The Governess; or, The Little Female Academy

The plot of The Governess seems largely based upon the Lockean educational ideal of avoiding learning as work or a job, and instead presenting it as something enjoyable.

Thus Fielding employs fairy tales as well as everyday occurrences (receiving a letter, meeting strangers, touring fancy houses) to educate her pupils in a living life full of happiness.

[3] One Thing quite necessary to make any Instructions that come either from your Governors, or your Books, of any Use to you, is to attend with Desire of Learning, and not to be apt to fansy yourselves too wise to be taught.

This is being as contemptible as the Owl who hates the Light of the Sun; and therefore often makes Use of the Power he has, of drawing a Film over his Eyes, to keep himself in his beloved Darkness.

"The preface closes with the explanation that the following 'sheets' are intended to show young readers that "Pride, Stubbornness, Malice, Envy, and, in short, all manner of Wickedness, is the greatest Folley we can be possessed of", and "Certainly, Love and Affection for each other make the Happiest of all Societies.

She was married to a man that enjoyed 'improving' his wife by educating her, and Mrs Teachum had a disposition towards pleasing her husband, and received his instructions with enthusiasm.

Jenny is told to make sure that the present is divided evenly, and it should have worked out perfectly, except that one apple appears to be substantially larger than the others.

Miss Jenny produces a basket of apples that she had spent her own pocket money to buy and offers them to the group as a reward for the good behaviour.

Barbarico imprisons Fidus in his cave, and tells his slave, the dwarf Mignon, to only feed him moldy bread and standing water once a day, as he wishes to watch him starve.

Mignon takes pity on Fidus, having been made a captive at the age of five, and secretly feeds him good food and water.

After finishing the story with her friends Jenny takes it to Mrs Teachum, and asks for her approval of having read it to her classmates, citing her mother's insistence that there was a very good moral in the tale.

Jenny takes this to mean that she has chosen poorly, and Mrs Teachum assures her that it is not the content of the story that matters, but how it is read and viewed that decides whether or not it is appropriate.

They all agree that they had enjoyed the tale, but Jenny wants to make sure the teachings from Mrs Teachum are passed on, and that the girls understand what they read.

She says: "In short, if you will reap any Benefit from this Story towards rendering you happy, whenever you have any Power, you must... do good with it; And when you are under any Sufferings.. you mus patiently endure them till you can find a Remedy.

After morning lessons the students prepare to gather again to hear Miss Dolly's story, but are delayed by their writing instructor appearing early.

He wished to leave early as well, and Mrs Teachum bade the students attend him, saying, "And I know my little Dears, you would rather lose your own Amusement, than let anyone suffer a real Inconvenience on your Accounts."

As a reward for their willingness to change their plans, Mrs Teachum allows them to leave afternoon classes an hour early to hear Miss Dolly's story.

"[4] Sempronius is so taken with Caelia's honesty and modesty, that he reveals the true answers of Chloe, and in the same breath asks for her hand in marriage.

The girls resolve to walk together to the dairy house, and because of their cheerful compliance Mrs Teachum excuses them from afternoon classes.

She blesses Hebe and warns her to not trust any of the shepherdesses around the forest, as they are agents of Brunetta and wish Sybella and her friends no good.

Rozella changes tactics and declares her argument a joke, but asks Hebe to keep it a secret from her mother as she will look poorly in the story.

Hebe is sad for a while, and asks for a chance to prove her obedience to her mother, and her ability to withstand any temptation, by walking on her own around the forest.

Jenny hesitates for a great moment before answering, but is correct according to Mrs Teachum, who then begins to quiz her about specific instances in the play where this may or may not be true.

The problem with that is she was just acquiring information for the sake of repeating it and lowering George's status, not learning it and incorporating it into useful knowledge for the future.

Mrs Teachum was impressed when she read them, saying, "For they have all confessed their faults without Reserve; and the untowardly Bent of their Minds, which so strongly appeared before the Quarrel, has not broke out in these their little Histories; but, on the contrary, they all seem, according to the Capacities, to have endeavoured to imitate your style, in the account you gave of your own life.

At dinner she asked them where they should like to go, and with excited longing from Miss Polly Suckling they decided to see the old lady at the dairy house again.

On the walk back they came in view of a nobleman's house, and were invited in by the maid to take a tour since the owners had left separately that morning.

The first to plead their case was the parrot, who claimed his ability to speak like a human, and that he lived in a golden cage set him above the other birds.

Of this the eagle proclaimed, "That as the peacock's Envy had taken away all his Claim, so no less had he Nightingale's Self-conceit frustrated all his pretensions; for those who are so wrapped up in their own Perfections, as to mind nothing but themselves, are forever liable to all sorts of Accidents."

She had a lively and commanding Eye, insomuch that she naturally created an Awe in all her little Scholars; except when she condescended to smile... then she had something perfectly kind and tender in her Manner.