Little Women

For Meg’s wedding, she desires simplicity and to be surrounded by her loved ones. She sews her own wedding gown, and her sisters decorate her hair with lilies of the valley.

Over three years, her sisters have changed: “Jo’s angles are much softened”; “Beth has grown slender, pale, and more quiet than ever”; and “Amy is with truth considered ‘the flower of the family’” (268).

The wedding does not happen in a traditional manner, and it “scandalizes” Aunt March to see the bride welcoming guests and the groom fixing the decorations (269). Meg retorts that it is her wedding and she shall do as she pleases. However, the wedding occurs with great authenticity: “[T]he father voice broke more than once,” and “the bridegroom’s hand trembled visibly” (270); everyone witnessing becomes emotional.

Meg kisses her mother as soon as she is married, and “[d]uring the next fifteen minutes she looked more like a rose than ever, for everyone availed themselves of their privileges to the fullest extent” (270).

Laurie asks where all the bottles of wine are to serve to the couple; Meg explains that they do not believe in drinking unless it is for medicinal purposes and makes him promise her that he will never drink, which he does.

As the guests leave, Aunt March wishes Meg well but believes she will be sorry for marrying Mr. Brooke. In turn, Aunt March tells Mr. Brooke that he has got a “treasure” and to “see that you deserve it” (272).

The ceremony ends with Meg assuring her siblings and parents of their place in her hearts and thanking them for a “happy wedding day.”

Amy experiments with various art forms, including pen-and-ink-drawing, painting, sculpture, and even a stint burning wood, the last of which causes much tension: “Hannah never went to bed without a pail of water” (275).

Despite trials and accidents, Amy persists in the hope that she can be classified as making “high art” (276) one day. She has “resolved to be an attractive and accomplished woman, even if she never became a great artist” (276). Therefore, although she has attributes such as tact and likability, her weakness is her desire to be a part of high society.

Before summer vacation occurs, she asks Marmee if she can invite the girls from her class over for lunch and prepare “a little artistic fete” (277). Marmee expects that the lunch will be a humble one, but Amy insists it must be elaborate and that she will pay for it.

Amy sends invitations; most accept to come the following Monday, and if the weather is disagreeable, they will come on Tuesday. While preparing for the event, Amy realizes that the costs are higher than expected.

On Monday, it rains, and no one comes, despite the painstaking preparation that Amy has put into the food and decorations. However, Amy refuses to be disappointed and decides her classmates must be coming tomorrow, so they’ll still be set to welcome them.

Because Mr. March could not get any lobsters, Amy decides to procure them for her lunch and even wears a veil, so no one can witness her. In that place and time, lobsters are considered food for the lower classes. On the bus home, she discards the veil, and as she is adjusting herself, one of Laurie’s college friends, Tudor, recognizes her. Amy is composed as the basket with the lobster remains hidden near her feet, and she casually chats with him, but when an elderly woman passenger exits, she causes the basket to topple over. When the lobster is revealed, Tudor thinks it belongs to the woman and tries to give it to her. Amy quickly claims the lobster is hers and makes a joke about the “young ladies” who will devour it, saving her face in the situation.

At home, Amy is in a rush to finally achieve her “grand success” (282), but only one person shows up. The sisters are respectful of Amy’s feelings; Mr. March begins a history lesson on salad and everyone laughs. Amy decides to pack up the excess food and send it to the Hummels; she is grateful for their help and asks that they never refer to this incident again.

Although no one mentions the incident, Laurie gives Amy a coral lobster charm for her birthday.

Jo takes to her writing with a fervor: “[W]hen 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” (285).

One day, accompanied by a family friend named Miss Crocker, Jo goes to a lecture on the pyramids. As they are early, Jo observes the people around her in the audience. Her eyes fall on a boy absorbed in his newspaper. He notices her and asks if she would like to read a “first-rate story” (286). According to Jo, they could write better stories than this “trash” (287); the boy replies that he wishes it so, as this particular author, Mrs. S.L.A.N.G Northbury, probably makes a lot of money. Jo takes the address of the newspaper company, as the boy has an acquaintance that works there. When she returns home, she sets out to write a sensational story and submit it to the newspaper’s contest.

Six weeks later, Jo opens an envelope to discover she has won first prize in the contest: $100. Her family is overjoyed, but her father, though proud, says to her, “You can do better than this, Jo. Aim at the highest and never mind the money” (288). Jo uses the money to send her mother and Beth to a trip to the seaside.

Meanwhile, Jo begins to work away at earning more. She relishes in the power that “she could supply her own wants, and need ask no one for a penny” (289). With Jo’s income, she settles bills, furnishes the house, and provides clothing and other items for the family. Ultimately, she musters the courage to write a complete novel and takes her mother’s advice in that “[c]riticism is the best test of such work” (290). She sends the manuscript to the publishers.

When the novel is published, she receives $300; however, the commentary from her book’s reviewers has aroused confusion in Jo, as it ranges from excessive compliments to cutting criticism. She realizes that this was a learning experience and that “those whose opinion had real value gave her the criticism which is an author’s best education” (292).

Meg and Mr. Brooke are “very happy, even after they discovered they couldn’t live on love alone” (293). Meg attempts to be a symbol of domestic perfection as she tends to the house and her marital life. In the beginning, she sets herself the task of making jelly; her jelly remains in a liquid form, and she crumbles to tears. One day, Mr. Brooke decides to have a guest over for dinner, Mr. Scott. Previously, Meg had said he could bring whomever. However, Meg does not have dinner ready, and she does not feel presentable. Mr. Brooke finds her crying, and he makes a joke about her jelly, which angers her. She tells him to go eat at her mother’s and retreats to her room.

Mr. Brooke is infuriated but controls himself in front of his guest. Later that night, Meg feels embarrassed and Mr. Brooke tries to explain to himself that Meg’s actions are due to her inexperience and her desire to please him. Yet when they try to reconcile, they each are too egotistical to apologize first until Meg remembers Marmee’s advice to “be the first to ask pardon” (300). Meg approaches Mr. Brooke with a kiss, and they both are repentant of their actions.

In the meantime, Meg and Sallie begin to spend more time together and their stark economic differences bother Meg. Although Mr. Brooke trusts Meg with the accounts, she knows that these minute costs have begun to add up and starts to worry.

As she begins to appreciate her husband’s virtues that have stemmed from his poverty, Meg decides to swallow her pride and ask Sallie for a favor by buying silk from her. With the money, she orders a winter coat for John, surprising him and placing her home back into its happy equilibrium.

By midsummer, Meg is given “a new experience—the deepest and tenderest of a woman’s life” (305), when she gives birth. When Laurie arrives to see the new baby, he is surprised when Jo hands him twins. The girl is named Margaret, and the boy is named John Laurence. Their nicknames are Daisy and Demi.