Daddy-Long-Legs

The narrative is presented as a series of letters written by a bright, spirited orphan whom an anonymous benefactor sponsors through schooling on condition that she send monthly letters; she addresses him playfully while he remains silent. The correspondence charts her intellectual and emotional development as she leaves institutional life for higher education, explores literature, art, and social life, forms close friendships, confronts personal insecurities, and discovers romantic feelings. Wry observations about class and charity accompany youthful humor, and gradual revelations about the benefactor and her own independence lead to a more confident sense of self.