Grace Li

English Mrs. Robbins 7-2

November 22, 2024 8:00 am

Little Women Lessonsv

In Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, the family shares many joyful moments, but also experiences sisterly quarrels and problem-solving challenges. Each character has a flaw they have to overcome, has a story to tell, and a moral to learn. Meg learns that beauty is not the most important thing in the world; Jo learns to conquer her greatest flaw – her quick temper; Beth learns to believe that she has a unique way with love, sacrifice, strength, and courage; Amy learns that helping brings out joy through her charity. Little Women teaches three main lessons: money doesn’t buy love; be able to forgive no matter how hard it is; when you have a dream or passion, pursue it! 

The first lesson is that money doesn’t buy love, as shown by multiple characters including Meg March and Amy March. When Meg and Aunt March argue over if Meg should marry Mr. John Brooke, Aunt March shows her disapproval, “So you intend to marry a man without money, position, or business, and go on working harder than you do now, when you might be comfortable all your days by minding me, and doing better?” (Alcott 362). Meg retorts, “John is good and wise; he’s got heaps of talent; he’s willing to work, and sure to get on, he’s so energetic and brave” (Alcott 362). Meg has sought out the love of her life and intends to marry Mr. Brooke, even though he is not high in social or financial status. Meg has always dreamed of living a luxurious life and having lots of maids to do all the toil, but when faced with Mr. Brooke, she does not hesitate a moment and marries him, later on giving birth to twins Daisy and Demi, living a joyous life with him. In addition, Amy realizes that money doesn’t buy love. Amy is always vain over her appearance and wishes that her beauty will attract the attention of “Prince Charming”. Ever since she was young, she had no shame declaring that she was going to marry the richest man she could ever find. Amy actually gets the chance to attract Mr. Fred Vaughn, who is the heir of the Vaughn family, a very rich family indeed. When Fred Vaughn proposes, the narrator explains, “Fred Vaughn had returned, and put the question to which she had once decided to answer ‘Yes, thank you’; but now she said, ‘No, thank you,’ kindly but steadily, for when the time came, her courage failed her, and she found that something more than money and position was needed to satisfy the new longing that filled her heart so full of tender hopes and fears” (Alcott 672). Amy is mature. Later on, she marries Theodore Laurence (Laurie), whom she realizes she loves dearly. Amy understands that she does not truly love Fred and so politely rejects Fred when he proposes even though Fred is much richer than Laurie. This also shows even Amy realized that money doesn’t buy love. From this, it is clear that Meg and Amy (the two “lovebirds” in the family) both realize that love is a feeling that cannot be bought by money. 

The second lesson is that you always try to forgive and forget, no matter how hard it is. The scenes that show this particular lesson are the famous “Jo and Amy fight” and the prank of “Laurie, Meg, Jo: Love Letters”. In chapter 8, Jo and Amy got into a fight on whether Amy can go see a musical with the older girls without being invited by Laurie. Amy beseeches Meg, and Jo reprimands Amy, resulting in Amy not being able to go. Amy, being mad and hurt, decides to get revenge on Jo by burning Jo’s handwritten stories on which Jo is working on for years and was hoping to show their father when he comes home from the war. Both girls get into a fight and Jo does not forgive Amy. Desperate for the words, “I forgive you!” Amy follows Jo onto the ice, where Jo and Laurie are dancing. Unaware of the danger ahead, Amy steps on thin ice and falls in the water, nearly drowning to death. Jo feels ashamed of her temper, and both girls apologize and forgive each other. The narrator explains, “As if she heard, Amy opened her eyes, and held out her arms, with a smile that went straight to Jo’s heart. Neither said a word, but they hugged one another close, in spite of the blankets, and everything was forgiven and forgotten in one hearty kiss” (Alcott 127). This shows that forgiving and forgetting is a crucial part of everyday life, especially during sisterly quarrels. Resentment will get you nowhere and will hurt the people you care about. Also, in Chapter 21, when Meg has just gotten into her romantic life, and other than her, only Jo knows about Mr. Brooke’s feelings toward Meg. Laurie, who tries to figure out what was going on, send prank love letters to Meg, saying that it is from Mr. Brooke. Meg answers the love letters and is deeply humiliated. Jo becomes very upset by Laurie’s behavior as it has disrupted Meg’s love life, and Laurie is also shaken by his grandfather. When Jo visits Laurie, she scolds, “Bad boy, be quiet! Sit down and think of your own sins, don’t go making me add to mine. If I get your grandpa to apologize for the shaking, will you give up running away?” (Alcott 334). Laurie agrees, and Meg, Jo, Mr. Laurence forgives Laurie for his sins. Laurie also apologizes to Meg for the pranks and vows he would never do it again. Forgiveness is important. Meg and Jo are all good friends with Laurie, and it can not be imagined that they resent each other and break the friendship because of one small incident. As you can see, fights break out often between sisters and the chosen family, but after fights, forgiveness is required for a long loving relationship! 

The third and final lesson is that once you find anything you are good at or are interested in, always pursue it! All four sisters show it with Meg’s care for family, Jo’s success in stories, Beth’s passion for music, and Amy’s love for visual art. When describing Jo’s writing, the narrator explains, “She did not think herself a genius by any means; but when the writing fit came on, she gave herself up to it with entire abandon, and led a blissful life, unconscious of want, care, or bad weather, while she sat safe and happy in an imaginary world, full of friends, almost as real and dear to her as any in the flesh” (Alcott 418). Writing has always been Jo’s ‘thing.’ and it has helped her overcome many troubles. Jo’s personality is quick-tempered and chattery. Before the girls became women, Jo pursues her passion for writing scripts, stories about everyday life, things she learn, her reflection… and read them to her family and friends. But, with Beth dead, with Meg and Amy both married, Jo becomes terribly lonely in the household with no one to talk to and no more sisters to continue her plays. Even Laurie, or Teddy as Jo calls him, is a mature man and married to Amy. Jo writes stories and spends time putting in all her dreams and wishes, doubting if she will become an “old unloved maid” and if writing is actually important to her. At times, Jo seriously ponders the thought of giving up, but she keeps going for Beth, who made Jo promise she will keep pursuing her passion of writing. She has a strong bond with education and at last transforms Aunt March’s mansion into a schoolhouse for young folks. She is an influence on young folks and creates a lovely space for education and sharing. When Beth plays the piano, the narrator explain, “Quite by accident, of course, some pretty, easy music lay on the piano; and, with trembling fingers, and frequent stops to listen and look about, Beth at last touched the great instrument, and straightway forgot her fear, herself, and everything else but the unspeakable delight which the music gave her, for it was like the voice of a beloved friend” (Alcott 93-94). Music gives Beth strength because she can relate to the music. The piano is played in solitary, and playing the piano helps Beth spend quiet time with herself and not be disturbed or distracted by anything else. As I play the cello, I know that music is very powerful and very influential on young girls. For Beth, the piano keeps her going, gives her hope. Beth and Jo both pursues their dreams and are successful in the end. 

Meg learns to enjoy her life with Mr. Brooke; Jo learns to never give up on anything; Beth learns to be strong and believe in her voice; Amy learns the meaning of true love. The book also teaches us that money doesn’t buy love; that we need to always try to forgive; and that we must always go for our goals. Little Women, written by Louisa May Alcott, published on September 30th, 1868, is full of young hopes and dreams, passions to pursue, and love sparkles by candlelight. It is talking about four little girls, with different personalities, and how they change into little women. But deeply, it talks about so many girls, with different diversity, different personalities, different hobbies, different mindsets, working together as a big family, loving each other like real sisters. Finishing with a quote: “Sail on, Sail far, and I’ll be sailing right behind!” (Dana Hall Website President of the Alumni)

Acknowledgement:

1. Mrs. Robbins
2. Grammar check by the Google Doc
3. Frechette, Lee Ferguson. “A Note from the Alumnae Council President.” Dana Hall School, http://www.danahall.org/a-note-from-the-alumnae-council-president-06-23. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
4. Noodletools