Having never read or had the urge to read Little Women, I was thoroughly surprised by how enjoyable I found the book. Although the novel was initially published in two volumes, Little Women and Good Wives, they tied together very well. Each chapter is a mini story but it contributed to the overall journey to morality that is introduced through Pilgrim’s Progress in chapter one. What I found most interesting throughout the book is that each March sister’s final destination or “castles in the air” changes with maturity.
Meg’s original dream is to live in luxury and never have to work (Alcott 224). However, as she grows and marries, she learns that love is all she really needs in her final “castle in the air”. In her original dream, Meg does not think she needs someone to share her material life with, but throughout her journey she realizes that she would pick the people she loves over worldly things every time. Jo’s original castle is to become a famous writer, but she ends up running a school (Alcott 774). I believe that caring for Beth and going through the pain of her death is what changes the course of Jo’s life. Without this event, I think she would still be pursuing her independence and would never have realized she just needs to surround herself with her lively family to be happy. Beth is the only March sister who reached her original castle in the sky. I believe Beth was rewarded with her dreams because she did not have as much learning to do on her Pilgrim’s Progress journey compared to her sisters. From the beginning of the book Beth is described as shy, selfless, and kind, and is the type of person her sisters strive to be. Finally, Amy’s castle is to be a painter in Rome, which is very similar to Laurie’s of being a musician in Germany (Alcott 225). This alignment of goals and thinking is what I believe led to her and Laurie falling in love and eventually marrying.
Each March sister grows up to be a perfect little woman. However, they learn that reaching their Celestial City is not just about being a moral person, it also involves being surrounded by love. The love each experiences pushes them to be better versions of themselves everyday. Although Little Women discusses and encourages Christian values throughout the book, the lesson of love is something everyone can take away from the book.
I appreciate that this is a much more optimistic reading of "Good Wives" than the others that I have seen that lament the March sisters' loss of their childhood dreams. This has definitely made me consider that rather than advocating for marriage, Alcott is simply advocating for finding a life filled with love, which in today's world can take much more varied forms that what was available in the 19th century.
ReplyDeleteIn the final chapter, Jo evolves into "Mother Bhaer," a pun which evokes an extremely matronly figure. Additionally a married Jo proclaims that she "never was so jolly in [her] life" (464). Jo discovers her ultimate happiness in marriage, not the independent life that was her "castle in the sky." I think this passage is emblematic of how "Good Wives," particularly the last few chapters re-contextualizes many themes that could be read into "Little Women," particularly regarding independence and self-fulfillment. However I think that the themes of the two books can coexist, and in finding love our dreams get re-contextualized, rather than given up forever. Indeed, Amy continues pursing art in her life with Laurie, Meg realizes that the "splendid things" she desired were love and family rather than dresses and silks, and Jo reflects that her writing will be "all the better for such experiences" (462-3).
I value the idea that each girl in Little Women goes on to become a “perfect little woman” after their respective moral journeys. This perfection appears to be determined by finding a life of love. The “castles” that the girls once imagined turn out to be very different and certainly less embellished, but they are perfectly suited for them.
ReplyDeleteAlcott’s distinctive decision to marry Jo off to such an unexpected suitor instead of Laurie is just one more example of how things don’t always go as they might seem. Meg believes that her “castle was the most realized of all” (Alcott 534). However, the “splendid things” that she once hoped for don’t turn out to be luxuries, but rather a happy home and family. Despite how different Amy’s castle is as she planned it to be, she “would not alter it” (Alcott 534). In the end, the sisters find happiness in love as pure as Beth, who reaches her own peaceful castle in the air.
The story of the four March sisters illustrates the ever-changing landscape of life. However, no matter how much things change, it is love that trumps all else in the end. Taking into account the young audience that this novel is aimed towards, it appears to me that Little Women successfully leaves a lesson that any child can take for the rest of their life, which is why it will continue to be a timeless story.