STAGE

Little Women
4 Louisa May Alcott

Introduction

This ungraded summary is for the teachers use only

and should not be given to students.

The story
This is the story of a year in the life of the Marsh
sisters, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. When the story
opens, their father is away ghting in the American
Civil War. The family are poor because their father lost
his money while trying to help a friend.
In their way, each of the sisters tries to help out. Meg, family nearby. Later Jo sells her long hair to raise
the eldest, is sixteen and very pretty. She is the most money for her father, who becomes ill while away
responsible of the four and teaches small children as ghting. Beth, meanwhile, helps care for a sick family
a governess. nearby and catches Scarlet Fever, from which she
Jo, fteen, is very tall and thin, and is sometimes a little nearly dies.
rough and wild. She loves reading, and writing stories The story of a year in the lives of these little women
and plays for her and her sisters to act. Eventually, she ends with two major events. Firstly, Meg discovers
is able to sell her stories to a newspaper. She also she has fallen in love with their neighbours tutor, Mr
cares for her Aunt Marsh who is difcult to work for, Brooke and agrees to marry him. Secondly, Mr Marsh
and complains a lot. returns home from the war, safe, to recover from his
Beth, the shy one, helps with housework, but her real illness. When the family are all reunited, it is apparent
love is playing the piano, and she lives in a world of to the reader that each of the girls has matured and
her own. become a better person.
Amy is the youngest of all and believes, a little selshly,
that she helps out by going to school, and putting up Background to the story
with cruel comments from other children. All the central female characters were based on
However, they all decide that they should be better the real members of the Alcott family. Louisa (Jo)
people and just before Christmas when the story was a well-know author and social reformer, Anna
opens, they declare that they will be better: Amy (Meg) loved acting and with Louisas help formed the
wishes to be less selsh, Meg to worry less about Concord Dramatic Union; Elizabeth (Beth) died young,
her appearance, and Jo to be less wild. Beth keeps a few years after suffering from Scarlet Fever; Amy
her thoughts to herself but she later shows that she (Amy) was a prolic artist. The sisters mother, Abigail
wishes to be less shy. (Mrs March), was one of the rst paid social workers
Naturally, each of the girls resolve is tested at some in Massachussets.
time. For example, Meg enjoys wearing ne clothes
and making herself look like a painted doll at a party Before reading
held by some friends, the Moffats. On another Here are some ways to help your students approach
occasion, Amy becomes jealous of the friendship that the story:
Jo develops with Laurie, the neighbours son, and
1 Give students the title of the book and show them
burns one of her journals in anger. Angry with Amy, Jo
the picture on the cover. Ask them to try and guess
fails to tell her about the thin ice on the river and Amy
what kind of story it is.
falls through it while skating one day.
2 Give students a copy of the text on the back
Nevertheless, all the girls regret their shortcomings
cover of the book, and of the story introduction
and learn from their experiences and it is their
on the rst page. When they have read the texts,
kindness which is in evident throughout the book. This
ask them a few questions about the story, or use
is apparent at the beginning on Christmas morning
the Before Reading Activities in the back of each
when they agree to give up their breakfast for a poor
Bookworm.

71 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

 STAGE
Little Women
4 Pre-reading activity

Anticipation through chapter titles

Four sisters Secrets

Laurie makes trouble
A telegram and Jo makes peace

A surprise for Beth Amy in trouble

Love and Mr Brooke
Four sisters
The house next door
All play and no work Beth
Meg hears some gossip
Happier days A Happy Christmas

The Laurence boy Four sisters

To the teacher

Aim: To anticipate plot simply be encouraged to speculate about possible

Time: 1520 minutes connections. They may be able to come up with an
Organization: Supply the students with the following idea of a plot line, but this is not essential. If they
list of chapter titles, either as individual copies or on nd it difcult to start, give them a few questions to
an overhead projector. Check to make sure that there consider, e.g. What trouble could Amy be in? What
are no problems with vocabulary items in the list. Then might the surprise be for Beth.
divide the students into small groups and ask them to When students have nished, allow each group to
speculate as widely as they can about the meaning of outline its ideas in a short verbal report to the class.
the chapter titles, their connection with one another, Give no indication as to whether they have guessed
and their connection with the title. It is not important correctly, but let them listen to all the ideas and
whether their guesses are correct or not; they should discuss them if they wish.

PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 72

 STAGE
Little Women
4 While reading activity

Match the names to the descriptions

Jo Beth Amy

Laurie Meg

1 Does the housework. 10 Is the youngest.
2 Goes to school. 11 Is very pretty and has large eyes,
3 Has blue eyes and yellow hair. and soft brown hair.
4 Is fifteen. 12 Plays the piano.
5 Is going to college at seventeen. 13 Speaks French.
6 Is shy. 14 Teaches small children.
7 Is shy. 15 Wants to be a famous artist.
8 Is sixteen. 16 Works for an old lady.
9 Is tall and thin. 17 Writes plays.

To the teacher

Where: At the end of page 18 short descriptions of the characters and match them
Aim: To revise characters with the pictures of Jo, Beth, Amy, Meg and Laurie by
Time: 1520 minutes writing the sentence numbers in the boxes provided.
Organization: Give each student or group of students Key: Jo: 4, 9, 16, 17; Beth: 1, 6, 12; Amy 2, 3, 10;
a copy of the worksheet. Ask students to read the Laurie: 5, 7, 13, 15; Meg: 8, 11, 14.

73 OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS PHOTOCOPIABLE

 STAGE
Little Women
4 After reading activity

Whats he/she like?

Mrs Meg Jo Beth Amy Laurie Mr Mr

March Laurence Brooke

careless
considerate
creative
generous
handsome
loving
mean
musical
patient
pretty
quick
tempered
self-centred
shy
stern
warmhearted
wicked
wild

To the teacher

Aim: To revise characters and characteristics through discuss what the characters characteristics are.
discussion Students should put a cross or tick where they agree
Time: 30 minutes on an appropriate adjective. Encourage plenty of
Organization: Give each student or group of students discussion. Ask whether some characters share the
a copy of the grid. Ask students to read down same characteristics. There is no key as some of the
the column of adjectives for each character, and adjectives do not come from the book.

PHOTOCOPIABLE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 74