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A review by thaurisil
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
5.0
It's hard to imagine lives more ideal than those of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy. Not that it seems that way at first. The four girls are poor, they live in an America that is at war, and their beloved father is away serving as a chaplain in the war. They each have their burdens that contrast sharply with their characters. Meg, the pretty one whose natural inclination is to elegance and wealth, is a governess to a household of spoilt children who have all that she does not. Jo, the wild tomboy, is a companion to her crotchety and prim Aunt March. Beth is shy and quiet, and seems to do her washing and cleaning happily, but she actually doesn't like it. Amy, self-centered and pretentious, has to put up with girls in school who are even more worldly than she is.
But though the four girls lack worldly treasures, they have an abundance of love in the form of their mother. Mrs March guides them along the trials of life. She gently admonishes them for their flaws, but once they grow aware of these, she encourages their efforts to change. When they make the same errors again, she does not scold, but sympathises with their brokenness as they confess. She is a role model, giving her few belongings to the poor, and showing gentleness and patience always such that they do not even realise that she has a temper. She gives the girls not possessions but character lessons - one Christmas, she leads them in giving away their Christmas lunch to a poor family. When the girls ask for a week-long holiday, she allows them to have one, knowing that that is the best way for them to learn that all play and no work is as dull as all work and no play. She is a confidante and a friend while never losing any of her authority and respect, and points the girls towards their true Friend and Comforter.
Mrs March's love overflows into the love the girls have for each other. Yes, they quarrel. Each has her own major flaw, and they annoy each other incessantly, but every argument ends with penitence and apologies. They celebrate each other's victories and quietly empathise with each other's sufferings. Though often jealous of others they are rarely jealous of each other, and want only the best for each other. And they try, oh, they try so hard, to conquer their "burdens", as they put it, like pilgrims from the Pilgrim's Progress. They meet setbacks, yet they keep trying to be good, unselfish, mature, gentle, and contented, and through their failures and efforts they make great strides towards their goals without losing any of their character. Their goodness shows itself too in Laurie. Without them, he is insolent and trying, but under their influence, he is happy, hardworking, dutiful and loving.
Mr March appears only in the last few chapters of the book, and his role is perhaps a little like that of Jesus'. He is physically absent, yet his spirit and presence is pervasive through his influence in motivating the girls to be good and on Mrs March to control her temper and be a good mother. His a model of love always, and everything becomes right when he appears.
Winona Ryder modelled this story after her own experiences with her sister. Thus the vignettes are realistic, down-to-earth and homely. The language too is simple enough to seem modern even today, and the combination of plot and language create a book that is timeless.
There are so many lessons to learn from this. They include: to love by desiring the best for others and expressing this wholeheartedly; that the greatest strength is perhaps the perseverance to overcome our flaws; that keeping busy is more satisfying than being free; to be contented with all we have; and to seek, always, our heavenly treasures that do not rust.
But though the four girls lack worldly treasures, they have an abundance of love in the form of their mother. Mrs March guides them along the trials of life. She gently admonishes them for their flaws, but once they grow aware of these, she encourages their efforts to change. When they make the same errors again, she does not scold, but sympathises with their brokenness as they confess. She is a role model, giving her few belongings to the poor, and showing gentleness and patience always such that they do not even realise that she has a temper. She gives the girls not possessions but character lessons - one Christmas, she leads them in giving away their Christmas lunch to a poor family. When the girls ask for a week-long holiday, she allows them to have one, knowing that that is the best way for them to learn that all play and no work is as dull as all work and no play. She is a confidante and a friend while never losing any of her authority and respect, and points the girls towards their true Friend and Comforter.
Mrs March's love overflows into the love the girls have for each other. Yes, they quarrel. Each has her own major flaw, and they annoy each other incessantly, but every argument ends with penitence and apologies. They celebrate each other's victories and quietly empathise with each other's sufferings. Though often jealous of others they are rarely jealous of each other, and want only the best for each other. And they try, oh, they try so hard, to conquer their "burdens", as they put it, like pilgrims from the Pilgrim's Progress. They meet setbacks, yet they keep trying to be good, unselfish, mature, gentle, and contented, and through their failures and efforts they make great strides towards their goals without losing any of their character. Their goodness shows itself too in Laurie. Without them, he is insolent and trying, but under their influence, he is happy, hardworking, dutiful and loving.
Mr March appears only in the last few chapters of the book, and his role is perhaps a little like that of Jesus'. He is physically absent, yet his spirit and presence is pervasive through his influence in motivating the girls to be good and on Mrs March to control her temper and be a good mother. His a model of love always, and everything becomes right when he appears.
Winona Ryder modelled this story after her own experiences with her sister. Thus the vignettes are realistic, down-to-earth and homely. The language too is simple enough to seem modern even today, and the combination of plot and language create a book that is timeless.
There are so many lessons to learn from this. They include: to love by desiring the best for others and expressing this wholeheartedly; that the greatest strength is perhaps the perseverance to overcome our flaws; that keeping busy is more satisfying than being free; to be contented with all we have; and to seek, always, our heavenly treasures that do not rust.