The most obvious problem, for many readers, is the menacing, cruel, and evil characters of the Vicar and Miss Brown.

From their early abuses of Maria, which includes threats and deprivation, to the final chapters that allude to a plot to murder her to gain control over the Lilliputians, these two characters are extremely dangerous. However, White lightens much of the threatening atmosphere by his humor, turning an unpleasant and alarming situation into one that amuses rather than frightens.

There is genuine danger for Maria, the Professor and the Lilliputians, but this danger is part of an overall theme and is necessary to the development of the intricate plot; it is not in and of itself as disturbing as a straightforward description might imply.