LITTLE WOMEN: FREE STUDY GUIDE / SYNOPSIS / ANALYSIS

Chapter 14: Secrets

Summary

Jo secretly takes a story to a newspaper publisher and shares secrets with Laurie who happened to catch her trying to get up enough nerve to go into the publishing house. Laurie’s secret is that Brooke is the person who kept Meg’s missing love and that Brooke is sweet on Meg. He thinks Jo will be pleased, but instead she is furious. She begins to act strangely, treating Mr. Brooke coldly and staring sadly at Meg.

The concern for Meg temporarily fades when Jo’s story is published. Furthermore, the editor has agreed to publish and pay for more of her stories.

Notes

Jo’s drive to write for money ( a mirror of LMA’s own motivation) begins here. She has a humorous mix of independence and childishness as she wants to feel like she makes a contribution and is able to accomplish things on her own, but she doesn’t want any of her sisters to grow up, get married and move away. She wants to be able to plan her sister’s lives as well as her own. This is another characteristic of Jo which is shared by Amy as well and is the cause of some sibling rivalry. Both sisters want to have control over the lives of others in the family, although they don’t mean it in a negative way. Perhaps the source is partly the losses they have already endured. They can’t cope with the loss of possession becoming loss of family closeness as well. The conflicting values of the upper class of society versus the middle class come into play here as well as in some other chapters. The values of the upper class are typically based on tradition, connection, propriety and family name continuance into the future. The values of a middle class family are centered more on family, on achievement of individuals, and on satisfaction of daily needs to the extent of living comfortably. The March family have been in both classes thanks to Mr. March’s financial ruin, just as LMA was when her own father lost his position of wealth and status.

Chapter 15: Telegram

Summary

Marmee receives a telegram telling her that Mr. March has been taken sick and that she should come to Washington immediately. Everyone rushes around trying to help her. Laurie takes a hurried letter to Aunt March from whom Marmee borrows money for the trip. Mr Laurence sends Mr. Brooke to accompany her. Jo makes the ultimate sacrifice in an attempt to prevent her mother from needing to borrow money. She sells her abundant hair, receiving 25 dollars which she gives to her mother to take to Mr. March.

Notes

(none needed for this chapter)

Chapter 16: Letters

Summary

Marmee has gone to Washington to be with Mr. March. Mr. Brooke sends them word every day and soon is able to tell them that their father has improved. Most of the chapter is comprised of a round of short letters in which everyone sends a greeting and speaks of the happenings at home from his or her own point of view.

Notes

Each family member along with the Laurences gets a brief voice in this chapter. Laurie tries to be crazy-and succeeds. Mr. Laurence is serious and concerned. Meg and Hannah are both motherly although Meg’s voice is more dignified. Beth is typically self-sacrificing, writing only a little so the others have a chance to write more. Jo is down-to-earth and casual, even writing with a little slang. She also includes a light-hearted poem. And Amy addresses her mother in French although her punctuation throughout her paragraph is horrible.

Chapter 17: Little Faithful

Summary

By the time Mrs. March has been gone a week, the girls begin to slack off in their duties and resolves to keep things operating as usual. Beth alone continues in her work and often completes her sisters’ as well.

On of the tasks is to faithfully visit the Hummels who are very poor and have a sick baby. On this particular afternoon, Beth asks for someone else to visit because she is tired and doesn’t know what to do for the baby. Each girl has an excuse to avoid going, so Beth goes again, and this time, the baby dies in her arms. Jo finds Beth sitting on her bed upstairs with a bottle of medicine in her hand. Beth explains that the baby died of scarlet fever, and that she is afraid she may get it, although she is sure she will have only a light case of it. Meg and Jo are immune, but Amy is not and is sent to live with Aunt March until the danger is past.

Notes

The narrator implies that the casual refusal of the other sisters to help Beth when she needs it will contribute to Beth’s impending illness. The girls are never openly accused, but this and other events that occur and comments made in the story strongly suggest that the family didn’t appreciate Beth enough. One of the ongoing "lessons" that the other three March girls take all of their teen years to learn is to appreciate whatever they have even when others around them seem to have better lives. This appreciativeness applies not only to things, but also to people.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott: Free BookNotes Summary

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