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Friday, October 22, 2010, 2:49 PM
Little Women [ Summary of each Chapter ]
I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, “a little woman,” and not be rough and wild; but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else.   The girls decide that they will each buy themselves a present in order to brighten their Christmas. Soon, however, they change their minds and resolve to buy presents for their mother, Marmee, instead. They then discuss Jo’s play, “The Witch’s Curse,” which they will perform on Christmas Day. While they talk, Marmee comes home with a letter from Mr. March, who is serving as a Union chaplain in the Civil War. The letter reminds his little women to be good, which makes them feel ashamed of their earlier complaining. They resolve to bear their burdens more cheerfully. Meg’s burden is her vanity, Jo’s is her temper, Beth’s is her housework, and Amy’s is her selfishness. Marmee suggests that the sisters pretend they are playing pilgrims, a game from the girls’ childhood in which they act out scenes from John Bunyan’s didactic novel The Pilgrim’s Progress. In this game, each girl shoulders a burden and tries to make her way to the Celestial City. Bunyan’s novel and the game are both allegories of living a Christian life. The physical burdens stand for real-life burdens, and the Celestial City stands for heaven. The sisters agree to try the game again, but this time by practicing Christian values in their real lives. They all sing before bedtime. Summary — Chapter 2: A Merry ChristmasOn Christmas morning, the girls wake to find books under their pillows. Jo and Meg go downstairs to find Marmee, but the family servant, Hannah, tells her that Marmee has gone to aid poor neighbors. When Marmee returns, she asks her daughters to give their delicious Christmas breakfast to the starving Hummel family. The girls agree to do so and end up enjoying the good work they have done. That evening, they perform their play, in which Jo gets to play male roles. After the performance, the girls come downstairs to find a feast laid out on the table with fresh flowers and ice cream. Mr. Laurence, their neighbor, had heard of the family’s charitable morning and sent the feast to reward their generosity. Jo wants to meet Mr. Laurence’s grandson.Summary — Chapter 3: The Laurence BoyJo reads in the attic with her pet rat, Scrabble, while eating apples. Meg comes to her and tells her that the two of them have been invited to a New Year’s Eve party at the home of Meg’s friend, Sallie Gardiner. Meg is very excited, but does not know what to wear. Unlike Meg, Jo is not particularly excited, but agrees to go anyway. Problems plague the girls as they get ready for the party. Jo burns Meg’s hair while trying to curl it, and Meg decides to wear shoes that are too tight. Jo must wear a dress that is burned on the back, and she must hold her gloves balled up in her hand in order to hide the lemonade stains that cover them. Meg cares a great deal about social etiquette and has formed a code for her blundering sister: Meg tells Jo that she will raise her eyebrows at the party if Jo is doing anything improper, and she will nod if Jo is acting ladylike.At the party, Jo hangs back, not knowing anyone. Finally, fearing that a boy is going to ask her to dance, Jo slips behind a curtain. There, she runs into her neighbor, the Laurence boy, who soon introduces himself as Laurie. The two chat and become very comfortable with each other. They dance, but out of the way of everyone else in order to hide Jo’s dress. Meg sprains her ankle, and Laurie offers to take her and Jo home in his carriage. When they arrive home, Meg and Jo tell their younger sisters all about the party. Summary — Chapter 4: Burdens  The shyest March sister, Beth, stays home, does housework dutifully, and takes care of her doll collection, most of which is damaged in some way. Little Amy goes to school and grieves over her flat nose. The girls are all friends, but Amy is special to Meg, and Beth is special to Jo. When the sisters are finished with work, they tell stories from the day to entertain each other. Marmee gives a lecture on being grateful for one’s blessings. Jo playfully quotes Aunt Chloe, a character from Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, who urges her listeners to be grateful for their blessings. Summary — Chapter 5: Being NeighborlyOne winter afternoon, Jo goes outside to shovel a path in the snow. While she is outside, she sees Laurie in a window. She throws a snowball at the window to get his attention. Laurie leans out and tells Jo that he has been ill. Feeling sorry for him, Jo says she will go keep him company if it is all right with her mother. Marmee permits her to go, and Jo arrives at Laurie’s house with food, kittens, and trinkets to make him feel better. They chat and laugh all afternoon. Laurie tells Jo that he is lonely and longs to be friends with her family. To Jo’s delight, Laurie shows her his grandfather’s library. When Laurie must leave to see the doctor, Jo stays in the room. Mr. Laurence comes in, and Jo, thinking he is Laurie, speaks somewhat disparagingly of a painting of Mr. Laurence. Luckily, Mr. Laurence enjoys Jo’s candor, and they become fast friends. He invites Jo to stay for tea, feeling that this companionship is just what Laurie needs. After tea, Laurie plays the piano for Jo. This activity upsets Mr. Laurence, who does not want Laurie to pursue music. Jo goes home and tells her family all about the lovely day and the gorgeous house.Analysis — Preface–Chapter 5Little Women begins with each of the March daughters making a statement that reveals her personality. With these differing statements, Alcott establishes the framework for an exploration into the different ways the girls grow up. Jo speaks first, showing that she is the most outspoken of the four. Meg’s admission that she hates being poor reveals her tendency to be materialistic. Although she is a very virtuous girl, Meg craves luxury. Amy also loathes her poverty; she adores lovely things and wants to own them. The least selfish sister, Beth, often functions as the conscience of the group. Her happy remark that at least the girls have each other and their parents reveals that although Beth, like her sisters, wants what she does not have, she is content to count her blessings.As Chapter 1 progresses, we learn more about the girls’ individual tastes and quirks. Jo is a tomboy who “grabs the heels of her boots in a gentlemanly manner,” teases Amy, and dreads the thought of being made to grow up and behave primly and properly. She longs to fight in the Civil War. Meg is motherly, gently reproving her sisters when they quarrel and complain. Beth is the loving peacemaker. Amy is charming and feminine, if vain and mannered. Over the course of the novel, Alcott develops these girls as separate individuals. The obstacles they face are usually a result of their respective traits, and the trouble one sister faces would not have the same effect on another. Many critics have noted that Alcott’s four girls are different from each other so that every reader may identify with at least one sister and glean some wisdom from that sister’s blunders. Alcott’s novel can thus be seen as a guide for her readers, just as Pilgrim’s Progress is a guide for the March girls. From the outset, Alcott explores the March girls’ discomfort with their domestic situation. The novel begins with the four girls, their mother, and an absent father. The dissatisfaction the sisters feel at the beginning of the novel seems to stem just as much from the absence of their father as it does from the pangs of anticipating a poverty-stricken Christmas. The girls’ desire for presents is not just materialistic. Their opening lines constitute direct and unusual statements of female desire. All of the March sisters want something greater than the limited existence that nineteenth-century society offers young women; they are not content to do the mundane chores appropriated to them. Mr. March’s letter inspires the girls to bear their burdens more calmly, illustrating that, from the outset, the March sisters’ task is to become more humble, good, and dutiful. Alcott does not consider this project trifling, even though it occurs in a domestic sphere. By making her characters imitate Pilgrim’s Progress, a novel in which the male character has grand adventures, Alcott elevates women’s everyday lives and indicates that the struggles of ordinary women are as important as the struggles of adventuring men. Jo is immediately characterized as the most adventuresome, independent sister. She resists the role of typical adult female and tries to carve out a separate space for herself as a different kind of woman. She writes her own plays and creates for herself new roles in which she can play the hero—the sort of role typically reserved for a male character. Jo’s difference from her sisters and other women, however, is as isolating as it is freeing. Jo writes in the attic, apart from the rest of the family, as though she is trying to leave society. In her quest to flout society’s rules for women, Jo must be spiritually alone, as symbolized by her physical isolation in the attic. Additionally, Jo wears a burned dress to the New Year’s Eve ball; the dress, a symbol of traditional femininity, is marred by the burns, which symbolize Jo’s own objections to traditional femininity. When Jo discovers Laurie at the Gardiners’ party, she finds a friend who is very similar to herself, especially in his nonconformity to gender roles. Jo hates her given name, Josephine, because she thinks it too feminine and “sentimental.” Laurie dislikes his given name, Theodore, because his friends tease him and call him “Dora.” Both Jo and Laurie instead take on androgynous nicknames that are not specifically male or female. Furthermore, just as Jo shies away from stereotypically feminine activities in favor of stereotypically masculine ones, Laurie pursues music, which was considered a feminine pursuit at the time, instead of business, the masculine activity his grandfather wishes him to pursue. Both Jo and Laurie thwart the gender stereotypes of their time and the expectations of their families. Because of their differences from other people and their similarities to one another, they seem to belong together. Summary — Chapter 6: Beth Finds the Palace BeautifulThe March girls start spending time at the Laurences’ house. Meg loves to walk in the greenhouse there, and Amy loves to look at the artwork. Beth loves Mr. Laurence’s piano, but she is still afraid of him; she will not venture far inside the house. Mr. Laurence learns of Beth’s fears and comes over to the Marches’ house one night, talking about how no one plays the piano and how no one is around the house during the day. With that assurance, Beth decides to venture into the house during the day and play the piano. Unbeknownst to her, Mr. Laurence sometimes leaves his door open to hear her play. Beth reminds him of his beloved granddaughter who passed away. After a while, Beth makes Mr. Laurence a pair of slippers to show her gratitude. In return, he sends her the little piano that his granddaughter owned, which thrills Beth. Jo tells Beth that she should go thank him, thinking that her shy sister would never be so bold. To everyone’s surprise, Beth marches over to Mr. Laurence’s house and kisses his cheek. The two have solidified a friendship.Summary — Chapter 7: Amy’s Valley of Humiliation  Summary — Chapter 8: Jo Meets ApollyonI am angry nearly every day of my life.Jo and Meg are going to a play with Laurie, and Amy wants to go too. Jo tells her, a bit harshly, that she cannot go because she was not invited. Angered, Amy tells Jo that Jo will be sorry. During the play, Jo feels some remorse for her bad treatment of her little sister. When the older girls arrive home, Amy gives Jo the cold shoulder. The next day, Jo finds her manuscript missing, and discovers that Amy has burned it. Jo says she will never forgive Amy, because that book was her pride and joy. Amy apologizes, and Marmee warns Jo not to “let the sun go down upon [her] anger,” but Jo is not ready to forgive Amy. The next afternoon, Jo and Laurie go skating, and Amy tries to follow. Laurie warns Jo that the ice is thin in the middle, but Jo does not pass on the message to Amy. Amy falls through the ice, and Jo hesitates for a moment, paralyzed with fear. Finally, Laurie comes to Amy’s rescue. At home, Jo confesses to Marmee that her anger overwhelms her. Marmee admits that she too struggles with controlling a quick temper. Jo is amazed and bolstered by this revelation, for she has always seen Marmee as a perfectly calm person. Amy and Jo end their quarrel and make up. Summary — Chapter 9: Meg Goes to Vanity FairI’d rather see you poor men’s wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self-respect and peace.Meg has plans to stay with Annie Moffat, a wealthy friend. She packs all of her nicest clothes, but wishes she had more splendid attire. The Moffats are very fashionable. While Meg is there, they visit friends, go to plays, and give parties. At the first party, Meg wears her simple clothes, and she hears people gossiping that Meg’s mother must be intending for Meg to marry Laurie for his money. At the next party, the Moffat girls insist on dressing Meg in borrowed finery. She is a bit embarrassed about the luxury of her attire, but she enjoys playing the role of a fashionable girl. Laurie is at the party and reprimands Meg for being so frivolous. His criticism makes Meg regret letting her friends dress her. When Meg gets home, she tells Marmee and Jo how she dressed up and overheard gossip about herself and Laurie. Marmee tells them that she has no such plans for Meg. She says that she hopes only that the girls are happy in youth and in marriage, and that they are good. She adds that she hopes that they understand that appearances are shallow and that true love is built on something deeper than money. Summary — Chapter 10: The P.C. and P.O.In the spring, the girls take to gardening. They also hold meetings of the Pickwick Club, a society for arts and letters modeled on an all-male society in Charles Dickens’s novel The Pickwick Papers. The sisters produce a newsletter each week, with advertisements, poems, and stories. At one meeting, Jo proposes that they invite Laurie to join. At first, Amy and Meg are horrified; they do not want a boy making fun of them. As soon as they give in, Laurie bursts out of the closet where he has been hiding. He presents the club with a postal box to be put between the houses so that the March sisters and Laurie may pass things back and forth.Analysis — Chapters 6–10In these second five chapters, each girl marks a step on her journey from childhood to adulthood by struggling and succeeding in overcoming a fault. First, Beth must overcome her shyness in order to pursue her musical hobby. She is rewarded for her efforts with a piano, and she proves that her gratitude trumps her shyness when she marches across to Mr. Laurence’s house and gives him a kiss in thanks. Beth’s attachment to Mr. Laurence also symbolizes that she is the most old-fashioned of the sisters—the most eager to play traditional female roles for an old patriarch, a male figure at the head of a household. Though Mr. Laurence is a benevolent presence, he also symbolizes oppressive male behavior, for he does not let Laurie follow his dream of becoming a musician, a culturally feminine pursuit; instead, he wants Laurie to be a real man with a professional career in business. His earlier rewarding of the Marches’ selflessness on Christmas with a feast reinforces the gender stereotype of the perpetually giving, selfless woman who is taken care of by a man.  Jo’s anger at the destruction of her writing, the art with which she tries to transcend the limitations placed on her gender, is portrayed as understandable but also dangerous. It is understandable that Jo would be furious with Amy, but it is dangerous that Jo lets her anger take over. Nevertheless, Jo’s anger is an essential aspect of her character. Similarly, Marmee’s admission that “I am angry nearly every day of my life” reveals that anger is an essential component of her character, as well. Critics often point out the feminist underpinnings of such an admission: Alcott may be suggesting that women—even wise, patient mothers—are, or have a right to be, angered by the oppression they suffer. In Chapter 9, Meg’s attraction to the luxury of Annie Moffat’s life and subsequent longing for finery and riches of her own sets her up as an example of how materialistic desires can corrupt a good person. Laurie’s disapproving lecture at the ball reminds Meg that she should not put on airs or pretend to be someone she is not. Throughout Little Women, Alcott condemns judging people by their exteriors, telling us that it is not shameful to be poor or to be a woman. The importance Alcott places on the mind and soul—people’s interiors—reflects transcendental values. The fact that the sisters mimic the all-male society of Dickens’s novel is characterized as humorous, but the club’s activities highlight the limited role available to women in nineteenth-century America. The announcements in the newspaper the girls produce are revealing: the first relates that a “Strong-Minded Lecturer,” a woman named Miss Oranthy Bluggage, will give a talk on “Woman and Her Position;” and the last mentions a lauded new play, presumably written by Jo. These strong feminist announcements are balanced by announcements for a cooking class, “The Dustpan Society,” and doll’s clothes. Although the tone of these announcements is comical, Alcott seems to be making the point that for the March sisters, traditional women’s work and more unconventional womanly strength exist side by side. Moreover, Alcott pokes fun at her own rather moralizing, oversimplifying depiction of the sisters in the section of the newspaper labeled “Weekly Report,” which reads simply: “Meg—Good. Jo—Bad. Beth—Very good. Amy—Middling.” For readers who might scoff at the simplistic, one-dimensional portrayal of the girls, the Weekly Report is Alcott’s humorous admission of her own authorial choices. Summary — Chapter 11: ExperimentsDuring the summer, the King family, for whom Meg is the governess, and Aunt March go on vacation, leaving Meg and Jo free from their duties. Relieved, Meg and Jo decide to do nothing at all with their newfound freedom. The younger girls, Amy and Beth, also take a break from their studies. After the girls neglect their chores for almost a week, Marmee and Hannah take a day off as well. That day, the girls fail miserably at running the household smoothly. They soon discover that Marmee has taught them a lesson about the importance of everyone doing at least a little work.Summary — Chapter 12: Camp Laurence  Summary — Chapter 13: Castles in the AirI think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream.Laurie swings idly on his hammock and spies the March girls walking out to a hill. There, the sisters sit working—knitting, sewing, drawing, and reading. Feeling left out, Laurie asks if he may join them. They admit him under the condition that he contribute something useful, as is consistent with the work ethic of the girls’ Busy Bee Society. Laurie’s contribution is his reading of a book to the sisters. While they work, all five friends discuss their dreams. Laurie wants to become a famous musician, Jo a famous author, and Amy a famous artist. Meg wants to be rich so that she does not have to work, and Beth wants everyone to be happy and together. Upset that Laurie cannot follow his dream, Jo tells him to run away from his grandfather, who does not want him to be a musician. Sensible Meg tells Laurie to ignore Jo’s advice and to be good to both his grandfather and Mr. Brooke. Laurie decides to follow Meg’s advice. Summary — Chapter 14: SecretsJo finishes the manuscripts for two stories and brings them to a newspaperman in town without telling anyone. She is very anxious. She meets Laurie as she comes out of the news office. After he pleads with her to tell him what is going on, she confides her secret. Laurie then tells Jo his secret—that Mr. Brooke has kept Meg’s glove and carries it with him wherever he goes. This secret disgusts Jo, because she hates the idea of someone loving Meg and taking her away. Laurie, in an attempt to cheer Jo, persuades her to race him down a hill. In a wild, messy state, they encounter Meg, who has just visited the Gardiners. Meg reprimands Jo, though she secretly feels tempted to join their romp. For about a week, Jo behaves strangely. Then, one day, she reads a story aloud from a paper and announces at the end that the story was hers. She has not gotten paid, but she says that she will for future stories. She feels wonderfully independent.Summary — Chapter 15: A TelegramNovember arrives, and everyone is glum. Marmee receives a telegram saying that Mr. March is ill and that she must go to Washington, D.C. to be with him. Marmee sends Laurie to ask Aunt March for money and sends Beth to ask Mr. Laurence for wine. In the spirit of the moment, Jo runs out to find a way to contribute. Later, Mr. Laurence offers Mr. Brooke as a travel companion for Marmee, and she gratefully accepts Mr. Brooke’s company. Jo returns home, having earned twenty-five dollars by selling her hair. Pretty Amy is horrified that Jo has lost her “one beauty.” Jo, however, is not sad until late at night, when she cries a little for her lost hair.Analysis — Chapters 11–15In Chapter 11, Alcott stresses the importance of work and suggests that idleness does not lead to happiness. Alcott has held up domestic work—such as cleaning the house, teaching young children, and nursing the sick—not as a particularly challenging or rewarding endeavor for women, but rather as an unfortunate duty. However, here she shows us that idleness is an inadequate alternative.  At the beginning of Chapter 13, Laurie feels bad that the March sisters have left him out of their Busy Bee Society. Scholar Nina Auerbach feels that this scene indicates that a society of women can be complete without men; Laurie wants to join the women, not the other way around. Auerbach believes that Little Women often depicts an all-female world as paradise. In Chapter 13, when the March girls and Laurie describe their goals, Jo, Laurie, and Amy stand apart from the rest of the group. They all have big, ambitious dreams, and none of them mentions marriage as a goal. Beth and Meg, however, have begun the process of conforming to the typical roles of the time: Meg, always conventional, wants a husband and a household of her own, while Beth typifies the perfect nineteenth-century woman in that she is “perfectly satisfied” and has no desires. Alcott may have drawn this chapter title, “Castles in the Air,” from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden Pond, an important transcendentalist work that advocates building castles in the air—dreaming, that is—and then building the foundations under them. Alcott suggests that Jo, Amy, and Laurie have built their castles in the air, but are prevented by gender roles from building foundations under them. Already, by the end of the chapter, Laurie has agreed to give up the feminine pursuit of music in order to pursue his grandfather’s dreams for him. In Chapter 14, Meg and Jo begin maturing into two very different types of women, as reflected in the difference between the role that each chooses for herself. Meg waits for her future to come to her, while becoming a more proper, elegant lady. Jo becomes independent through her work, both in terms of her income and her creativity. She leaves the protective shelter of the house and ventures out into the male world of newspapers. Jo even cuts off her hair, erasing her own femininity, in order to fulfill the stereotypically male role of providing money for the family. Summary — Chapter 16: LettersMarmee departs, and the girls communicate with her by letter. The girls write letters in their own ways: Meg writes of everyday events in a refined way; Jo writes impassioned letters with slang and silly poems; Beth sends simple notes of love; and Amy strives for sophistication but ends up discussing trivialities. Hannah writes misspelled letters about home life, while Laurie writes short, humorous tidbits, and Mr. Laurence writes informative and sincere notes.Summary — Chapter 17: Little Faithful  Summary — Chapter 18: Dark DaysBeth is much more seriously ill than anyone supposed. After a while, the family decides that Marmee must be sent for, just in case something dreadful happens. Jo breaks down in front of Laurie, saying that she does not want Beth to die. Laurie admits that he telegraphed for Marmee the day before and that she will be arriving that night. Around two in the morning, Jo and Meg notice a change in Beth: the fever and pained look are gone. Jo whispers goodbye to her sister. Hannah, however, announces that the fever has broken. Beth is not dying but rather recovering. The doctor confirms the good news, and Marmee arrives.Summary — Chapter 19: Amy’s WillDuring Beth’s illness, Amy has a hard time living with Aunt March. Though Aunt March likes Amy, she makes her niece work very hard. For consolation, Amy turns to the servant, Esther, who tells her stories and plays with her among Aunt March’s old dresses and jewelry. After a while, Esther tells Amy that she finds solace in prayer. She even tells Amy that she will help set up a small shrine for her. Esther then reveals that Amy is to receive her aunt’s turquoise ring. From then on, Amy behaves extremely well so as to be assured of getting the ring. She and Esther set up a chapel in a dressing closet, and Amy derives comfort from praying there. Amy also decides to make a will, in case she falls ill and dies. She has Esther and Laurie serve as witnesses.Summary — Chapter 20: ConfidentialMarmee watches carefully over Beth, while Laurie goes to Aunt March’s to tell Amy of Beth’s recovery. Later, Marmee also comes to visit Amy. Amy shows her the chapel, which Marmee approves of as a place for quiet reflection. Amy also asks Marmee if she may wear the turquoise ring that Aunt March has now given her. She wants to wear it to remind herself not to be selfish, and Marmee approves of this plan. When Marmee gets home, Jo tells her that Mr. Brooke has Meg’s glove. Marmee asks Jo if she thinks Meg cares for Mr. Brooke and tells Jo that Mr. Brooke has confessed an interest in Meg. This unwelcome revelation saddens Jo, who does not want to lose Meg. Marmee says that she too would like Meg to remain in the house until she is at least twenty years old. Jo says that she wanted Meg to marry Laurie and live in luxury. Meg comes in, and Marmee evaluates how Meg reacts to discussion of Mr. Brooke. She decides that Meg does not love him yet but that she will learn to love him soon.Analysis — Chapters 16–20In several ways, Chapter 16 reinforces the idea that the mother is the emotional and practical head of the family. Alcott portrays Marmee’s absence in Chapter 16 as much more significant than Mr. March’s absence throughout the whole novel thus far. The family, which has managed perfectly well without the father’s presence, struggles as soon as the mother leaves. The girls cry over Marmee’s departure, suggesting that their father’s continuing grave illness does not cause them as much anxiety as Marmee’s initial absence. Though a letter from Mr. March is read early in the novel, no letters from the girls to him are ever described. In contrast, an entire chapter is devoted to the girls’ letters to their mother. Female-female bonds are strong in the novel, and most female-male bonds are weak by comparison.  In Chapter 18, Amy matures by leaps and bounds at Aunt March’s house. She confronts her selfishness, realizing with shame that she is more worried about getting her hands on the turquoise ring than she is about her ill sister. She learns that a place for quiet reflection is often necessary; she even thinks seriously about death, demonstrating that she can overcome material concerns. She does not lose her aesthetic values, however—her chapel, after all, is beautiful and dramatic, and her reminder not to be selfish is her turquoise ring. Her continued appreciation of beautiful objects here suggests that while she is becoming an adult, she is still a child at heart. That Amy writes out a will, leaving her treasured possessions to her beloved family and friends, demonstrates her ability to blend generosity with regard for material things. On the one hand, Amy’s attachment to things of the earth suggests that she has not fully absorbed the transcendentalist values mastered by Beth, who, though close to death, never thinks of making a will. On the other hand, Alcott suggests that Amy has something equally important that Beth lacks: the will to live and thrive. We must decide which way of thinking about the world is better or more admirable. Summary — Chapter 21: Laurie Makes Mischief, and Jo Makes PeaceJo has trouble keeping secret the potential courtship between Meg and Mr. Brooke. Laurie tries to get the secret out of Jo and grows annoyed when he cannot. In the meantime, Meg receives a letter allegedly from Mr. Brooke declaring his love. She answers it before Jo gets a chance to tell her that Laurie probably wrote it. The reply from Mr. Brooke says that he has never written a love letter. Jo says that she thinks Laurie wrote this letter and the earlier one with the glove. Sure enough, Laurie comes over, confesses, and apologizes. Meg and Jo tell him never to reveal the story to anyone. Laurie leaves, and Jo decides to let him know that she is not angry with him. She goes over to the Laurence house, where Laurie is in a terrible mood. His grandfather has demanded to know what is bothering Laurie; Laurie has refused to tell him, and they have quarreled. Upset, Laurie tells Jo he wants to run away. In order to help, Jo explains Laurie’s actions to his grandfather, who writes a note of apology to his grandson.Summary — Chapter 22: Pleasant Meadows  Summary — Chapter 23: Aunt March Settles the QuestionMeg becomes nervous and blushes whenever Mr. Brooke is mentioned. Her parents think that she is too young to be married, and in order to follow their wishes, she prepares a speech of rejection in case he makes advances. When Mr. Brooke comes over, she softens somewhat in his presence. Nevertheless, when he professes his love for her, she tells him she is too young. Aunt March arrives in the middle of this encounter. Mr. Brooke steps out, and Aunt March lectures Meg, telling her she should marry someone wealthy. Aunt March’s tirade makes Meg defend her right to love and marry Mr. Brooke. After Aunt March leaves, Mr. Brooke comes back into the room, confessing that he has heard Meg’s conversation. Meg says that she did not realize how much she admired Mr. Brooke until she had to defend him. He is thrilled by her realization and asks her to marry him in a few years. Meg agrees, and her parents consent. Jo is unhappy because she feels that she is losing her sister. Laurie arrives with Mr. Laurence, and they are both thrilled for the new couple. The first part of the book ends with the family gathered in the living room.Analysis — Chapters 21–23Meg does a lot of growing up in these three chapters; she falls in love and becomes engaged. Despite the outward happiness the family expresses for Meg’s impending marriage, a negative current runs beneath the surface of the affair. Jo abhors losing a sister, and often likens Meg’s love for Mr. Brooke to a disease. In Chapter 21, Jo says of Meg, “She feels it in the air—love, I mean—and she’s going very fast. She’s got most of the symptoms, is twittery and cross, don’t eat, lies awake, and mopes in corners.” In the wake of Beth’s recent recovery from grave illness, Jo’s metaphors about love as a sickness seem more serious than comical. Alcott may want her readers to draw a connection between Beth’s and Meg’s conditions; both girls are stuck in unhealthy nineteenth-century female roles. Beth is struck down by the selflessness that is encouraged in women, and Meg is struck down—at least in Jo’s opinion—by agreeing to become a typical wife.On the other hand, when Meg agrees to marry Mr. Brooke, she demonstrates that at last she has overcome her own weakness for luxury and riches. John is not a rich man, and he will not provide Meg with the glamorous lifestyle she once coveted, but she loves him nonetheless. Alcott underlines Meg’s triumphant victory over materialism by having Aunt March object to Mr. Brooke’s poverty, and then letting us hear Meg’s passionate defense of him and her insistence that his poverty does not matter because he is a good man and they love each other. Still, Alcott does not entirely gloss over the issue of poverty. Little Women presents a less idealized version of domesticity than many earlier novels. Her characters have real financial problems, and she suggests that Meg is being sweetly naïve to think that money will make no difference to her happiness. She suggests that the best type of marriage—as in the novels of the nineteenth-century English author Jane Austen—combines both love and money, since the conventions of nineteenth-century society make it difficult, if not impossible, for women to earn their own livings.   Summary — Chapter 24: GossipThis chapter, the first in Part Two of the novel, opens after three years have passed. Meg is about to get married. The war has ended, and Mr. March has returned home. Mr. Brooke has gone to war too, and has returned with only a minor injury. In the meantime, Meg has learned more about keeping house, and Amy has taken over Jo’s job caring for Aunt March. Jo has continued to write stories for the newspaper, for which she is paid one dollar a column, while Laurie has passed the years at college. Many of Laurie’s college friends fall in love with Amy, who has blossomed into a lovely young woman. Sallie Gardiner has married Ned Moffat. As Meg’s wedding nears, the March women all work on Meg’s new little house. Laurie comes home with gifts for Meg, and Jo tells him that he spends too much money. To Jo’s dismay, Laurie tells Jo that, whether she likes it or not, she will be the next one to marry.Summary — Chapter 25: The First Wedding  Summary — Chapter 26: Artistic AttemptsAmy spends much time working on her art. Though she is not a genius, she has passion. At the end of one of her art classes, she asks Marmee if she can invite her girlfriends over for a luncheon and an afternoon of sketching. She wants to make the party elaborate and lovely, and she offers to pay for all of it. Marmee consents, but only in order to teach Amy a lesson about trying to present herself as something she is not. The party ends up costing more than Amy plans. She must reschedule the picnic because it is rainy and set up everything again the next day. When she goes out to buy lobster, she runs into a friend of Laurie’s. He sees the lobster, which was considered low-class food at the time, and she is very embarrassed, although she manages to recover and charm him. Finally, the party begins, but only one person shows up. During the party, Amy is delightful and merry, but she is very disappointed at the way things have turned out. Her family is very kind and tactful.Summary — Chapter 27: Literary LessonsJo continues to write. Then, one night, she goes to a lecture on pyramids. While she is waiting for the lecture to begin, a boy shows her a newspaper. It has a sensationalist story that Jo finds silly. She sees that the newspaper is offering a one hundred dollar prize for the best sensationalist story. Excited, Jo writes a story, submits it, and wins. With the money, she sends Marmee and Beth to the seashore for several weeks to improve Beth’s health. Jo keeps writing. She makes more money, providing for herself and the family. Finally, she decides to finish her novel, which is a romance. The publisher tells her to cut it down, and, after long consideration, she does. When the novel is published, it earns her $300, as well as mixed reviews from critics.Summary — Chapter 28: Domestic ExperiencesMeg learns to tend house and be a good wife. She and Mr. Brooke must be careful with money because they are poor. One day, Meg tries to make jelly, which turns out to be a miserable failure. That night, John brings home unexpected company. Meg gets angry at his insensitivity, even though she has told him that he can bring home guests anytime he wants. They have their first fight, but soon make up. The next trial comes when Meg is frivolous and spends too much money shopping with Sallie Gardiner. She buys expensive fabric, which prohibits John from getting a new coat. Meg asks Sallie to buy the fabric from her, which Sallie does, and Meg purchases a coat for John. Soon Meg becomes pregnant and gives birth to twins, John Laurence and Margaret, who are called Demi and Daisy for short.Summary — Chapter 29: CallsAmy and Jo go out visiting, and Amy makes Jo dress up and behave nicely. At the first house, Amy reprimands Jo for being too reserved and for hardly speaking at all. To tease her sister, Jo imitates a social butterfly named May Chester at the second house they visit. Amy grows even more mortified as Jo reveals secrets of their poverty. At the third house, after Amy tells her to stop this new behavior, Jo amuses herself by playing with a group of young boys, telling them stories. As Amy and Jo walk to Aunt March’s house, Amy declares that poor young women should be pleasant because they have nothing else to give. Disagreeing, Jo says that she will probably be crotchety all of her days. Aunt Carrol is at Aunt March’s house when they arrive. During the visit, Amy is charming, but Jo is curt. Alcott indicates that something good will happen to Amy because she is so delightful that day.Summary — Chapter 30: ConsequencesAmy is to work at the art table at the Chesters’ upcoming fair. She works hard to put the display together. The night before the fair, Mrs. Chester hears how the March girls insulted her daughter, May, and tells Amy that she should work at the flower table instead, while May will work at the art table. Amy is insulted, but she maintains her composure, taking her art with her to the new booth. The next day, hoping to smooth things over, Amy offers her art back to May. Over the course of the day, few people go to the flower table. That night, however, the Marches send over a brigade of young men led by Laurie. These boys surround Amy and buy all her flowers. Then, to kill May with kindness, Amy sends the boys to May’s booth to buy the vases that May has made. Amy returns home to find the vases filled with flowers for her. She then receives a note from Aunt Carrol, telling her that she is going to Europe and wants Amy to accompany her. Amy is thrilled, but Jo is very disappointed, having hoped that she would get to go on the trip. Before Amy sails for Europe, she asks Laurie to come comfort her if something should happen. He agrees to do so.Summary — Chapter 31: Our Foreign CorrespondentAmy sends several letters from Europe, detailing her romps through England, France, Germany, and Switzerland. She says that she is trying to absorb every beautiful attraction. Along the way, she runs into Fred and Frank Vaughn, Laurie’s English friends. She and Florence, Aunt Carrol’s daughter, spend a lot of time with them, and it becomes clear that Fred is interested in courting Amy. She decides that she will accept him if he proposes. She is not madly in love with him, but she likes him and thinks that his fortune will help the whole family. But Fred finds out that Frank is very ill, and must leave abruptly. Fred asks Amy to remember him, and tells her meaningfully that he will return to her soon.Summary — Chapter 32: Tender TroublesMarmee asks Jo to find out if something is troubling Beth, for Beth’s spirits seem low. After thinking, Jo concludes that Beth might be in love with Laurie, but Jo is afraid that Laurie is in love Jo herself. Jo asks her mother if she might go away for a while in an attempt to broaden her horizons and to escape Laurie’s growing love. She hopes that Laurie will fall in love with Beth while she is gone. Marmee agrees that Jo and Laurie are unsuited for each other because they are too similar, with their strong wills and frequent quarrels. Jo decides to go to New York to live with a woman named Mrs. Kirke and to teach her children. When Jo tells Laurie of her decision to leave, he responds by telling her, teasingly but seriously, that she will not get out of his grasp so easily.Summary — Chapter 33: Jo’s JournalJo sends letters from New York. She reports that the children are fine and that she is enjoying her little room in the big boarding house. She also writes about another boarder, a German professor named Frederick Bhaer. Professor Bhaer does not have much money, and tutors children in order to make a living. He is not particularly good-looking, and is around forty years old. Jo watches him doing good for everyone around him and is impressed by his kindness. They become friends when she mends some of his garments for him. Soon, he begins teaching her German. At Christmas, he gives her a beloved volume of Shakespeare from which he hopes she will learn. She gives him many trinkets in return. For New Year’s Eve, the boarding house has a masquerade, and Jo goes as Mrs. Malaprop, a character from a Restoration comedy by Richard Sheridan called The Rivals. Bhaer goes as Nick Bottom, from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Jo thoroughly enjoys herself.Summary — Chapter 34: FriendIn New York, Jo begins to write sensationalist stories for a publication called the “Weekly Volcano.” She is not proud of these stories, as they are not moral or profound in any way. They do, however, provide her with a lot of money. Later, she witnesses Mr. Bhaer defending religion in a philosophical conversation and is more impressed with him than ever. When he finds out that she writes sensationalist fiction, she is even more ashamed, and quits writing the tales. In June, she must return home. She tells Bhaer that she will see Laurie graduate, and Bhaer looks a bit jealous. He tells himself that he cannot hope to have Jo. She goes home feeling unsuccessful in writing, but very successful in having found such a good friend.Summary — Chapter 35: Heartache Summary — Chapter 36: Beth’s SecretComing home from New York, Jo has been surprised to find Beth even paler and thinner than before. She proposes to take Beth to the mountains with the money that she has earned. Beth says that she does not want to go so far and asks to go to the seashore again instead. When they are on holiday, Beth confesses that she knows that she will die soon. Jo tells her that she will not, but Beth is certain that she will. Beth tells her that this realization was the reason she was melancholy the previous fall. She asks Jo to tell their parents so that she does not have to. But when they return home, Jo does not need to say anything. Their parents can see the change in Beth for themselves.Summary — Chapter 37: New ImpressionsLaurie meets up with Amy in Nice, in southern France, on Christmas. They each find that the other has changed quite a bit. Laurie notes that Amy has grown into a sophisticated and lovely young woman. Amy sees that Laurie is more somber, but she also starts to see him as a handsome gentleman instead of a childhood friend. He escorts her to a ball in her hotel that evening. She deliberately tries to look extremely pretty for him. At first, he is not as attentive as she wants him to be. Toward the end of the night, however, when she merrily and honestly confesses to the little tricks she employs to make herself pretty despite her poverty, he is touched, and fills up her dance card with his own name.Summary — Chapter 38: On the ShelfMeg is spending so much time taking care of her babies that she rarely spends time with Mr. Brooke. After half a year of this behavior, he takes to going over to a friend’s house at night. When he begins to spend less time with the children, Meg is saddened by his absence. Marmee figures out what the trouble is and suggests that Meg make an effort to be more interested in her husband’s affairs and to be more presentable and loving. She says that Meg needs to work on her relationship with her husband as well as her relationship with her children. Meg resolves to try Marmee’s advice: she puts the children to bed early, makes a nice dinner, and dresses up. John comes home and is pleased with what he sees. Demi, however, will not go to sleep. John takes over, reprimanding his son and making sure that he minds his mother. This night marks a change: Meg and John begin sharing the childrearing responsibilities and, as a result, spend more time together in their home.Summary — Chapter 39: Lazy LaurenceAlthough Laurie originally intends to spend a week in Nice, he ends up staying for a month in order to enjoy Amy’s company. While he is there, Amy becomes more and more distressed at his laziness and bad humor. One day, they go for a drive to a scenic hilltop villa so that Amy can sketch. While there, Amy decides to lecture Laurie, telling him that he should be more attentive to his grandfather and that he should find a way to keep himself busy. Soon, she figures out that Jo has refused his marriage proposal, and she becomes somewhat more sympathetic. Still, she tells him not to waste his talents by sitting around moping. The next morning, she gets a note saying that he has heeded her advice and is on his way to see his grandfather. Although she will miss him, she is pleased that he has taken her advice.Summary — Chapter 40: The Valley of the ShadowBecause of Beth’s failing health, the family sets up a lovely room for her. In it they place her piano, Amy’s sketches, and other beautiful things. Meg also brings the babies over to brighten Beth’s days. As time passes, Beth gets weaker, but she is not afraid of death. Jo writes a poem about all Beth has meant to her, which pleases Beth, who worries that her life has been useless. Before Beth dies, she asks Jo to take care of their parents. Beth passes away peacefully.Summary — Chapter 41: Learning to ForgetLaurie is more active when he returns to Switzerland. He spends some time in Austria working on a requiem and an opera. He tries to make Jo his heroine, but she seems ill fit to be his artistic muse, or inspiration, so he begins to imagine a blonde damsel, although he does not name her. Laurie also begins to correspond with Amy frequently. When Fred Vaughn finally proposes, Amy turns him down because she does not want to marry for money. Amy and Laurie find out about Beth’s death at nearly the same time, and Laurie goes to comfort Amy. They begin to spend much time together and fall in love. One day, Laurie and Amy are boating on a river. Laurie is doing the rowing, and Amy asks to help, telling him that he looks tired. They begin to row smoothly together, and Laurie asks Amy if she will always row in the same boat as him—that is, if she will marry him. Amy responds that she will.Summary — Chapter 42: All AloneJo grows lonely at home, although she tries to make life easier for Marmee, Mr. March, and Hannah. One day, she confides to her father how much she misses Beth. Word arrives that Amy and Laurie are engaged, and Marmee is worried about how Jo will take the news. Jo is calm, though, and pleased that they are in love. She does wish that she could find a love of her own, but she does not begrudge Amy Laurie’s affections. Jo begins to write more, and finds a style that is all her own. It has more truth in it than her previous sensationalist writing, and magazines publish many of her stories. She begins to think about Professor Bhaer sentimentally, hoping that he will come for her.Summary — Chapter 43: SurprisesLaurie comes into the house, surprising Jo. He tells her that he and Amy have married so that they could come home together without a chaperone. He tells Jo that she was right about her being unsuitable for him, and that he is happy to have Amy as his wife and Jo as his sister. With Amy, Laurie, and Mr. Laurence home, everyone celebrates all day and into the night. Mr. Laurence asks Jo to be his “girl” now that Beth is gone. As the family revels, Mr. Bhaer arrives unexpectedly. He says that he is in town on some business. Jo warmly greets him. Everyone likes him very much. Jo notices that he is all dressed up as if he were courting. After a long evening, he asks if he may come back, as he is in town for a few days. Jo gladly tells him that he may.Summary — Chapter 44: My Lord and LadyAmy and Laurie display their happiness at every moment, relishing each other’s company. They discuss Mr. Bhaer, whom they think Jo will marry, and decide that they want to help the impoverished Bhaer financially. They also discuss the kind of philanthropy that they would like to practice, and conclude that they will support people who are ambitious and in need of money. In talking about all the good they will do, they feel closer than ever.Summary — Chapter 45: Daisy and DemiDemi is interested in mechanics and philosophy, although he is only three. His grandfather adores him. Daisy adores Demi too, and allows herself to be dominated by him. She loves to help Hannah make food and keep house. Both children love to play with Jo, whom they call Aunt Dodo. She plays with them less when Bhaer is around, but they like him anyway, because he gives them chocolate drops. One day, Demi tells Jo and Bhaer that he has kissed a little girl. He asks Bhaer innocently whether big boys like big girls. Bhaer is a bit embarrassed but says that he thinks they do, an answer that delights Jo.Summary — Chapter 46: Under the UmbrellaAfter much visiting, Bhaer stays away for three days. Jo heads out one day to run some errands, hoping to run into him. Just as rain begins to fall, she bumps into him, and he then covers her with his umbrella as they do some shopping together. He tells her that he has finished his business in town. He adds that has gotten a job teaching in the West, where he can make some money. She is distressed that he will go so far away, and begins to cry. Because she has displayed her feelings for him, Bhaer feels comfortable telling her that he loves her. She responds that she loves him too, and they decide to get married.Summary — Chapter 47: Harvest TimeOh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this!Jo and Bhaer spend a year apart, pining for each other. Aunt March then dies unexpectedly, leaving her house, Plumfield, to Jo. Jo decides to turn it into a school for rich and poor boys alike. The family decides that it is a good idea. After several years, the school is up and running successfully. Mr. Laurence helps by paying some tuition for poor boys. In October, they have an apple-picking festival. The Marches, Brookes, Laurences, and Bhaers all arrive for a day of fun. They also all celebrate Marmee’s sixtieth birthday. All of the sisters revel in their good fortune and count their blessings, congratulating Marmee on such a successful life. Jo says that she still hopes to write another novel but that she is very happy. Amy frets that her daughter, Beth, is ill, but plans to enjoy her for as long as she has her. Everyone expresses gratitude for the wonderful life they all share. |
thefashionpirate
Wish I had concentrated, they said love was complicated. Hello earthling, I'm also an earthling. Girl in gender, 12 by age, kid at heart. Bangs, short hair, wavy hair. Catch me wearing a simple, cute shirt, pants, a necklace and possibly a bonnet. Or otherwise, catch me wearing a Montessorian uniform. I laugh a lot, and my laughs aren't the most adorable ones. I talk a lot, too, so beware. Victims are my friends and my family, so my family basically gets annoyed by me if I ever talk to them and ramble on and on and on...yeah. You can see me always laughing or smiling. Beware if you ever see my girly/hyper side...bewaaaaaaaaare. And by the way, Paola's my name! Figure out the rest by yourself. |
extrainformation
I've made this account since September 5, 2010 and I've been getting Formspring; Ask me! Twitter; Follow me? We Heart It; Follow me! YouTube; Subscribe? Tumblr; Follow me! Looklet; Heart and Follow me! Polyvore; Add me! [ Like/comment on my sets! ♥ ] backtoyesterday
+ Silent Day at School? + "The stolen glance is the oldest trick we know, ye... + Someone constantly puts me down with those harsh w... + Day 01: Ten random facts about yourself. + 10-DAY CHALLENGE + October 10, 2010 [ 10/10/10 ] ;; 10:10:10AM + I just knew why the marriage ring is placed at the... + The one thing that I always bring along everyday a... + REASONS WHY I HAVEN'T BEEN BLOGGING LATELY + Molding? wheni'mgone
+ September 2010 + October 2010 + November 2010 + December 2010 + January 2011 takeabow
An accidentality production Inspiration from DancingSheep & BONBON:D |
theventingmachine
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