Growing up in New England during the Civil War, sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy learn life lessons that come from living in poverty. The March sisters live with their mother, Marmee, while their father is fighting in the war. They must learn from an early age the struggles of making ends meet and how there are others that are poorer and living in worse conditions than them. The sisters go through triumphs and disappointments together and have ambitious dreams for themselves through their transition from childhood to womanhood.
“Little Women” is a classic, coming of age novel written by Louisa May Alcott. Alcott created four sisters in this novel who embody childhood innocence and the comfort of sisterhood. The sisters’ dreams, pranks, letters, plays, illnesses and courtships have made generations of readers feel as though they are a member of the March family. Across the plot, the March sisters discover who they are as they grow up and develop an understanding of themselves. This resonates with readers as most can relate to the self-transitions the sisters go through.
The book opens at Christmas time with the four March sisters who are hopeful for an exciting Christmas. They want to buy presents for themselves but soon decide to buy Marmee presents instead to make her happy since their father is off fighting in the Civil War. Marmee returns home with a letter from the girls’ father who tells his “little women” to be good while he is gone. The girls realize from the letter after complaining about living in poverty that they should be optimistic about their situation and thankful for what they have even if they are poor. Meg and Jo go to a New Year’s Eve party where Jo meets Laurie who is the grandson of family friend Mr. Laurence. They hit it off and Laurie becomes very close to the March family over the years.
Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy and Laurie all go through the struggles of filling a role in society while remaining true to themselves as they grow up. Meg compares her life to those who are more privileged than her. She feels jealous but then realizes through the people she meets that wealth can make people snobs. She begins to value love over wealth. Jo learns to channel her anger from the social expectations set on women into her writing. Her friendship with Laurie helps her understand herself. Beth is the sister who struggles throughout the book with her social role. She is shy and not in the best health, which makes it hard for her to ask for help to do the right thing. Amy learns that her goal of living a posh lifestyle shadows her true values. Laurie discovers that it is ok to leave behind his grandfather’s expectations if his passion lies elsewhere through Jo’s advice.
Alcott writes her story loosely based on her life and her relationship with her family. Alcott based Jo March off her younger self. The comparison caused fans of the story to write to Alcott as “Jo” or “Miss March” to show their admiration for the characters and storyline.
