Pippi Longstocking Theme of Principles

What does it mean to be a principled person? Can you still be a principled person if you:

• lie on a regular basis? 
• disrupt coffee parties? 
• defy authority figures? 
• skip school? 
• contemplate putting an old man in a rabbit hutch and feeding him dandelions?

These are all things Pippi does in Pippi Longstocking, and yet we get the feeling she actually has some pretty solid principles—honor, loyalty, kindness, compassion, and a strong work ethic to name a few—that she adheres to rather fiercely.

1. It may seem that Pippi lives a life of spontaneity and chaos, but she's also a very principled person in many ways. What do you think are the top three principles that guide Pippi in her decision making? Give examples of how each of these principles show up in the book.
2. Pippi lies. A lot. Explain how she can still be a principled person even though she tells so many untruths. Do you think honesty is an important principle from Pippi's point of view? Why or why not?
3. Rank the following characters from most principled (#1) to least principled (#5) and explain why you've put them in this order: Pippi, the schoolteacher, Bengt, the ringmaster, Mrs. Settergren.
4. What principles are most important to you? Explain your choices.

Pippi's principles are so inconsistent throughout the book that she really can't be said to have any at all.

Pippi may seem uncompromising and even a little bit self-absorbed, but when it comes to Tommy and Annika, she always puts her friends' needs first.