A Sweet Girl Graduate (1911) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Priscilla Penywern Peel: orphan, lives with her aunt, goes to St. Benet's Women's College
• Rachel (Raby) Peel: aunt and guardian to Priscilla and her sisters
• Rose, Katie, and Hattie: Priscilla's younger sisters
• Maggie Oliphant: most popular girl at St. Benet's College. One of the first to try to befriend Priscilla
• Nancy Banister: close friend of Maggie's. also becomes a good friend to Priscilla. student at St. Benet's
• Annabel Lee: the former resident of Priscilla's dorm room, who sadly passed away from typhoid fever. Was previously the most popular girl at St. Benet's and Maggie's best friend.
• Dorothea Heath: Principal (or a sort of resident advisor) of Heath Hall, one of the dormitory buildings at St. Benet's
• Miss Eccleston: Principal of Katherine Hall
• Mrs. Marshall: friend of Maggie's; lives in the town of Kingsdene near the womens' college
• Helen Marshall: granddaughter of Mrs. Marshall
• Geoffrey Hammond: the on -off beau of Maggie Oliphant; attends the local mens' college St. Hilda's
• Meta Elliot-Smith: friend of Rosalind Merton
• Rosalind Merton: a baby-faced student at St. Benet's; also the cause of a good deal of the drama between the female students
• Polly Singleton: a heavy-set, redheaded student at St. Benet's; gets herself deeply in debt with a few of the local boutiques and is forced to auction off several of her prized possessions, which causes a good deal of conflict between the other students
• Annie Day, Lucy Marsh, Ida Mason, Constance Field: residents of Heath Hall, the same dormitory buildingl that Priscilla lives in; play minor roles in the story
• Ada Hardy: schoolmate of Priscilla's
• Mr. Hayes: vicar in Devonshire, where Priscilla's aunt lives. Serves as Priscilla's tutor before she is accepted to St. Benet's

Quotes edit see section history

• “Orchids are ordinary flowers spiritualized. They have a glamour over them.”

  Dorothea Heath

• “What is objectionable to possess can never be a bargain to obtain.”

  Geoffrey Hammond

• “'Oh, how earnestly I was like you' (maggie) 'Why so? What have I got? I have no beauty; I am not clever; I am neither romantically poor like Prissie (Priscilla) nor romantically rich, like you. In short, the fairies were not invited to my christening.' (Nancy) 'One or two fairies came however,' replied Maggie, ' and they gave you an honest soul and a warm heart, and -- and happiness, Nancy.'”

  Maggie and Nancy

• “'Oh, how obstinate some people are!' replied Maggie wearily. 'Happiness, health and succor come to their very door and they turn these good things away!' 'That is true,' replied Hammond, 'I am firmly convinced,' he added, 'that the good angel of happiness is within the reach of most of us once at least in our lives, but for a whim -- often for a mere whim -- we will tell him to go.'”

  Maggie and Geoffrey

• “'The children of darkness generally hate those who walk in the light.'”

  Maggie to Rosalind after finding that Rosalind stole from her and tried to frame Priscilla with the theft (Rosalind admitted to hating Priscilla)

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• England: Devonshire, Yorkshire, London, Lyme, Kingsdene

Organizations edit see section history

• St Hilda's College: The college in the novel is described as a mens' college. The college, attached to Oxford University, does actually exist but was in fact a womens' college until 2006 when men were granted admittance.

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Glossary edit see section history

• Badinage: light,playful banter
• Cretonne: a heavy cotton material in colorfully printed designs, used especially for drapery and slipcovers.
• Recherche: –adjective1.sought out with care.2.very rare, exotic, or choice; arcane; obscure.3.of studied refinement or elegance; precious; affected; pretentious.
• Photogravure: –noun1.any of various processes, based on photography, by which an intaglio engraving is formed on a metal plate, from which ink reproductions are made.2.the plate.3.a print made from it.
• Hob: a projection or shelf at the back or side of a fireplace, used for keeping food warm.
• Tripos: any of various final honors examinations.
• Verger: a church official who serves as sacristan, caretaker, usher, and general attendant.
• Caprice: a sudden, unpredictable change
• Outré: (French) passing the bounds of what is usual or considered proper; unconventional; bizarre.
• Vant: a form of "vaunt"; to speak boastfully or brag
• Gauche: Lacking social polish; tactless.
• Epigrammatic: of or like an epigram; terse and ingenious in expression. {Epigram:1) any witty, ingenious, or pointed saying tersely expressed. 2)a short, often satirical poem dealing concisely with a single subject and usually ending with a witty or ingenious turn of thought.}
• Requisition: –noun1.the act of requiring or demanding.2.a demand made.3.an authoritative or formal demand for something to be done, given, supplied, etc.
• Magnanimity: –adjective1.generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness: to be magnanimous toward one's enemies.2.high-minded; noble: a just and magnanimous ruler.3.proceeding from or revealing generosity or nobility of mind, character, etc.: a magnanimous gesture of forgiveness.
• Rectitude: rightness of principle or conduct; moral virtue
• Effusion: pouring forth unrestrained expression, as of feelings
• Enmity: a feeling or condition of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism.
• Clew: old form of "clue"
• Desultory: –adjective1.lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.2.digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
• Rara Avis: (Latin) rare bird
• Aspersion: : a sprinkling with water especially in religious ceremonies2a : a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputatio
• Platinotype: Platinum prints, also called platinotypes, are photographic prints made by a monochrome printing process that provides the greatest tonal range of any printing method using chemical development.Unlike the silver print process, platinum lies on the paper surface, while silver lies in a gelatin or albumen emulsion that coats the paper. As a result, since no gelatin emulsion is used, the final platinum image is absolutely matte with a deposit of platinum (and/or palladium, its sister element which is also used in most platinum photographs) absorbed slightly into the paper.<1>
• Piquant: Engaging; stimulating or provocative
• Recontre: a meeting or encounter, usually hostile in nature
• Eclat: French 1) ostentatious display : publicity2: dazzling effect : brilliance3a : brilliant or conspicuous successb : praise, applause
• Torpor: a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibilityb : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals
• Precept: a command or principle intended especially as a general rule of action2: an order issued by legally constituted authority to a subordinate official
• Compunction: a : anxiety arising from awareness of guilt <compunctions of conscience>b : distress of mind over an anticipated action or result <showed no compunction in planning devilish engines of … destruction — Havelock Ellis>2: a twinge of misgiving : scruple <cheated without compunction>
• Discordant: disagreeable or quarrelsome
• Prognostication: a premonition or a feeling of foreboding

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

• Grief: Maggie has a hard time healing from the death of her best friend Annabel Lee
• Work vs Play: Priscilla must learn to balance studies with social time
• Gossip and Jealousy: the girls get in quarrels with each other because of petty jealous behavior, rumors are started that nearly ruin people

Series & Lists edit see section history

List the series to which this book belongs.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. L. T. Meade (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Hurst & Co. (Publisher)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Copyright Status: Public Domain
• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: Add the Dewey Classification.

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Very easy to read, story line relatable to preteens and teens

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › Women's Fiction › Friendship

More Books Like This edit see section history