LITTLE WOMEN-A LABOUR OF LOVE

Beautiful works of fiction are extremely hard to come by, and still rarer are those so lovingly written as to move one to tears at times. Louisa May Alcott’s ‘LITTLE WOMEN’ fits into both criteria. The book tells the story of the March family. At the very onset, we are introduced to the March family, which consists of Mr. March, Mrs. March and their four daughters, Meg (Margaret), Jo (Josephine), Beth (Elizabeth) and Amy.

Though Mr. March does not appear till the end of the book, we feel, as we know him very well through the conversations of others. The four girls are the main protagonists, with Jo being the prime character. Apart from the March family, the other important characters are Laurie (again, a prime character, and Jo’s best friend); Laurie’s grandpa, the extremely rich and a bit eccentric Mr. Laurence; John Brooke, Laurie’s tutor, who is secretly in love with Meg; Hannah, the March family servant, but considered more of a friend, and Aunt March, the rich old relation of the March’s for whom Jo works. The four girls are quite different from each other. Meg believes in playing the part of the perfect lady to the hilt. Though she is a very sweet girl, and always guides her younger sisters towards the right path, she is not free from the small vanities, which beset teenage girls. Meg loves to carry herself like a proper lady and longs to have the most beautiful of dresses, but as her family is very poor, she has to make do with not-so-fashionable dresses. In spite of her vanities, though Meg is a very dependable person and is very gentle and tactful with her sisters. Jo is very very different from Meg, and is easily the most likeable person in the book. Jo is a real tomboy, and she hates behaving the way girls usually do. She does not care a damn about fashion, and wishes that she were a boy. She likes to do the activities that men do and she is a headstrong girl. It is Jo’s ambition in life to be a famous writer and write meaningful, yet popular novels. Although she gets into awful tempers many a time during the course of the book, you can’t help loving her for her funny manners and her undying love for her family. Beth, on the other hand is a very docile person, she is indeed an angel, she is never rude to anyone, always so gentle, so compassionate and never does a harsh word escape her mouth. Such people are extremely hard to come by and everyone will love Beth for the sweet, dear creature that she is. On the contrary, Amy is not at all docile, and believes in having things her own way. Amy is a bit selfish, but she bears an unfailing love for her family and she has very lady-like manners. Her charming manners hardly fail to impress anyone, even the irritable Aunt March. The book is guaranteed fun, though some of its moments tend to produce a lump in your throat. Young and old love it alike, though it is written keeping young readers in mind. The exploits of the March family have been a timeless favourite with generations of readers. The varied cast-vivacious Jo, gentle Beth, the dashing Laurie, and the loving and selfless Mrs. March keep all entertained, though in the distance, one can hear the rumblings of the American civil war. The passing years bring adventure and romance, and soon the girls are young women. Childhood, love, the joys (and the pain) of growing up in loving a though poor family –these are some of the themes Louisa May Alcott explores in this lively and warm saga of the March family…

A WORD ABOUT THE AUTHOR.

Louisa May Alcott was born in U.S.A. She was the second of four daughters, and had to learn to support her family, which was quite poor, from an early age. From the age of sixteen, she began to write. Anyone who reads ‘Little Women’ can find in Jo’s experiences, Louisa’s beginning as an authoress. The book brought her fame and fortune. Though she has written many other books, this book is her most widely read book, and young people easily identify themselves with the characters in the book. No one knew Jo better than Louisa herself, for the tomboy who grew up into the tall girl with chestnut hair was she herself. ‘Little women’ is followed by ‘Good Wives’, ‘Little Men’ and ‘Jo’s Boys’, its sequels, though ‘Little Women’ is the most enjoyable of the four. Louisa may Alcott was a great champion of causes, such as better working conditions for women and women’s right to vote.

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