payment page
What does Meg March like to do?
At the beginning of the novel, Meg is very conscious of good society and being fashionable. She enjoys going to social events like dances and the theater, particularly when she feels well-dressed for the occasion. Meg also helps her sisters to be appropriate in society and takes an interest in their improvement at home. When the March sisters and Laurie describe their castles in the air (or ideal futures), Meg wishes to be the lady of a great house with plenty of resources to host and attend events in the latest fashions and cultural expectations. When she marries Mr. Brooke, she gives up her dream of financial comfort, but continues to be a nurturer and an active and modestly fashionable member of her social circle.
How does Beth March get sick?
Beth and the rest of the March family often help the Hummels, a poor family who lives near them, by providing food and childcare when they can. One day, Beth goes to the Hummel house only to find the baby has scarlet fever. Beth returns home, but she ends up contracting the illness. She becomes so sick that she nearly dies, but her fever breaks and she recovers. Beth remains frail, however, and several years later begins to decline in health. Ultimately, that childhood sickness leads to her early death.
Why does Amy burn Jo’s book?
Amy learns Meg and Jo are going to the theater with Laurie and Mr. Brooke. When Amy asks to go along, Jo tells Amy she was not invited, and that it would be awkward to get one ticket separate from the rest of the group. Although Jo’s argument is true, she does not deliver the refusal kindly. Amy is offended by Jo’s attitude and tells Jo she will regret it. While the others are at the theater, Amy keeps her promise of retaliation by burning the book Jo had been writing. Jo is outraged because she had been painstakingly working on the story for a long time, and the whole family knew she was proud of it.
Why does Jo reject Laurie’s proposal?
Jo has a predominantly emotional rather than advantageous view of marriage and initially rejects Laurie because she is not romantically interested in him. Jo deeply values Laurie’s friendship, but she views him as more of a brother than a suitor. She tells him she would not be able to say yes for the right reasons, so she does not want to say yes at all. Marmee agrees with Jo’s decision, saying Jo and Laurie are too similar to work well together in a marriage. They are both stubborn and have quick tempers. Marmee tells Jo a marriage requires balance, and that spouses need to be able to fill in each other’s weaknesses with their strengths. Laurie’s temperament fits better with Amy’s which leads them to be happily married and to bring Laurie and Jo back together as sibling-like friends.
Why does Aunt March leave Jo her house?
Throughout Little Women, Aunt March tells the March family they are not prudent for losing their fortune and for not seeking to be wealthy again. She claims to be disappointed in Mr. March because he lost the family money, disowns Meg for marrying a poor man, and deliberately sends Amy to Paris in search of bettering her prospects. However, despite her many complaints about the Marches, Aunt March loves her family and occasionally shows it with grand gestures of generosity. Jo works as Aunt March’s companion for years, although neither of them seem to enjoy their time together very much. Despite not being each other’s favorite people, Aunt March remembers Jo’s faithfulness by leaving her estate to Jo after she dies.
