Little Women

Amy volunteers at the Chesters’ fair and prepares her art table. May Chester is jealous of Amy for numerous reasons, including her pen-and-ink artwork, her popularity with Mr. Tudor, and because she heard that the March girls had ridiculed her. However, it was Jo who impersonated May and Amy who receives the brunt of the blame. Mrs. Chester asks Amy to handle the flower table and places May in her spot at the art table. Amy takes her items with her and attempts to organize the flower table, which is in a disarray.

That night, Marmee praises Amy for her cool and her compassion: “[A] kiss for a blow is always best, though it’s not very easy to give it sometimes” (324). The following day, Amy takes the verse “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” as a sign and brings back the items to May and apologizes. For the rest of the fair, May’s table is popular, and Amy is alone as no one buys flowers in the summer. Seeing her upset, Jo and Laurie make a plan.

Next time, at Amy’s table, Laurie’s friends have bought the majority of her flowers. Laurie has donated some flowers from his own garden, while Jo charms people near the table with her stories and jokes. Unable to stand the ill treatment of her family, Jo snubs May. But upon seeing that May is remorseful for her words and changes her behavior, Amy asks Laurie and his friends to buy May’s vases. By the end of the fair, the girls “[f]orgive and forget,” and when the aunts hear of the story, they express their approval to Mrs. March, who exhibits “mingled pride and anxiety” (329).

At home, everyone praises Amy, who expresses that she was just trying to do right. In the end, she reaps the fruits of her conduct when Aunt Carrol requests that Amy accompany her to Europe. Jo is distressed because she had wanted to go, but Marmee explains that during the fair, Aunt Carrol “regretted [Jo’s] blunt manners and too independent spirit.”

When Amy learns of the decision, she is enthusiastic at the opportunity to achieve her dreams of being an artist. She also believes this trip will determine if she has any “genius” (331). Jo grumbles that Amy will ultimately “marry some rich man, and come home to sit in the lap of luxury” (331).

Amy offers to send for Jo in the future, which soothes her. Later, the whole family sees Amy off. In tears, Amy begs Laurie to take care of them. He promises and adds, “If anything happens, I’ll come and comfort you” (332).

Amy describes her travels through letters to her family. Her first stop is London. Throughout the ship ride, Aunt Carrol and her cousin Flo are seasick, so Amy amuses herself as she takes in the scene: “Such walks on deck, such sunsets, such splendid air and waves” (333). Near the Irish coast, Amy writes that the lush imagery and the temperate climate is unforgettable One of her acquaintances, Mr. Lennox, stares at her flirtatiously as he conjures a song. It is raining when they arrive in London, and Aunt Carrol buys her new clothes as Amy had left in a rush. The group tours attractions such as Hyde Park, “Rotten Row,” and Westminster Abbey, which Amy can only describe as “sublime” (337). In London, they also meet Fred and Frank Vaughn, Laurie’s childhood friends, and they reminisce about their time together. Amy admits that Fred is more handsome than before and Frank no longer uses a crutch, although he has a slight limp.

In Paris, Fred surprises them again, and Aunt Carrol allows him to join them, despite her suspicions of his intentions, because he can speak French like a native. In the meantime, Amy spends rainy days in the Louvre, declaring, “I’m cultivating eye and taste as fast as I can” (339).

From Heidelberg, Amy writes only to Marmee. She says that she and Flo were serenaded by Fred and others from below their windows, and the girls threw flowers at them. He keeps one of the flowers, thinking it from Amy, but when she says it is from Flo, he throws it in disgust. Amy says that Fred needs someone to curb his impulsiveness and agrees with Kate that he needs to marry. However, at this point, Amy starts to notice Fred’s behavior is too romantic towards her, as he shows interest that this is “something more to him than fun” (342). If Fred proposes, Amy will marry him: “I may be a mercenary, but I hate poverty, and don’t mean to bear it a minute longer than I can help. One of us must marry well; Meg didn’t, Jo won’t, Beth can’t yet, so I shall, and make everything cozy all around” (342).

The night of Fred’s supposed proposal, he comes to tell her that Frank is sick and urgently needs him. Fred hopes Amy will remember her. Although she makes no promises, she offers her smile, which appeases him.

Marmee is worried about Beth as there is some change in her that she cannot put her finger on. She pushes Jo to investigate what is on her mind:

[Beth] sits alone a great deal, and doesn’t talk to her father as much as she used. I found her crying over the babies the other day. When she sings, the songs are always sad ones, and now and then I see a look in her face that I don’t understand (345).

Jo agrees to keep a dutiful watch over her sister and wonders if it is not just the regular pains of womanhood and becoming an adult. However, one day, she witnesses Beth looking upon Laurie with bright color and assumes, “Mercy on me, Beth loves Laurie” (347).

Knowing the capricious nature of her friend, she distrusts his compatibility with Beth; when Laurie went to college and “fell in love about once a month” (348). However, her family sees that Laurie appears to be getting more affectionate toward Jo, which she dismisses. Regardless, Jo sees hope in this arrangement if she leaves, allowing Beth and Laurie to grow closer. She asks her mother if she can move to New York and live with Mrs. March’s friend, Mrs. Kirke, for a time. Jo knows Mrs. Kirke is seeking a governess for her young children and says, “I want something new. I feel restless and anxious to be seeing, doing, and learning more than I am” (354). But Marmee asks if there is some other matter, and Jo mentions Laurie and his care for her. Marmee agrees that they would not be a suitable match for each other: “You are too much alike and too fond of freedom, not to mention hot tempers and strong wills, to get on happily together” (355).

Mrs. March writes to Mrs. Kirke, who accepts Jo, much to her relief, “for the home nest was growing too narrow for her restless nature and adventurous spirit” (356). When she tells Laurie, he half-jokes, “My eye is on you, so mind what you do, or I’ll come and bring you home” (357).

From New York, Jo writes Marmee and Beth that she is a “trifle blue,” but that Mrs. Kirke embraced her and gave her a lovely room in the boarding house with a “fine view.” The two little girls she teaches, Kitty and Minnie, are pretty but spoiled.

Jo notices another boarder helping a servant girl with her heavy load of coal. Mrs. Kirke tells her the boarder is Professor Bhaer, who is from Berlin. Apparently, he is a scholar who is here to support his orphaned nephews, Franz and Emil, after the death of his sister, who married an American. Jo notes that he “hadn’t really handsome feature in his face, except his beautiful teeth” (361). Nevertheless, she likes him. Similarly, Jo notices his kindness with another little girl, Tina, and assumes that because of the fatherly way he treats her, Tina could be his own. She eavesdrops on Professor Bhaer as she is sewing, and when two women enter for lessons, Jo witnesses his impatience at their lack of seriousness and comprehension. After they leave, she glimpses into his room, and upon seeing him worn out and passed out on the sofa, she suspects he must have a “hard life” (362).

Later, she discovers that Tina is the daughter of the Frenchwoman who irons in the laundry and that all the children love Professor Bhaer. His sweet nature brings everyone to “all like him despite his foreign ways” (363).

In the meantime, Jo meets Miss Norton—an affluent, intelligent and warm woman—at dinner who takes an interest in her. Jo makes herself “agreeable,” explaining, “for I do want to get into good society, only it isn’t the same sort that Amy likes” (364).

One day, Minnie and Kitty introduce Jo to Professor Bhaer, and they warm toward each other. Afterwards, Jo catches him sewing his own sock, which makes her sad, but the professor does not seem to mind. Mrs. Kirke tells Jo that she would do his mending and washing, but he is forgetful about it and so is she. Jo then asks if she can do it, as she is nimble with the needle. However, Professor Bhaer catches her and asks if she would like to learn German in return. Abashed, Jo agrees, and although their first lesson is not fruitful, he discovers that she learns well through Hans Christian Andersen fairytales and their friendship grows.

For New Year’s, Jo wishes her family well and thanks them for all the gifts. Professor Bhaer has given her a “fine Shakespeare” (370), and she bought him several things she placed around his room for him to find. Later, on New Year’s Eve, there is a masquerade party at the house, and she dresses up as Mrs. Malaprop, a character from an 18th-century play, while the Professor is Nick Bottom from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Overall, Jo feels fortunate and happy, ending her letter with, “for I’m cheerful all the time now, work with a will, and take more interest in other people than I used to” (372).