure. There are no dull moments with Pippi, and she takes on simple tasks such as cleaning the kitchen with whimsy and energy. Pippi was born for adventure. Her father was a sailor, and together they sailed around the world collecting treasure and exploring the world. These experiences shaped the person Pippi became. Living on the sea made her strong, hardy, and resourceful. It also set her up for a perpetual desire to see and experience as much as she can. Although Pippi has made her roots in Villa Villekulla, adventure propels her out into the world day after day.
The first adventure that Pippi goes on with her new friends, Tommy and Annika, is an excursion to search for treasure in the town. Pippi is optimistic and believes that any odd object can be made new again. When there is adventure to be had, Pippi is there, and searching for treasure is always an adventure. She urges her friends to be like her, to live each moment fully and appreciate things that others may take for granted. Together, the friends have many adventures, and each only creates more joy and brings them closer together. Tommy and Annika sing a song calling out to the children of the world to be free-spirited and adventurous and to come out of hiding to experience the world:
You who are young,
Come join in our song.
Don’t sit home moping all the day long (88).
Everything is an adventure for Pippi because much of what she experiences in the town is for the first time. Even going to school becomes an adventure and an experiment of whether Pippi can fit in with a system that has rules and expectations. Through each experience, Pippi learns something about herself and about the world. When she goes to school, she learns that she shouldn’t expect herself to be like other people and should instead continue doing what makes her happy. When she saves the boys from the fire, she learns that not everyone appreciates fire the way she does; in fact, most people fear it, especially in such circumstances. When the story concludes, Pippi stands in the doorway of Villa Villekulla, dressed in her father’s shirt and holding a pistol and sword. She looks ready for the next adventure and hopes to explore the world again someday. Before they leave, Pippi shouts to Tommy and Annika, “I’m going to be a pirate when I grow up. Are you?” (160).
