Daddy-Long-Legs is cherished for its innovative epistolary format and heartwarming coming-of-age narrative. Judy’s candid letters deliver both excitement and emotion, possessing timeless appeal.
Jean Webster’s Life and Works
Jean Webster was born on July 24, 1876, in Fredonia, New York. Her father was a publisher, and her mother was the niece of Mark Twain (1835–1910), the novelist famous for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Jean Webster was the eldest daughter, named after Twain’s mother.
She graduated from Vassar College in 1901, majoring in English and economics, and was already deeply involved in creative writing during her studies. *When Patty Went to College* was published as a serial during her time at college, later released as a standalone book in 1903. Along with *Daddy-Long-Legs*, it became one of Webster’s representative works. The model for both works is said to be her college classmate, the poet Adelaide Craft.
While attending Vassar College, Webster occasionally had the opportunity to visit facilities for the poor or criminals, and she developed a strong interest in social work in this area. She came to believe that even a child with an unfortunate start in life was not destined to miss out on happiness or success. This belief was the inspiration for Daddy-Long-Legs.
The story centers on a girl named Judy, who grew up in an orphanage until entering college. With the support of a benefactor, she enrolls in college and begins a bright, lively campus life alongside children raised in happy homes. To repay the benefactor, Judy reports on her studies and college life through letters. Yet she doesn’t even know the benefactor’s name. Knowing only one fact—his long legs—she gives him the nickname ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ and continues sending letters to ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ throughout her four years at university. Keeping the identity of ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’ hidden until the very end is one of the charms of this work.
While the novel’s ending carries a strong romantic, ‘Cinderella’-like element, it possesses something remarkable that prevents it from being dismissed as merely a novel for young girls. This is because, while romantic, it depicts a life stance firmly grounded in reality. Despite her unfortunate upbringing, Judy remains unbowed, endlessly cheerful, innocent, full of goodness, fiercely independent, burning with boundless ambition, and diligent. She possesses the resilience and humor to bounce back from sorrow, loneliness, and hardship. This temperament, glimpsed in the protagonist Judy’s letters, and the lively letter style that suits it, are likely the work’s greatest charm. Its freshness remains unchanged even with the passage of time. It feels so fresh you’d forget it was written over half a century ago. Only when you encounter lines like ‘Women have no right to vote’ or ‘Women are not citizens’ do you suddenly realize, ‘Oh, it was written in those times,’ and become acutely aware of the passage of time.
Jean Webster later adapted this novel into a play, which also achieved success. It was then made into a silent film starring the legendary actress Mary Pickford, and again adapted into a musical film in 1955, starring Leslie Caron and Fred Astaire.
Jean Webster married late in life. She wed Glenn Ford McKinney when she was nearly 40, living in an apartment near Central Park in New York City. They also owned a farm in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, where the couple raised ducks and pheasants. Unfortunately, the following year after their marriage, in 1916, she gave birth to a baby girl who died shortly after.
Character Introduction
Jerusha (Judy)
Abbott A bright, intelligent, and naturally cheerful girl, Jerusha Abbott lived at the John Grier Home for Girls for 18 years after her birth. One day, she learns from the director that a wealthy benefactor has decided to send her to college.
John Smith (Daddy-Long-Legs)
An anonymous benefactor who sponsors Judy’s college education so she can become a writer. He provides her with tuition and generous spending money on the condition that she send him a letter once a month to ensure she is receiving a proper education. However, he makes it clear he will never reveal his identity and will not reply to her letters. Having glimpsed the shadow of this mysterious benefactor from behind, Judy knows he is a tall man with long legs. So, jokingly, she calls him ‘Daddy-Long-Legs’.
Sallie McBride
Judy’s closest friend at college and her roommate. Sallie is a kind and shy friend. Judy spends her Christmas break with Sallie’s cheerful, large family.
Julia Pendleton
Another of Judy’s college friends, very wealthy and somewhat pretentious. Initially not getting along well with Judy, she persistently tries to uncover Judy’s hidden background.
Jimmie McBride
Sallie’s handsome older brother. Jimmie has a strong attraction to Judy, and Judy enjoys his company. When Judy is invited by the McBrides to spend summer vacation with them, Daddy-Long-Legs does not permit it.
Jervis Pendleton (Uncle Jervis)
Julia Pendleton’s handsome, young, wealthy uncle. Though always kind to Judy, it is eventually revealed he secretly loved her.
Leonora Fenton
Judy’s classmate from Texas.
Mrs. Lippett
The strict matron of John Grier Home, where Judy spent her first 18 years.
Miss Pritchard
A member of the school board and inspector for John Grier Home. She looks out for Judy to ensure she thrives at school.
Mrs. Semple
The former housekeeper and current owner of Rock Willow Farm, where Judy stays during every vacation. It is revealed that this farm originally belonged to Mr. Jervis Pendleton, but now belongs to Mrs. Semple, his childhood nanny—the very nanny who cared for young Jervis.
The Most Charming Love Letters in the World
Letters are a form of writing that has long been cherished by people. Letter-writing, particularly popular among European nobility in the 18th century, even developed into a literary genre known as epistolary literature. The most significant characteristic of a letter is that it is addressed to a specific reader. This makes the descriptions more detailed and the story more vivid. (It’s far easier to explain something to one person you know well than to many strangers.) Daddy-Long-Legs is a collection of letters possessing this very strength. We read this book with the feeling of peeking at someone’s love letters. Then, at some point, we too fall in love with Judy and read the letters with the heart of Jervis Pendleton. With the hope that their love will surely be fulfilled.
With its well-structured plot and fresh descriptions, 《Daddy-Long-Legs》 allows readers to fully enjoy the pleasure of reading a true romance novel. The setting of a love story between an orphaned young lady and a wealthy gentleman has also influenced many subsequent novels and films.
Daddy-Long-Legs Book Plot
When Judy first entered college, she couldn’t keep up with others’ cultural knowledge—so much so that she became a laughingstock for not knowing Michelangelo. She felt so inferior that she declared, “The hardest part isn’t studying, it’s keeping up with the rich kids.” Yet Judy persevered, reading voraciously, writing diligently, and running tirelessly to build her knowledge and stamina. What matters is that Judy’s heart grew during this process. Of course, it wasn’t easy. Readers deeply empathize with Judy’s struggles—the sleepless nights from the pain of having no family, and her constant anxiety about hiding her origins. Finally, Judy comes to see her memories of the orphanage as positive recollections, confessing to her uncle (and perhaps to herself) that it was a “precious experience.”
“Dear Daddy-Long-Legs, Isn’t it funny? I began my existence as an individual on the first day of college. Up to that time I was just part of the John Grier Home, dependent on kind-hearted people for shelter and bread.”
Jervis Pendleton, naturally taciturn and socially withdrawn, gradually grows to love Judy as he reads her letters. How amused he must have been reading Judy’s letter describing her first impression of him, unaware that Jervis Pendleton was Daddy-Long-Legs! How endearing must it have been to him to see Judy, completely unaware, searching the farm for traces of Jervis Pendleton’s childhood? Meanwhile, Judy also points out Jervis Pendleton’s faults to Daddy-Long-Legs, noting how he causes trouble for the servants.
Of course, Judy doesn’t know why Daddy-Long-Legs won’t let her visit Sallie’s house. But we know. He’s anxious about losing Judy to Sallie’s brother Jimmy. He also personally steps forward as Jervis Pendleton to persuade her, driven by his desire to travel to Europe with Judy. Experiencing these feelings of love, Jervis Pendleton changed too, and this too could be called a form of growth. After all, love makes people grow.
The two bicker back and forth but eventually confirm their feelings for each other. The closing lines of the letter Judy wrote after learning Daddy-Long-Legs was Jervis Pendleton are intriguing.
“It’s funny, isn’t it, that I should be writing love-letters to you?”
As far as we know, Judy is not the type to play coy. So this likely means Judy herself is unaware of how masterful she is at writing love letters. After all, people are most charming when they alone are unaware of their own excellence. Could this be the secret to why Daddy-Long-Legs is so beloved?
