Excerpt

Excerpt from The Lost Prince, by Frances Hodgson Burnett

A YOUNG CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

He had been in London more than once before, but not to the lodgings in
Philibert Place. When he was brought a second or third time to a town
or city, he always knew that the house he was taken to would be in a
quarter new to him, and he should not see again the people he had seen
before. Such slight links of acquaintance as sometimes formed themselves
between him and other children as shabby and poor as himself were easily
broken. His father, however, had never forbidden him to make chance
acquaintances. He had, in fact, told him that he had reasons for not
wishing him to hold himself aloof from other boys. The only barrier
which must exist between them must be the barrier of silence concerning
his wanderings from country to country. Other boys as poor as he was did
not make constant journeys, therefore they would miss nothing from his
boyish talk when he omitted all mention of his. When he was in Russia,
he must speak only of Russian places and Russian people and customs.
When he was in France, Germany, Austria, or England, he must do the same
thing. When he had learned English, French, German, Italian, and Russian
he did not know. He had seemed to grow up in the midst of changing
tongues which all seemed familiar to him, as languages are familiar to
children who have lived with them until one scarcely seems less familiar
than another. He did remember, however, that his father had always been
unswerving in his attention to his pronunciation and method of speaking
the language of any country they chanced to be living in.

"You must not seem a foreigner in any country," he had said to him. "It
is necessary that you should not. But when you are in England, you must
not know French, or German, or anything but English."

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Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from The Lost Prince by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Context of the Source

The Lost Prince (1915) is a lesser-known novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, the celebrated author of The Secret Garden (1911) and Little Lord Fauntleroy (1886). Unlike her more famous works, which often focus on childhood innocence and redemption, The Lost Prince is a mystery-adventure story set in early 20th-century Europe, blending themes of identity, displacement, and political intrigue.

The protagonist, Marco Loristan, is a young boy raised in secrecy by his father, a political exile from the fictional Eastern European kingdom of Samavia. The novel follows Marco and his friend The Rat (a disabled street urchin) as they embark on a covert mission to restore the lost Samavian royal line. The excerpt introduces Marco’s nomadic, multilingual upbringing, hinting at his father’s hidden motives and the clandestine nature of their existence.

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Themes in the Excerpt

1. Identity and Displacement

   • Marco is a "young citizen of the world"—rootless, constantly moving between countries, and forbidden from forming lasting connections.
   • His life is defined by transience: "When he was brought a second or third time to a town or city, he always knew that the house he was taken to would be in a quarter new to him."
   • He is neither fully belonging nor fully foreign, existing in a liminal space where he must adapt seamlessly to each new environment.

2. Secrecy and Isolation

   • Marco’s father enforces a "barrier of silence"—he must never reveal his wanderings or multilingualism to others.
   • His relationships are superficial and fleeting: "Such slight links of acquaintance as sometimes formed themselves between him and other children... were easily broken."
   • This isolation is intentional, suggesting that Marco is being groomed for a hidden purpose (later revealed to be the restoration of Samavia’s monarchy).

3. Language as a Tool of Survival and Deception

   • Marco’s fluency in multiple languages (English, French, German, Italian, Russian) is not just a skill but a necessity for survival.
   • His father insists: "You must not seem a foreigner in any country... It is necessary that you should not."
   • Language becomes a mask—he must erase traces of his past to avoid suspicion, reinforcing the theme of hidden identity.

4. Control and Obedience

   • Marco’s upbringing is highly disciplined. His father’s instructions are absolute: "He had always been unswerving in his attention to his pronunciation."
   • The rigid rules (e.g., speaking only the local language, never mentioning past travels) suggest military or espionage-like training, foreshadowing his future role in the Samavian restoration.

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Literary Devices & Stylistic Choices

1. Third-Person Limited Narration

   • The excerpt is told from an external but intimate perspective, focusing on Marco’s thoughts and experiences without revealing his father’s full motives.
   • This creates mystery—why must Marco hide his past? What is his father preparing him for?

2. Repetition for Emphasis

   • The phrase "he must" recurs, reinforcing the inescapable rules governing Marco’s life:
     • "He must speak only of Russian places..."
     • "You must not seem a foreigner..."
     • "You must not know French, or German..."
   • This imperative tone underscores the control his father exerts over him.

3. Contrast Between Childhood and Secrecy

   • Marco is a child, yet his life is unlike that of ordinary boys. While other poor children form temporary friendships, Marco’s connections are deliberately severed.
   • The juxtaposition of boyish innocence ("chance acquaintances") with espionage-like discipline ("barrier of silence") creates tension.

4. Symbolism of Language

   • Languages represent both freedom and constraint:
     • Freedom: Marco moves effortlessly between tongues, suggesting adaptability.
     • Constraint: He must suppress languages to avoid detection, symbolizing erased identity.

5. Foreshadowing

   • The father’s mysterious reasons for Marco’s upbringing hint at the political conspiracy central to the novel.
   • The insistence on blending in foreshadows Marco’s later role as a secret agent in the Samavian cause.

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Significance of the Excerpt

1. Establishing Marco’s Uniqueness

   • Unlike typical child protagonists in Burnett’s other works (e.g., Mary in The Secret Garden), Marco is not an orphan in need of emotional healing but a trained operative.
   • His multilingual, nomadic life sets him apart as a cosmopolitan figure, reflecting early 20th-century anxieties about nationalism and displacement.

2. Introduction to the Novel’s Central Conflict

   • The excerpt hints at political exile and revolution. Marco’s father is clearly preparing him for something greater, which later turns out to be the restoration of Samavia’s monarchy.
   • The secrecy and discipline suggest a high-stakes mission, differentiating this novel from Burnett’s more domestic stories.

3. Reflection of Historical Context

   • Written in 1915 (during WWI), the novel reflects European political instability, particularly the rise and fall of monarchies (e.g., the Russian Revolution in 1917).
   • Marco’s rootless, adaptive identity mirrors the displacement of refugees and exiles during the war.

4. Character Development

   • Marco’s obedience and intelligence are established early, making his later leadership role believable.
   • His loneliness (despite his father’s presence) creates sympathy, making readers invest in his journey.

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Close Reading of Key Passages

1. "Such slight links of acquaintance... were easily broken."

   • The word "slight" emphasizes the fragility of Marco’s relationships.
   • "Easily broken" suggests deliberate impermanence, reinforcing his isolated upbringing.

2. "You must not seem a foreigner in any country. It is necessary that you should not."

   • The double negative ("should not") and the word "necessary" imply urgency and danger.
   • Marco is not just adapting—he is surviving by erasing himself.

3. "He had seemed to grow up in the midst of changing tongues which all seemed familiar to him..."

   • "Changing tongues" evokes instability, while "familiar" suggests adaptability.
   • The passive voice ("had seemed to grow up") implies that Marco’s upbringing was orchestrated, not natural.

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Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

This passage is foundational to The Lost Prince, establishing:

• Marco’s unusual, disciplined upbringing,
• The mystery of his father’s motives,
• Themes of identity, secrecy, and political exile.

Unlike Burnett’s more sentimental works, this novel blends adventure with espionage, making Marco a unique protagonist—a child who is both innocent and highly trained, rootless yet destined for greatness. The excerpt hooks the reader by raising questions:

• Why must Marco hide his past?
• What is his father preparing him for?
• How will his multilingual skills be used?

These elements drive the plot forward, making the novel a compelling mix of mystery, politics, and coming-of-age drama.

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Final Thought: Burnett, known for her emotional, redemptive children’s stories, takes a darker, more intricate turn in The Lost Prince. This excerpt sets the stage for a tale of intrigue, where a boy’s linguistic genius and disciplined upbringing become weapons in a hidden war.

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Questions

Question 1

The passage most strongly suggests that Marco’s father views his son’s linguistic adaptability as:

A. a natural consequence of a peripatetic childhood, requiring no deliberate cultivation.
B. an unfortunate necessity that will eventually hinder Marco’s ability to form deep social bonds.
C. a superficial skill that, while useful, is secondary to the more critical lessons of political ideology.
D. a strategic asset that must be meticulously honed to ensure Marco’s survival in a hostile world.
E. an inherent talent that Marco should take pride in, as it distinguishes him from his peers.

Question 2

The phrase "the barrier of silence concerning his wanderings from country to country" primarily serves to:

A. highlight Marco’s emotional detachment from the places he has lived.
B. underscore the deliberate and systematic erasure of Marco’s personal history.
C. illustrate the casual indifference of Marco’s father toward his son’s social isolation.
D. suggest that Marco’s nomadic life is a result of economic hardship rather than design.
E. foreshadow Marco’s eventual rebellion against his father’s restrictive rules.

Question 3

Which of the following best captures the implicit tension in the father’s instruction, "When you are in England, you must not know French, or German, or anything but English"?

A. The father’s demand reflects a deep-seated xenophobia, implying that multilingualism is inherently suspicious.
B. The instruction is purely practical, aimed at helping Marco avoid the minor inconveniences of linguistic confusion.
C. The father is attempting to shield Marco from the cognitive overload of managing multiple languages simultaneously.
D. The command reveals the father’s belief that linguistic purity is a moral virtue Marco must uphold.
E. The directive enforces a performative monolingualism, requiring Marco to actively suppress parts of his identity.

Question 4

The narrative’s description of Marco’s relationships with other children—"such slight links of acquaintance... were easily broken"—is most effectively read as:

A. a critique of the transient nature of urban life in early 20th-century Europe.
B. an indictment of Marco’s father for depriving his son of meaningful companionship.
C. a reflection of the father’s calculated efforts to prevent Marco from forming attachments that could compromise their mission.
D. evidence of Marco’s inherent social awkwardness, which prevents him from maintaining friendships.
E. a neutral observation about the inevitable isolation of children from impoverished backgrounds.

Question 5

The passage’s repeated emphasis on the word "must" (e.g., "he must do the same thing," "you must not seem a foreigner") serves primarily to:

A. convey the father’s authoritarian personality, which borders on emotional abuse.
B. highlight Marco’s passive acceptance of his circumstances, lacking any agency or curiosity.
C. create a rhythmic, almost hypnotic effect that mirrors Marco’s unquestioning obedience.
D. reinforce the idea that Marco’s upbringing is governed by an overarching, unseen purpose rather than arbitrary rules.
E. suggest that Marco’s father is himself bound by external forces, relaying instructions he does not fully understand.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The passage frames Marco’s linguistic adaptability as a deliberately cultivated tool, not a passive outcome. His father’s "unswerving attention to his pronunciation" and the insistence that Marco "must not seem a foreigner" imply that these skills are strategically essential—likely for survival in a context where exposure could be dangerous. The father’s instructions are precise and purposeful, suggesting that Marco’s ability to blend in is critical to their hidden mission.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The passage contradicts this by emphasizing the father’s active role in shaping Marco’s linguistic skills ("unswerving in his attention").
• B: While the passage notes the transience of Marco’s relationships, it does not suggest the father views multilingualism as a social liability—only as something to conceal strategically.
• C: There is no indication that political ideology is being taught; the focus is on practical survival through linguistic assimilation.
• E: The father does not frame Marco’s skills as a source of pride but as a necessity, and the tone is utilitarian, not celebratory.

2) Correct answer: B

Why B is most correct: The "barrier of silence" is not merely a passive omission but an active suppression of Marco’s history. The father’s rules require Marco to erase all traces of his past movements, ensuring that his identity remains fluid and undetectable. This goes beyond simple secrecy—it is a systematic elimination of personal narrative, which aligns with the idea of deliberate erasure.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While Marco may be emotionally detached, the phrase focuses on the father’s impositions, not Marco’s feelings.
• C: The father is highly attentive to Marco’s upbringing (e.g., language training), so "indifference" is unsupported.
• D: The passage makes clear that their movements are by design ("he always knew the house... would be in a quarter new to him"), not economic necessity.
• E: There is no hint of future rebellion; Marco’s compliance is unquestioning in this excerpt.

3) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The father’s instruction is not about actual monolingualism (Marco does know other languages) but about performing it. He must actively suppress his multilingual identity to avoid detection, creating a disjunction between his true self and his presented self. This performative erasure is key to the passage’s tension—Marco must deny parts of himself to survive.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The father’s motives are pragmatic, not xenophobic; there’s no suggestion he dislikes other languages inherently.
• B: The stakes are far higher than minor inconveniences—the tone implies survival, not comfort.
• C: There is no mention of cognitive overload; Marco’s multilingualism is portrayed as natural and effortless.
• D: The father does not frame this as a moral virtue but as a tactical necessity.

4) Correct answer: C

Why C is most correct: The "slight links" being "easily broken" are not accidental but by design. The father allows Marco to form acquaintances but ensures they are superficial and temporary, likely to prevent emotional ties that could risk exposure. This aligns with the larger pattern of controlled isolation—Marco’s life is structured to avoid lasting connections that might interfere with his unseen purpose.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: The passage focuses on Marco’s specific upbringing, not a broad social critique of urban life.
• B: The father is not indicted—the narrative presents his actions as intentional and purposeful, not neglectful.
• D: There is no evidence of social awkwardness; the isolation is imposed, not inherent.
• E: The passage contrasts Marco with other poor children—his isolation is deliberate, not a neutral observation about poverty.

5) Correct answer: D

Why D is most correct: The repetition of "must" creates a sense of inevitability and higher purpose. The rules are not arbitrary but part of a larger, unseen plan (later revealed to be the Samavian restoration). The imperative tone suggests that Marco’s upbringing is governed by an overarching mission, not mere parental whim. This aligns with the espionage-like discipline hinted at in the passage.

Why the distractors are less supported:

• A: While the father is authoritative, the passage does not suggest abuse—his actions are calculated, not cruel.
• B: Marco’s agency is limited, but the focus is on the father’s purpose, not Marco’s passivity.
• C: The repetition is not hypnotic—it is emphatic and directive, reinforcing urgency.
• E: There is no indication the father is bound by external forces; he appears to be the architect of the plan.