Everything you need to understand or teach Little Kingdoms by Steven Millhauser.
One of the themes of "The Little Kingdom of J. Franklin Payne" becomes most clear at the end of the story during the first screening of his most precious cartoon. All of the people that have meant anything to him gather together, and it is his art, the world that he creates out of his imagination that brings them together. This is the power of art for Millhauser; it has the ability to reconcile and remember, even if it is only for an audience of one or perhaps two.
Franklin realizes that no one in the public will ever see his final cartoon, but this is not the purpose of the cartoon. The purpose of his cartoon is to create a legacy of himself, just as his father did with his photographs.
He is creating a link with his daughter through the creation of images from... View more of the Little Kingdoms Summary
Steven (Lewis) Millhauser