Little Women tells an entertaining
story of four young girls growing up, including many of the faults and stumbles
they encounter along the way. As I read I found that their faults and burdens are
very prevalent, and it seems as if Alcott defines each girl’s journey by what they
need to improve on. This novel made me wonder, are we are defined by our
burdens? Are we expected to control our burdens alone? Do our burdens ever
truly go away?
From the very beginning, Alcott displays what each of the young girls see to be their bundles and burdens. After reading a letter from father on page 9, Amy cries “I am a selfish pig! But I’ll truly try to be better”, “I think too much of my looks, and hate to work, but won’t any more, if I can help it” says Meg. “I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, ‘a little woman’ and not be rough and wild”, said Jo. Beth mentions she will work on “dishes and dusters, envying girls with nice pianos, and being afraid of people”. I appreciate how this novel speaks to how one can deal with respective burdens, as Mrs. March shares with Jo, “I’ve been trying to cure it for forty years, and only succeeded in controlling it. I am angry nearly every day of my life; but I have learned not to show it“(79). This implies to young readers that with enough self-control and patient reminders, our faults can indeed be controlled, if not curable, and the novel shows each of the sisters beginning to control their own burdens while teaching readers small lessons along the way.
Amy, with slight convincing involved, buried her selfish feelings and, “feeling very precious and self-sacrificing, promised to go” (180). When reading the novel I saw a slight change in Amy once seeing how she went to stay with Aunt March to please her family while Beth was ill. Although it was something she dreaded, she put her fault of being selfish aside and was significantly more grown up from here on. Meg, after living as a wife for some time came to an issue regarding their state of poverty, however once the issue had been talked through Meg stepped beyond her fault of thinking too much of her looks, and instead thought of her husband. “She put her pride in her pocket, went to Sallie, told the truth and asked her to buy the silk as a favor”(284). Meg returned the beautiful silk she had found in order to use the money to order John the great-coat he had wanted, seeming to realize that there is often greater joy in sacrificing one’s own pleasures for a loved one. Jo grew very much into a little woman for her father, shown especially as she took on the role of being a governess, which opened her up to meeting many new wonderful friends and mentors. Beth’s growth was seen from her friendship with Mr. Laurence, learning that she needn’t be afraid of people, and grew quite fond of him. Though none of the March sisters completely worked through and cured their faults, they followed their mothers example and have started well on the path of controlling them.
From the very beginning, Alcott displays what each of the young girls see to be their bundles and burdens. After reading a letter from father on page 9, Amy cries “I am a selfish pig! But I’ll truly try to be better”, “I think too much of my looks, and hate to work, but won’t any more, if I can help it” says Meg. “I’ll try and be what he loves to call me, ‘a little woman’ and not be rough and wild”, said Jo. Beth mentions she will work on “dishes and dusters, envying girls with nice pianos, and being afraid of people”. I appreciate how this novel speaks to how one can deal with respective burdens, as Mrs. March shares with Jo, “I’ve been trying to cure it for forty years, and only succeeded in controlling it. I am angry nearly every day of my life; but I have learned not to show it“(79). This implies to young readers that with enough self-control and patient reminders, our faults can indeed be controlled, if not curable, and the novel shows each of the sisters beginning to control their own burdens while teaching readers small lessons along the way.
Amy, with slight convincing involved, buried her selfish feelings and, “feeling very precious and self-sacrificing, promised to go” (180). When reading the novel I saw a slight change in Amy once seeing how she went to stay with Aunt March to please her family while Beth was ill. Although it was something she dreaded, she put her fault of being selfish aside and was significantly more grown up from here on. Meg, after living as a wife for some time came to an issue regarding their state of poverty, however once the issue had been talked through Meg stepped beyond her fault of thinking too much of her looks, and instead thought of her husband. “She put her pride in her pocket, went to Sallie, told the truth and asked her to buy the silk as a favor”(284). Meg returned the beautiful silk she had found in order to use the money to order John the great-coat he had wanted, seeming to realize that there is often greater joy in sacrificing one’s own pleasures for a loved one. Jo grew very much into a little woman for her father, shown especially as she took on the role of being a governess, which opened her up to meeting many new wonderful friends and mentors. Beth’s growth was seen from her friendship with Mr. Laurence, learning that she needn’t be afraid of people, and grew quite fond of him. Though none of the March sisters completely worked through and cured their faults, they followed their mothers example and have started well on the path of controlling them.
I really appreciate how you have touched on how each girl has a different burden to bear. I would also agree that in a way our burdens do somewhat define us. Each of the girls had a different burden or flaw and based on that flaw they found a way to correct it.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, during her stay with Aunt March, the occasionally selfish Amy talks with Esther and begins meditating and praying more often. She is told to “sit alone a while to think good thoughts, and ask the dear God to preserve your sister” (194). This gives her a time to focus not on herself but the family that she misses and their needs.
Meg also goes through quite a change through the course of the book. As you stated, her original burden was that she doesn’t like to work, and she focuses on outward appearances. However, once she marries John and begins life as a housewife, she seems to enjoy the general housekeeping tasks since they are for someone she loves. She even has a problem of getting too obsessed with her housework and childcare they she neglects John in chapter 38. I think this was partially due to her focusing on her image of a perfect mother instead of focusing on her own reality. As per usual, the couple makes up and Meg becomes more mature as a little woman.
I think you make a good point about how the girls go through changes in order to ease the burdens they carry. Especially, I agree with you on the changes we see in Amy and Meg. Amy grows up a lot between parts one and two of the novel, and goes from being the character we all hate to being the character we love to hate, because she teaches us that being socially smart is a useful skill, something we want to pretend isn't true. It was mentioned in class that she’s not a good person because her goodness is an appearance, is fake; I do not agree with this. Amy’s attempt at being a good person in the style of higher society is not a facade, because she has cultivated her personality to try and fit in with the people who have the lifestyle she believes will make her happy. I also think you make a good point about Meg’s burden of pride and how her impulse purchase of the silk teaches her to be proud of what she has, to not covet what she doesn't, and to swallow her pride and admit it when she makes a mistake, and ask for forgiveness and assistance from her husband and from Sallie Moffat.
ReplyDeleteI liked the way you connected the girls’ burdens from the start of the novel to how they reformed them in the end. I think one of the most powerful things about this novel is how each of the girls’ burdens are not only overcame, but transformed into beneficial and positive things. Meg’s burden of “caring too much for [her] looks” (vanity) transforms into pride for herself and her happy family of John, Daisy, and Demi. Amy’s burden of selfishness is not completely remedied at the end of the novel but tempered into the admittedly admirable quality of knowing what she wants and how to get it. Beth’s flaws, admittedly, are rather lacking in intensity but even her burden of “envying girls with nicer pianos” can be seen as remedied on page 414 when the family sets up her room with her favorite things- “her piano, the little work-table, and the beloved pussies.” Even on her deathbed, she doesn’t wish for or envy things that she doesn’t have. The evolution of Jo’s burden of wanting to be a “little woman” can be seen most clearly in its culmination. She faults herself for being too independent and “boyish”, which are “flaws” that temper themselves throughout the novel, but her independence and fiery spirit are preserved. When Mr. Baher proposes, she makes it clear right off the bat that she wants to work and earn money, and not just live off of her husband.
ReplyDeleteTo answer the question from the title of your post- I think the answer is yes, The burdens of the sisters define their trajectories and actions throughout the novel, but it’s not a bad thing. The presence of these burdens guide them in acting in a more virtuous way and leads them to fulfilling endings in the end.