Summary — Chapter 11: Experiments
During the summer, the King family, for whom Meg is the
governess, and Aunt March go on vacation, leaving Meg and Jo free
from their duties. Relieved, Meg and Jo decide to do nothing at
all with their newfound freedom. The younger girls, Amy and Beth,
also take a break from their studies. After the girls neglect their
chores for almost a week, Marmee and Hannah take a day off as well.
That day, the girls fail miserably at running the household smoothly. They
soon discover that Marmee has taught them a lesson about the importance
of everyone doing at least a little work.
Summary — Chapter 12: Camp Laurence
One July day, Meg receives one glove in the postbox, though
she has lost them both and wonders where its mate is. With the glove
comes a German song translated by Mr. Brooke, Laurie’s tutor. Laurie
has also sent an invitation to a picnic to be held the next day.
The following day, the March girls attend the picnic along with
various other guests: Sallie Gardiner; Ned Moffat, Annie Moffat’s
older brother; Mr. Brooke; Laurie’s British friends, Fred and Kate
Vaughn; and their siblings, Frank and Grace Vaughn. During the picnic,
Fred cheats in a game of cricket. Jo notices and is annoyed, but
manages to control her temper. When Kate discovers that Meg works
as a lowly governess, Kate is first rude and then patronizing. Mr.
Brooke defends Meg, which leads to a long conversation between him
and Meg. Meanwhile, Grace and Amy chat about ponies and Europe, and
Beth has a conversation with Frank, who has a hurt leg. As the party
breaks up, even the condescending Kate says that American girls
are nice.
Summary — Chapter 13: Castles in the Air
I think I shall write books, and get
rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Laurie swings idly on his hammock and spies the March
girls walking out to a hill. There, the sisters sit working—knitting,
sewing, drawing, and reading. Feeling left out, Laurie asks if he
may join them. They admit him under the condition that he contribute
something useful, as is consistent with the work ethic of the girls’
Busy Bee Society. Laurie’s contribution is his reading of a book
to the sisters. While they work, all five friends discuss their
dreams. Laurie wants to become a famous musician, Jo a famous author,
and Amy a famous artist. Meg wants to be rich so that she does not
have to work, and Beth wants everyone to be happy and together.
Upset that Laurie cannot follow his dream, Jo tells him to run away
from his grandfather, who does not want him to be a musician. Sensible
Meg tells Laurie to ignore Jo’s advice and to be good to both his
grandfather and Mr. Brooke. Laurie decides to follow Meg’s advice.
Summary — Chapter 14: Secrets
Jo finishes the manuscripts for two stories and brings
them to a newspaperman in town without telling anyone. She is very
anxious. She meets Laurie as she comes out of the news office. After
he pleads with her to tell him what is going on, she confides her
secret. Laurie then tells Jo his secret—that Mr. Brooke has kept
Meg’s glove and carries it with him wherever he goes. This secret
disgusts Jo, because she hates the idea of someone loving Meg and
taking her away. Laurie, in an attempt to cheer Jo, persuades her
to race him down a hill. In a wild, messy state, they encounter
Meg, who has just visited the Gardiners. Meg reprimands Jo, though
she secretly feels tempted to join their romp. For about a week,
Jo behaves strangely. Then, one day, she reads a story aloud from
a paper and announces at the end that the story was hers. She has
not gotten paid, but she says that she will for future stories.
She feels wonderfully independent.
Summary — Chapter 15: A Telegram
November arrives, and everyone is glum. Marmee receives
a telegram saying that Mr. March is ill and that she must go to
Washington, D.C. to be with him. Marmee sends Laurie to ask Aunt
March for money and sends Beth to ask Mr. Laurence for wine. In
the spirit of the moment, Jo runs out to find a way to contribute.
Later, Mr. Laurence offers Mr. Brooke as a travel companion for
Marmee, and she gratefully accepts Mr. Brooke’s company. Jo returns
home, having earned twenty-five dollars by selling her hair. Pretty
Amy is horrified that Jo has lost her “one beauty.” Jo, however,
is not sad until late at night, when she cries a little for her
lost hair.
Analysis — Chapters 11–15
In Chapter 11, Alcott stresses
the importance of work and suggests that idleness does not lead
to happiness. Alcott has held up domestic work—such as cleaning
the house, teaching young children, and nursing the sick—not as
a particularly challenging or rewarding endeavor for women, but
rather as an unfortunate duty. However, here she shows us that idleness
is an inadequate alternative.
