The Dynamic Between Love and Growth in Little Women

The dynamic between love and growth in the last few chapters of Little Women is extremely intriguing, especially with the way Alcott portrays some of the characters. One of the major points of interest in this topic can be seen when Laurie proposes to Jo. Although many works of fiction I have read in the past display unrequited love as a hardship the female characters face, in this novel, and in fact, in several pre-20th century works, it is the male character who faces the sting of rejection. For example, in Jane Eyre, St. John Rivers faces Jane’s rejection to his proposal, and is deeply hurt by it, even though he does not love her romantically. In both Little Women and Jane Eyre, however, the male characters overcome their sadness, and go on to live a perfectly fulfilled life (though in very different ways). Though in class it was discussed that Laurie and Jo were too similar to end up together, I held out hope that they might fight our suspicions. However, as Alcott continues to wrap up her novel, it is clear she truly intended for Laurie to end up with Amy, which she set-up fairly early in the novel.

Additionally, in this section, there is a very obvious example of familial love when Beth dies. Since she is the epitome of kindness and goodness in the novel, it takes a hit on the March family as well as the readers. In some ways, it is what brings Laurie and Amy together more than ever. Alcott also takes this opportunity to describe each of the March sisters through Beth’s tongue, claiming that Jo “[is] the gull, strong and wild... and happy all alone. Meg is the turtle-dove, and Amy is like the lark she writes about, trying to get up among the clouds but always dropping down into its nest again... no matter how high she flies she will never forget home” (375). Beth describes herself as a peep- “busy, quaker-colored creatures, always near the shore, and always chirping that contented little song of theirs.” Again, each sister is different, but beautiful in her own way. Even though Beth is always “near the shore,” she is content with her life, and happy to have lived it. Though her death is a hard loss, knowing her innocence makes it almost a perfect way to end her story.