The Love in Little Women

The Love in Little Women

By Addison McClure

          I read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott a while ago, but I never finished it. So I decided to try again because I did enjoy the book. The main characters in the book are four sisters named Meg, Jo, Amy, and Beth. Meg, short for Margaret, is the eldest and is the most mature of the group. Jo, short for Josephine, is the second oldest and she does not appreciate the idea of being ladylike. Beth, short for Elizabeth, is the quiet and second youngest daughter. Lastly Amy, who is the youngest, is one of the louder girls in the bunch. Their mother, Mrs. March, currently is taking care of them alone because her husband is off at war. One of the other significant characters is their neighbor Laurie. He reconnects with Meg and Jo at a party they attend and he and Jo have an instant bond. The interactions between the characters, specifically the sisters, capture the nature of how siblings interact with each other today, though the language is a little dated.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

          While the sisters all have different interests and attitudes, they all genuinely love one another. Amy and Beth are completely different. Beth is quiet and peaceful, while Amy is not afraid to share her opinion and let others hear it. They still love each other though which illustrates the amazing bond the sisters have. Jo does not enjoy conforming the standard of being a young lady, and sometimes this results in small arguments and clashing among the sisters, but in the end they are always there for each other. The sister's abilities to care for one another shows the great writing of Louisa May Alcott. She shows the connections the family has through how they recover from arguments and how they have each other's backs.
        A interesting detail of the book is the clear differences in the ideas of what the future of the girls should be. A big part of the novel is the girls maturing into women, so everyone has their own opinions of what their futures should look like. Meg very much conforms to the stereotypical woman of that time, and she acts as the mother of the group. She attends parties in which she always makes sure she is presented correctly. In a way though, she is not a woman who relies on devoting her life to a husband. Meg shows that she knows how to take control which gives her some sort of independence. Jo rejects the idea that she has to settle down. She displays that she clearly sees herself as an independent person who will do what she wants in life. Amy, while she does complain a lot, expresses interest in art and formal society. While she does lean more towards traditional standards, she also expresses her abilities in art and forges a path for herself. Beth differs from her sisters because she is not as outspoken. She creates a path for herself through peacemaking. Each sister has unique ideas of their futures which makes their relationship so interesting to read about.
         Each girl follows their on path making the book enjoyable and intriguing. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a heartwarming story, and someone who has the time to read the book since it is so long. It is a story that has lasted generations which is displays the impact of the novel. It teaches lessons of family and love as the four sisters mature. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, while they have different perspectives of life, show the strong bond of family.