When I went into hospital to have Julia four years ago, I literally had no idea how long to expect to be there. I was looking at the prospect of being induced, and potentially having to spend days in hospital. In my bag, I packed the three books that I knew would give me comfort in an unfamiliar environment: Pride and Prejudice, I Capture the Castle and Little Women. Of all three, it ended up being the last that I turned to that night.
As soon as I got to that first page, it was like my four best friends jumped out of the page to hold my hand and see me through. It is the charm of the four main characters that makes reading this novel feel like coming home. Alcott captures their voices and personalities so beautifully, and makes them vivid and lovable, despite and perhaps even owing to their individual flaws.
Growing up, it was quite impossible for me not to love a book about a girl called Jo who loves reading and wants to be a writer. She is talented and stubborn, but also fiercely loving. She is desperate to break free of the restraints of the family home, whilst at the same time deeply attached to her family and the safe world they have created. When her writing comes to be critiqued by her mentor and future husband, Professor Bahaer, it is clear that despite all her wild and unconventional ways, her writing is also heavily reliant on cliché, and reflects the restrictive upbringing she has had as a woman in the Nineteenth Century. It is the constant desire to rebel, coupled with a fear of stepping outside the world she knows and loves, that makes Jo vulnerable, and in turn such a great character.
Despite dominating the narrative, this is the novel of a family, not just one sister. The other girls are equally compelling on the page. Meg appears a much more genteel and dignified figure than her younger sister, and yet her character development reveals her to be in many ways as much of a rebel as Jo. Whilst her desire for riches may initially seem shallow, she learns that the beautiful clothes and ornaments she craves do not bring happiness, and she turns her back on this world by deciding to marry the poor tutor, John Brooke, instead. And whilst Amy is often not a fan favourite, probably somewhat due to her manuscript burning tendencies early on in the novel, like Jo, she has ambition and talent, and like her sister, she ultimately has to learn the limits of this for women in this time period. And Beth… no sorry, I cannot go there (if anyone knows of any Beth March trauma recovery groups, please forward me details). Let us just say there is a reason Joey from Friends had to put the book in the fridge!
There are definitely parts of the novel that seem a bit saccharine by today's standards, but there is also a harsher social commentary underlying the story. This is seen for example in the visits to the Hummels, which serve as a reminder to the girls that they are wealthy in comparison with the dire poverty this family has to endure. Mr March is absent for the first half of the story, and whilst the exploits and adventures of the girls are charming, they are also working hard to keep the home running without the father figure. Marmee has to fulfil both roles for the girls, and help them find a way to survive in a world that does not value the talents and achievements of women.
It is not surprising that directors keep coming back to this novel (the latest adaptation with Sairose Ronan and Emma Watson is out at the end of the year). It is a story that girls will always identify with, and one that can be retold for each generation of Little Women.
About the Writer
I run Sounds Right Phonics classes in Dartford, Erith and Crayford, opening up a wonderful world of literacy for parents and children. For more information, please visit:
https://soundsrightphonicsclasses.co.uk/pages/dartford-1
As soon as I got to that first page, it was like my four best friends jumped out of the page to hold my hand and see me through. It is the charm of the four main characters that makes reading this novel feel like coming home. Alcott captures their voices and personalities so beautifully, and makes them vivid and lovable, despite and perhaps even owing to their individual flaws.
Growing up, it was quite impossible for me not to love a book about a girl called Jo who loves reading and wants to be a writer. She is talented and stubborn, but also fiercely loving. She is desperate to break free of the restraints of the family home, whilst at the same time deeply attached to her family and the safe world they have created. When her writing comes to be critiqued by her mentor and future husband, Professor Bahaer, it is clear that despite all her wild and unconventional ways, her writing is also heavily reliant on cliché, and reflects the restrictive upbringing she has had as a woman in the Nineteenth Century. It is the constant desire to rebel, coupled with a fear of stepping outside the world she knows and loves, that makes Jo vulnerable, and in turn such a great character.
Despite dominating the narrative, this is the novel of a family, not just one sister. The other girls are equally compelling on the page. Meg appears a much more genteel and dignified figure than her younger sister, and yet her character development reveals her to be in many ways as much of a rebel as Jo. Whilst her desire for riches may initially seem shallow, she learns that the beautiful clothes and ornaments she craves do not bring happiness, and she turns her back on this world by deciding to marry the poor tutor, John Brooke, instead. And whilst Amy is often not a fan favourite, probably somewhat due to her manuscript burning tendencies early on in the novel, like Jo, she has ambition and talent, and like her sister, she ultimately has to learn the limits of this for women in this time period. And Beth… no sorry, I cannot go there (if anyone knows of any Beth March trauma recovery groups, please forward me details). Let us just say there is a reason Joey from Friends had to put the book in the fridge!
There are definitely parts of the novel that seem a bit saccharine by today's standards, but there is also a harsher social commentary underlying the story. This is seen for example in the visits to the Hummels, which serve as a reminder to the girls that they are wealthy in comparison with the dire poverty this family has to endure. Mr March is absent for the first half of the story, and whilst the exploits and adventures of the girls are charming, they are also working hard to keep the home running without the father figure. Marmee has to fulfil both roles for the girls, and help them find a way to survive in a world that does not value the talents and achievements of women.
It is not surprising that directors keep coming back to this novel (the latest adaptation with Sairose Ronan and Emma Watson is out at the end of the year). It is a story that girls will always identify with, and one that can be retold for each generation of Little Women.
About the Writer
I run Sounds Right Phonics classes in Dartford, Erith and Crayford, opening up a wonderful world of literacy for parents and children. For more information, please visit:
https://soundsrightphonicsclasses.co.uk/pages/dartford-1
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