So. I recently read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and it was surprising how good it was. It didn’t give me preachy, kids should be seen and not heard and women should devote their whole lives to serving their husbands message that I was expecting. It was actually a nice story that followed the lives of 4 girls on their journey to womanhood and it was actually quite sweet to read.
I got interested in this book after hearing about it on This American Life podcast. I recently listened to the episode “The Weight of Words” and Shemyla talked about how that book got her through hard times. Apparently, Shemyla has been promised to her sister’s spouse when hr sister was unable to have children. Shemyla was adopted and living in the US, but her Pakistani family essentially kidnapped her and took her back to Pakistan leaving her adopted family without any recourse. Her life in Pakistan was hard and she was forced to be subservient and was not allowed to read. She was given Little Women by a friend and hid it in sections so she could read it. As she read it so much, she now has sections of it memorized.
This story was amazing to me and awakened my desire to read the book. I’m not sure how it has escaped my reading before, but I ended up reading it. I loved the way Marmee did not force any of her daughters to do anything they didn’t want to do, but she would listen to their concerns and share advice, but from a place of self-reflection and growth and not scolding. I also appreciate how each of the sisters had a different trajectory and it wasn’t as if I was watching the same story play out with each sister.
I think the sister I most identified with was Jo. I liked how she was so steadfast in what she wanted to do and when she had enough of exploring, asked for her sister to be able to travel in her stead. I also appreciated the reflection Jo had when she realizes she has just been writing fluff and decides to write something of substance. I think I have come to the realization about how to want to leave my mark on the people I work with. I want to be able to be a positive influence and help, instead of just grinding through the day for money. Sometimes, it can be very hard to stay true to what you know you should do and the thing that is easy.
Also, when Beth died, it was so sad. The family was all so connected to her and her gentle presence and when she passed, I was sad along with them all.
I loved the way the book ended though, with everyone gathering at the Plumfield house with Jo and Professor Bhaer. Seeing how Louisa May Alcott gave Jo her own path and final scene in a way that was uniquely her own and her given family, was a great final touch.
While reading about this book, it was interesting to find that the characters were based on her and her sisters’ lives. I think most great books, jokes, poems or works of art have their base in something that actually happened and that’s what makes them so endearing to us all.
Have you read Little Women? What did you think? Did you identify with a particular character?
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