Little Women

For a week, the girls are conscientious and committed to their tasks and the instructions set by their mother. However, as the stress is reduced from worrying about their father, the girls grow lax. Beth reminds them that Marmee had requested that they monitor the Hummels, who have a baby who is sick with scarlet fever. Meg promises to go tomorrow and offers that perhaps Amy may go today, while Jo says she is still sick from her cold and can’t check on them. Hearing their excuses and witnessing their lack of interest, Beth goes once again by herself in the cold weather.

When she returns, it is late and no one notices until Jo goes to their mother’s room and finds Beth looking ill, a bottle of camphor in her hand. Before Jo can come closer, Beth asks Jo if she’s ever been ill with scarlet fever. Earlier, while Beth was at the Hummels, she had been taking care of the baby, who died in Beth’s arms of scarlet fever.

Although Meg and Jo cannot be infected, as they have had the illness before, Jo feels she deserves to catch it because she should not have been a “selfish pig” for allowing Beth to go to the Hummels by herself. Jo consults Hannah, who eases her worry as “nobody [has] died” from scarlet fever when treated correctly.

In the meantime, they arrange for Amy to stay with Aunt March to prevent her from catching the illness. Laurie promises Amy that he will visit her daily to keep her entertained.

When Dr. Bangs arrives, Beth shows the symptoms of scarlet fever. Dr. Bangs listens to the extent of Beth’s interactions with the Hummels. Although he does not say anything, “Amy was ordered off at once, and provided with something to ward off danger” (192). Jo and Laurie usher a fearful Amy into Aunt March’s care.

Beth’s condition deteriorates as only Hannah and the doctor know the extent of her sickness. The girls worry and wait while Beth “lay hour after hour, tossing to and fro, with incoherent words on her lips” (195). Hannah, who believes there is no imminent danger, has forbidden them to inform Marmee of Beth’s illness.

As news of Beth’s illness spreads, many come to give her gifts and kind words, which surprises the family, given that Beth is known to be shy and timid. Finally, Dr. Bangs, upon observing Beth’s condition increasingly worsen, says, “If Mrs. March can leave her husband she better be sent for” (196).

Understanding the meaning behind the words, Meg becomes weak, while Jo rushes to send a telegram to Marmee. When Jo returns, Laurie arrives with a letter detailing Mr. March’s recovery, and Jo confides to Laurie about the doctor’s recent order before breaking down: “Mother and Father both gone, and God seems so far away I can’t find Him” (196).

To calm her, Laurie brings Jo wine and confesses that he telegraphed Mrs. March yesterday. He and his grandfather were becoming anxious, despite Hannah’s insistence to keep everything secret. The thought of Marmee arriving that night causes Jo to embrace him as she is overcome with emotions of relief and joy. Jo informs her sisters and Hannah, and they similarly express their gratitude at Marmee’s arrival. Meg pledges that if Beth lives, she will “never will complain again,” while Jo vows, “I’ll try to love and serve [God] all my life” (200).

Past two a.m., Meg and Jo are still up. Jo notices that in Beth the “fever flush and the look of pain were gone” (201). She bids her sister goodbye assuming she has passed on. Hannah awakes and points out that the fever has subsided and that Beth is showing signs of healing, which the doctor affirms. As dawn breaks, the bell rings, signaling Marmee is home.

At Aunt March’s house, Amy faces her own trials. Although Aunt March loves Amy, she is a strict guardian who does not believe in showing outward affection. Every day, Amy must clean, dust, sew, and take care of Aunt March’s lap dog and parrot. However, she is allotted one hour to do as she pleases and, as promised, Laurie comes by to amuse her by taking her out on rides or walks.

The days are often too tiring for her to lament her “hard fate” (204), and she finds solace in Esther, the sympathetic French maid who has been with Aunt March for a long time. Esther tells stories of her life in France and accompanies Amy, who is permitted “to roam about the great house, and examine the curious and pretty things stored away in the big wardrobes and the ancient chests, for Aunt March hoarded like a magpie” (205). Amy admires Aunt March’s fine jewelry, and Esther asks her what she would prefer if she had a will. Amy admits she adores diamonds, but she is attracted to a necklace with gold and ebony beads and a cross hanging from it. This turns out to be a rosary, according to Esther. Amy notes that Esther always appears serene after praying, and so Esther suggests that she can ready “the little dressing room” as a “tiny chapel” for Amy to escape into for tranquility and meditation (206).

Amy learns that when Aunt March dies, she will give her belongings to her and her sisters. However, because Aunt March has been impressed with Amy’s behavior, she has decided to give her a turquoise ring before she dies. With this knowledge, Amy strives to be a “model of obedience” (207) and during her free moments sits in her space and contemplates that in the event that she dies, she should create a will. With Esther’s help, Amy writes the terms of her will and requests that she and Laurie be her witnesses. However, after Laurie leaves upon signing, she discovers Beth’s unselfish nature in bestowing every little possession she had to her sisters and prays for her, “feeling that a million turquoise rings would not console her for the loss of her gentle little sister” (211).

The return of Marmee places the household back to calm, and she tends to Beth: “Mrs. March would not leave Beth’s side, but rested in the big chair, waking often to look at, touch, and brood, over her child, like a miser over some recovered treasure” (213). Laurie dutifully provides this account to Aunt March, who turns sentimental, and Amy, who believes in the power of her prayers.

Marmee surprises Amy by coming to visit her, and Amy proudly takes her to her makeshift chapel, which her mother deems “an excellent plan to have some place where we can go be quiet” (213). She notes the turquoise ring on Amy’s hand. Although her mother thinks she is too young for such jewelry, Amy convinces her that she wants to wear it to remind herself “not to be selfish” (214) like Beth. Marmee accepts her explanation, even though she has “more faith in the corner of the big closet” (215) and returns home to take care of Beth.

At home, Jo confides in Marmee about Meg, revealing that Laurie told her that Mr. Brooke has her glove and “owned that he liked Meg but didn’t dare say so, she was so young and he so poor” (215). At this revelation, Marmee asks instead if Meg has feelings for Mr. Brooke, to which Jo answers that although she does not know, she doubts it.

Marmee admits that she and their father are growing to like Mr. Brooke—whom they refer to by his first name “John”—that she knows “[h]e was perfectly open and honorable about Meg, for he told us he loved her, but would earn a comfortable home before he asked her to marry him” (216).

Jo is upset at Mr. Brooke for potentially breaking up her family and wishes she could marry Meg herself. Marmee tells her that this is to happen to all her daughters in time. Upon seeing Meg and assessing her reaction toward the mention of John, Mrs. March realizes, “She does not love John yet, but will soon learn to” (219).