A Little Princess · Character
Mr. Carrisford
A wealthy, ailing invalid next door who was Captain Crewe's business partner and cannot rest until he finds the daughter he failed.
major
Also known as Carrisford, the Indian gentleman
First appearance: The Indian Gentleman
As a major figure in A Little Princess, Mr. Carrisford is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.
The Indian gentleman is introduced as a solitary, ill man who is carried into the house next door.
Mr. Carrisford lives in the grand house beside the seminary, tended by servants and haunted by the diamond mines that ruined his friend. He loves nothing more than the memory of "the little princess in rags and tatters," and his quiet campaign to find her drives the story's middle arc from behind the wall. His guilt and his tenderness — the way he shades his eyes when Sara tells him about the bun shop — make him the novel's counterweight to Miss Minchin's coldness.
Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.
Character Web
16 connectionsA slice of how Mr. Carrisford sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.
Relationship types
- Family
- Professional
- Other
Character groups
- Sara's inner circle
- Protagonist
- Background and peripheral figures
+11 more in the full Character Web
Open in readerNarrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological low point where Sara’s re…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingRelationships
- Sara Crewe
family · positive
- Miss Minchin
professional · negative
- Sara Crewe
family · positive
- Sara Crewe
family · positive
- Miss Minchin
professional · negative
- Miss Minchin
professional · negative
Relationship notes
How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.
See Mr. Carrisford in The Indian GentlemanIn the story
Mr. Carrisford appears across 6 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.
- The Indian Gentleman
- The Other Side of the Wall
- What Melchisedec Heard and Saw
- It Is the Child!
- I Tried Not to Be
- Anne
Chapter companion notes
Spoil-light check-ins for Mr. Carrisford unlock in the free preview.
See Mr. Carrisford in The Indian Gentleman