Little Women Video

Little Women is a novel written by Louisa May Alcott and published in two parts between 1868 and 1869. Heavily influenced by Alcott’s own life, the novel follows the everyday lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and their moral development over a period of fifteen years. Set in Concord, Massachusetts, Alcott’s in-depth exploration of female characters was unique for its time and an implicit case for women’s equality. Published to widespread popularity, the novel explores the enduring importance of family, the happiness derived from being selfless, and the benefits of hard work.

Part One of the book opens in 1861, as the March sisters—along with their mother, Marmee—face their first Christmas without their father, who is away serving as a chaplain for the Union Army. On Christmas Eve, they receive a letter from him reminding them to be dutiful, loving, and kind so that when he returns he “may be…prouder than ever of [his] little women.” Inspired by a morality tale called The Pilgrim’s Progress, Meg, the oldest and perhaps the most beautiful, sets out to be less materialistic. Jo, the second oldest and a temper-prone tomboy that many readers identify as the protagonist, vows to be more womanly and less wild. Beth, the sweet-tempered third oldest, wants to stop envying girls who have pianos, and Amy, the somewhat entitled youngest, hopes to be less selfish.

The girls feel dismayed at their relative poverty but use what meager funds they have to buy gifts for Marmee. Before they can deliver them on Christmas morning, however, Marmee asks the girls if they will forfeit their Christmas breakfast to the Hummels, a nearby family of immigrants. Despite their hunger, the girls agree. The Hummels are deeply grateful, and the girls are happy to have “loved [their] neighbor better than [themselves].” When they return home, they are surprised to see their table full; their wealthy next-door neighbor, Mr. Laurence, heard about their good deed and sent a Christmas feast in reward.

Soon, Meg and Jo are invited to a lavish New Year’s Eve dance at the Gardiner house. But boyish Jo is ill-suited for such a party; her dress is burnt from standing too close to the fire, and she accidentally burns off a part of Meg’s hair while trying to curl it. At the party, Meg sprains her ankle dancing, and she and Jo take refuge in the company of Mr. Laurence’s nephew, Laurie, who is the same age as Jo and appreciates her boyish pluck. Meg and Jo accept Laurie’s offer to ride home in his carriage.

One day, Jo throws a snowball at Laurie’s window, intent on getting to know him. Bored and recovering from a cold, Laurie invites Jo over, confessing to her that, in his loneliness, he often watches her family’s spirited activities next door. Jo invites him to come visit, and soon, Laurie begins spending more time at the Marches’ home. The girls, too, spend time at Laurie’s home—all except for Beth, who is too afraid of the gruff Mr. Laurence to join them. Learning of this, Mr. Laurence requests that Beth come play his piano. Reminded of his late granddaughter, Mr. Laurence gifts Beth the deceased girl’s piano.

Winter turns to spring, and the girls get wrapped up in various adventures. Jo shuns Amy after she burns Jo’s writing, then feels sorry when Amy falls into the ice while skating. When Meg lends Amy a quarter to buy her friends pickled limes, Amy’s teacher physically reprimands her, causing Marmee to withdraw her from school. Meg goes to stay with her wealthy friend, Annie Moffat, but feels out of place amongst her comparatively moneyed guests. While Meg is courted by the fashionable Ned Moffat, Marmee assures Meg that she would rather her girls be happy than marry rich. Soon, Meg receives a glove and a translated poem in the mail from Laurie’s tutor, Mr. Brooke; Jo worries about losing Meg to marriage.

The following November, the Marches receive a telegram informing them that their father is ill, and Mr. Brooke volunteers to escort Marmee to his side in Washington. Jo cuts her hair to raise money for her father’s care. Left with their maid, Hannah, the girls throw themselves into work; Jo assists their Aunt March, a rich widow, while Meg continues working as a governess. When Beth comes down with scarlet fever after caring for one of the Hummels’ babies, Jo cares for her dutifully, while Amy quarantines with Aunt March. While Hannah warns against alarming Marmee, Jo is relieved to find that Laurie has secretly sent for her.

Christmas approaches, and both Beth and Mr. March recover. On Christmas day, Laurie arrives with a surprise present: Mr. March. Reunited, the March family reflects on the year, with Mr. March expressing pride in his “little women.” Jo has tamed some, though not all of her wildness, while Beth has overcome much of her shyness. Amy has thrown herself into her art, whereas Meg has replaced her vanity with dedication to housework. Soon, she and Mr. Brooke get engaged.

In Part Two, the narrator skips ahead three years. The war has ended, and Mr. Brooke is working as a bookkeeper to earn a home for him and Meg, who eventually gives birth to their twins. Beth struggles to regain her strength. Jo has devoted herself to writing, winning a newspaper contest for her short story. Amy has undertaken drawing lessons in Aunt March’s care, blossoming into a poised young woman. Jo is envious when Aunt Carroll invites Amy to accompany her in Europe.

Meanwhile, Laurie’s affection for Jo becomes increasingly clear. Jo confesses to Marmee that she thinks of Laurie more as a brother than a romantic partner. She decides to spend the winter working as a teacher in a New York City boarding house owned by Marmee’s friend, Mrs. Kirke. There, she bonds with Mr. Bhaer, a selfless German professor. One day, Mr. Bhaer ridicules a sensationalist story in the newspaper, not realizing that Jo has been anonymously publishing such lurid stories herself to earn money. Discouraged, Jo stops writing altogether for a while, then returns home, where Laurie, having worked hard to become the kind of man he believes she wants, proposes to her. Reluctantly, Jo confesses that she doesn’t love him.

Concerned about Laurie’s reaction to Jo’s rejection, Mr. Laurence devises a plan for Laurie to go abroad. In Nice, he encounters Amy, who finds him changed—blasé where he was passionate and adventurous. Laurie, on the other hand, is charmed by Amy, who is in high demand amongst the European gentlemen and intends to become “an ornament to society” by marrying someone rich, like Fred Vaughn, rather than committing to life as an artist. When Beth grows ill and dies that spring, Laurie comforts Amy and later proposes to her. She accepts, and they marry abroad.

Back in Concord, Jo grieves Beth’s passing. While she is genuinely happy to learn of Laurie and Amy’s engagement, she begins to wonder if the joy that they, as well as Meg and Mr. Brooke, enjoy would bring her comfort. Still, Jo resigns to becoming a “literary spinster” and finds herself thinking of Mr. Bhaer. Marmee advises her to focus on her writing, and Jo is pleased when one of her stories, written from the heart rather than for money, is published to acclaim.

In time, Jo is stunned to receive a visit from Mr. Bhaer, who decided to visit her after reading one of her poems in a newspaper. After repeated visits, Mr. Bhaer’s romantic intentions toward Jo become clear, and she declares her feelings for him in return. When Aunt March dies, Jo turns her large estate, Plumfield, into a school for orphan boys, sharing it with Mr. Bhaer after they marry. At last, Jo has her fill of the boyish life she always cherished, and while the sisters marvel at how differently each of their lives have turned out, they are dearly happy.