Annika and Tommy have one. Pippi doesn't. So where does that leave her in Pippi Longstocking? Not all that bad off, as it turns out. She's got a house, two animal housemates to share it with, and a couple of best friends next door. Plus she seems to have a whole lot of fun. So then is Astrid Lindgren suggesting that family doesn't matter? Not at all.
For one thing, Pippi counts Mr. Nilsson and the horse as kin. And for another, Pippi references her parents constantly. She fully believes that her mom is watching over her from above and that her dad will be back for her as soon as he can. So she does have a family—more or less—and her parents' influence endures, even when they're not around.
Questions About Family
- What makes a family? Is a family with a mom, a dad, and two kids more valid than a family with just a girl, a horse, a monkey, an angel-mother, and a father who's lost at sea? Why or why not?
- How much influence does a family's structure have on the personalities and traits of the children in that family?
- At what point in a person's life (infancy? the toddler years? adolescence? adulthood?) do you think parents have the most influence? Explain your reasoning.
Chew on This
Because the child characters in Pippi Longstocking appear to be greatly influenced by the environments in which they are being raised, this book makes a great argument for nurture over nature.
Tommy and Annika are held back in many ways by their parents, while Pippi, who lives on her own, is free to develop to her full potential. In this way, Pippi Longstocking is an anti-family book.