'Daddy Long-Legs' by Jean Webster

When Jerusha Abbott, an eighteen-year-old girl living in an orphan asylum, was told that a mysterious millionaire had agreed to pay for her education, it was like a dream come true. For the first time in her life, she had someone she could pretend was "family." But everything was not perfect, for he chose to remain anonymous and asked that she only write him concerning her progress in school. Who was this mysterious gentleman and would Jerusha ever meet him?

MY THOUGHTS:

I first read this at High School, during lunch time in the library while trying to dodge bullies. I still remember the pleasing aroma of the pages from that edition. It was a long time ago, so it was time for a refresh. I thought it'll do nicely for my Animal in the Title category of the 2021 Back to the Classics Challenge. I hope an arachnid counts as an animal, and trust that it will. 

At the age of 17, Jerusha (aka Judy) Abbott is the eldest orphan in the John Grier Home, and works hard for her keep. A rich trustee takes a fancy to her written work and offers to send her to college, with conditions. He will remain anonymous, and she must update him of her progress with regular letters which he'll never answer. 

Judy takes this in her stride, but ditches his unoriginal alias of 'John Smith' in favour of 'Daddy Long-Legs' because she once saw his lanky, distorted shadow on a wall, and it reminded her of a spider. (I'm not sure if American daddy-long-legs' are the same as the Australian ones I know, but I'm guessing they must be similar.) 'Dear Daddy-Long-Legs' is how she begins every letter in this very cool epistolary novel. She manages to create quite a fond, one-sided relationship with this fellow whose long, skinny legs are the only thing she knows for certain about him. 

Judy is a delight, emerging from a dour institution that encouraged conformity as a sunny and fairly cheeky original. She has the cheery eccentricity of Cassandra Mortmain, the imagination of Anne Shirley, the independence of Laura Ingalls, the frankness of Jo March and the optimism of Pollyanna. Anyone who ever enjoyed tales of any of these girls must do themselves a favour and give young Judy a go. At the very outset, we're told of her tendency to snatch the tiniest excuse for amusement from any situation, and it's refreshing to read a whole bunch of letters by someone with this attitude. 

Judy paints the university lifestyle in the brightest possible light. A college campus is evidently a far nicer institution than an orphanage, and she waxes lyrical about the 'bracing atmosphere of academic calm.' Maybe anyone who's only partially through their degree and feeling burnt out might take courage from this. It's not enough to make me nostalgic about formal study again, but I know others who claim to feel the exact same way Judy does. 

I didn't warm to the leading man as I did to Judy herself. He's a smug piece of work; a privileged rich kid from birth who's used to people jumping to attention whenever he snaps his fingers. He thinks flinging around a bit of generosity from his lofty perch gives him the right to be a control freak who makes all the major decisions in other peoples' lives. It appears that money and family reputation, rather than character, has bestowed on him this fan club. Oh boy, it was satisfying to see Judy put him in his place a few times for his dictatorial tendencies, but on the whole she's his biggest devotee. And that's saying quite a lot! 

Maybe I liked him a bit better toward the end. I tried my best anyway, because I'm sure we were meant to. He wasn't hoarding all his bounty, after all. However, it might have been nice to discern a bit more character development in him. 

Anyway, my favourite part is Judy's final take on her humble origins from the John Grier Home, which she's formerly regarded as a humiliating roadblock that needs to be hushed. But Judy comes to see it as rather an advantageous viewing platform from which to regard life. Other girls, such as her wealthy friend Julia, who were born with all the blessings Judy longed for, are short-sighted when it comes to happiness. They don't recognise it because they've been raised in it, like fish who are oblivious to water. But Judy has a frame of reference. She knows the worth of those small, everyday moments of happiness, and will never take them for granted. 

Most of us who read this book didn't start off as nameless foundlings, but her epiphany is a definite challenge to transform any unfortunate aspects of our pasts by using them as stepping stones for character growth. Those financial challenges, school or workplace bullying, health hurdles, unfulfilled ambitions or whatever else. I've had issues with each of those I've listed at some stage, so it's interesting to think they might be woven into a brighter philosophical outlook. 

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