Moon King's Daughter Emmaline

Heroes are sometimes the most ordinary people. They are often shown as mighty leaders saving the world, yet sometimes, they come from the most unexpected people in the most unexpected places. In Linda Holeman’s novel Search for the Moon King’s Daughter, the protagonist comes in the form of a responsible fifteen year old Victorian girl, Emmaline. Emmaline lives with her mother and brother Tommy in a poor section of Tibbing where she works as a seamstress for her aunt to provide for her family. When her mother sells Tommy to the sweeps in London, Emmaline embarks on a daring journey for her brother and against all odds, saves him from his new reality. Emmaline is not one of the typical cliche heroes but her small yet strong acts of bravery, intelligence …show more content…
One of Emmaline’s most heroic attributes is her bravery. It is Emmaline’s bravery that pulls her through when she is lost in the Seven Dials, searching for Tommy. She faces many dangers in the unfamiliar area, “ Emaciated dogs snapped and growled at each other over reeking bits of garbage. ‘Anything a lass needs can be found right here, in the Seven Dials.’ ” As a young girl alone in the evening, Emmaline could have been attacked and injured by savage dogs or scattered debris. She is already mistaken as a prostitute by a woman, had a stronger and older man noticed her, she could have been raped. The fact that Emmaline is only a fifteen year old girl facing numerous dangers, she has the option to stay in Steeplemount, her normal routine, but her bravery allows her to overcome those dangers. Not only is Emmaline courageous in the Seven Dials, but also when facing Brandy Jack. Emmaline shows her bravery when saving her brother from Brandy Jack’s clutches, “ ‘NO!’ Emmaline cried, grabbing the arm that held Tommy and shaking it as hard as she …show more content…
The wagon ride to London is miserably harsh and gruelling for a young girl of fifteen, “ Her back ached, her feet grew icy. She was so weary … that she quickly fell asleep. That night she had a terrible sensation of being pinned … unable to move. The hunger sat like a constant stone in her belly. “ It is Emmaline’s determination which lets her face the difficult conditions and make her way to London. Being a young girl with so many hardships in her path, Emmaline has the choice to ask her well-off aunt to hire someone to search for her brother but Emmaline is so determined to find him, she pushes past the obstacles in her path to Tommy. Emmaline has an uncertain future with no secure plan on how to find Tommy. Not only does she sacrifice her comfort but also risks being attacked, injured, mistaken as a prostitute and raped. Upon Emmaline’s arrival at London, she is employed as a servant to the Thorn House and continues her determined search for Tommy. At the Thorn House, against Cook’s rules, Emmaline heads out at dawn every morning in hopes of finding Tommy, “ Emmaline was almost caught by Cook the next morning. She was so determined to find Brandy Jack that she had ignored the chiming of bells until it had gone almost seven.” Every Sunday, Emmaline’s day off, she has more than enough time to look for Tommy, yet she is so determined to find him, she disobeys Cook and searches in the morning too, putting her