After reading the entirety of Little Women, which was originally published in two separate volumes called Little Women and Good Wives, I am not surprised that readers tend to dislike the latter more than the former. I am extremely troubled by the apparently heartwarming ending of this novel, as the March sisters completely abandon their “Castles in the Air” that they dream up as children, apart from Beth (Alcott 225). Their entire journey of Pilgrim’s Progress to become earnest, unselfish, kind women in combination with their mother’s urges to be ambitious, positive, and deliberate with their dreams in spite of their poverty is practically forgotten until the very end. At that point, they all accept that they are happier now than they would be if they had followed their dreams. The most disturbing of these forgotten dreams is that of Jo’s.
When describing her Castle in the Air, Jo determines that she wants to live a fun, adventurous life where she publishes books and does something impressive and meaningful that is remembered as her legacy. Instead, she actually gives up writing after feeling shameful about her work in New York, and is noticeably sad without the hobby, as Mr. Bhaer observes (Alcott 567). Upon reflection of that dream, Jo, now a wife, mother and caretaker, deems it a lonely life that would not satisfy her now, even realizing that she never did publish a book (Alcott 774). From what the reader learns about Jo’s character, she is very ambitious and prideful, so it is hard for the reader to accept this sudden change in her desires for life and apparent happiness in settling down to live a life that she constantly rejects. It is nice to see that she is surrounding herself with one thing that makes her happy, wild boys, and educating them as the motherly figure she has but they may not. I just wish to see her following her dreams instead of assimilating to society’s mold of being a wife and settling down only a short walk away from where she grew up. She also wants to travel, and the farthest she goes for that is New York. Perhaps all of this change occurs because of Beth’s wish for Jo to stay and take care of the family, but I argue that Beth did not mean it so literally to give up everything she wishes to do, rather only as much as her family needs. I firmly believe that Jo is capable of doing more than she does and am disappointed at her acceptance of her life’s accomplishments at the conclusion of the novel.
This is an interesting take on the second volume "Good Wives". I agree that I feel many of the characters settled when it came to the end of their development. Meg is a good example of this, when in the end she chooses to marry John Brooke. When Meg and Aunt March were arguing, I felt like Meg chose to say she loved Brooke, just to defy her aunt. She had to learn to love him and live poorly. All of the sisters wanted to live lavishly and travel except for Beth. The end of Jo’s story was the most disappointing. Since Lousia May Alcott was forced to marry her off, I find that Dr. Bhear was a good match for her. However I don’t like how she gave up writing because she was scared of what he would think of her. Throughout the book Jo was independant and didn’t care what society thought of her. I wish she kept that attitude with her writing and continued to pursue it. I feel like Amy was the only way to break from her comfort zone and reach her “Castle in the Air”. She travels abroad and marries a wealthy individual, Laurie, to live her life in luxury. I also feel like Amy was the complete opposite of Jo, in the sense that she uses her femininity to her advantage. Jo on the other hand only sees the negatives and wishes she was a boy so she can have more opportunities. Amy still finds a way to think independently and be her own person, but still embracing her feminine charm and acting in the way society wants.
ReplyDeleteThis blog post truly made me revise and analyze my view of Jo’s character. While the ending of Little Women may seem out of character for Jo, I think it reflects her maturity throughout the novel. Regarding her “Castle in the Air,” Jo states, “I’d have a stable full of Arabian steeds, rooms piled high with books, and I'd write out of a magic inkstand, so that my works should be as famous as Laurie's music. I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle, something heroic or wonderful that won't be forgotten after I'm dead…I think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream” (Alcott 136). It is important to note that Jo makes this statement as a young girl. She wishes for genius and success, but realizes as an adult that she merely possesses a talent for writing. Her style of writing is also indicative of her maturity. As a child, she wrote stories of adventure and intrigue, but her style evolves as an adult. At the end of the novel, Jo’s writing is more earnest and truthful. In fact, her writing is similar to that of the writing in “Little Women.” As a reader, the drastic change in Jo’s character may seem alarming, but I think it demonstrates the ultimate theme of the novel: the progress of each March sister.
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