Little Women

Little Women
Chapter 2: At the party

Chapter 2 introduces the pattern of caring for others in the neighbourhood. It shows that
although the girls complain about their poverty; they will immediately give up something
they wanted if someone else needs it. Readers are introduced to Laurie (their neighbour) who
is shy only until he gets acquainted with the March girls. Laurie is from a rich family and has
had many opportunities the March girls have not had, but he is lonely and in need of friends. .
Both Laurie and Jo make friends easily at the Christmas party and are practical and fun
loving.
Alcott uses various techniques to foreshadow the conflicts her characters will undergo. Meg
twists her ankle because of her vanity, wearing high-heeled shoes that are too small. Jo is
ignorant of Laurie's compliment of her and hopes they should all be friends. Beth is
introduced by the narrator with a lament that so many girls like her are underappreciated until
they are gone. Amy shares the misfortunes of her friend getting in trouble at school, not
foreseeing her own downfall. We even see Laurie's conflict with his grandfather around
music.
Chapter 3: After the holidays

In this chapter, the reader learns a great deal about each of the personalities of the little
women. The narrator tells the reader that Mr. March lost his property while trying to help an
unfortunate friend and because of this, Meg and Jo had found work outside the home to help
support the family. Meg spends her days teaching small children as a governess, but could
not help but yearn for a life in which she could go to parties, concerts, and spend her time in
gossip. Jo spends time reading and caring for her Aunt March and wished that she could read
all the books in her Aunt's library. Beth, the shy one, wishes that she could spent more time
playing the piano instead of doing housework. Finally, Amy simply wishes that her nose was
less flat.
Poverty is a dominant theme in this section of the book. The difference in their wealth is
initially a barrier to friendship with the Laurence family, but as both parties are noble, they
overcome that divide.
Chapter 4 : The beautiful Palace
The events in this section symbolize the importance of familial love and how it helps us
overcome our inner fears.
The girls start spending much time over at Mr. Laurence's home. Beth, however out of fear
and shyness first hesitates to visit. But Beth's faith in the kindness of the Laurence’s, her
gratitude, and her pity for Mr. Laurence losing his granddaughter help her overcome her
bashfulness. Eventually Beth is able to visit the house and plays wonderful music for all to
hear. In gratitude for Mr. Laurence's generosity she makes him a pair of slippers. Touched by
her sincerity, Mr. Laurence gives Beth a small piano which once belonged to his deceased
granddaughter. From this point on Beth and Mr. Lawrence shared a special bond.
The readers realize at the end of the chapter that Laurie clearly benefits from the familial love
offered by the March family. The March family, in return, benefit from Mr. Laurence’s
wealth and to a certain extent his fatherly influence.
Religion permeates every aspect of their lives. A story they were taught in early childhood is
Pilgrim’s Progress; they still act out parts of it and use events in the novel as metaphors for their
own lives.
Marmee (Mrs. March) herself sets an example of continuous self-sacrifice. She is never heard
complaining about their state, but instead makes daily excursions into the neighborhood to help
those who are worse off than the March family.
In these second five chapters, each girl marks a step on her journey from
childhood to adulthood by struggling and succeeding in overcoming a fault.
The virtue of work is emphasized throughout Little Women,
and it is indeed the focus of this chapter.
Most of the burdens the girls name seem trivial although that is typical of teenagers. Beth’s
observation of the kindness of Mr. Laurence introduces him into the story and foreshadows the
kindness and generosity he will later bestow on the March family. It takes Marmee to help the girls
realize that their problems are really not so terrible. This characterization of Mrs. March as a
person who has been through nearly everything life could offer, who as suffered and endured
much, and has learned infinite patience will continue throughout the book. The family is unusual in
that while the girls have occasional bouts of sibling rivalry, none of them ever disagrees or has a
cross or rebellious word for Marmee.
Over the course of the novel, Alcott develops these girls as separate
individuals. The obstacles they face are usually a result of their respective
traits, and the trouble one sister faces would not have the same effect on
another.
Thr brautiful palace and skating
Meg and Jo are leaving to go to the theater one afternoon with Laurie, when Amy realizes
where they are going and decides she wants to go too. She begs and pleads but Jo gets very
cross and tells her that she was not invited therefor she cannot go. Amy throws a fit and
promises to make Jo pay for being so mean, and thinking nothing of it, Meg and Jo leave.
When they return home however, after having a wonderful time, Jo finds her the book she
wrote that was filled with her fairy tales missing. It is her most treasured possession that she
had worked on for years. She asks her sisters if they had seen it, and Amy confesses that she
had it last, but threw it into the fire. Jo becomes extremely angry and attacks the child. They
pull her away and she vows never to forgive her little sister for being so selfish and cruel.
The tension between the girls is felt throughout the house for the next day, until Amy tries to
apologize. Jo refuses to accept however, and Amy feels more repentant. Jo decides that the
only thing to cheer her up will be going ice skating with Laurie, and Amy decides she should
go along but does not tell Jo. Jo however sees her chasing after them but ignores her. When
they are on the ice, Laurie tells Jo to stay away from the middle because it is thin, but Amy
does not hear the warning. Amy breaks through the ice and falls in the freezing river, and
Laurie goes to save her with Jo's help. They bring her home and she is safe, but Jo feels
horribly guilty, but talks to Marmee who makes her feel better. Jo decides that she needs to
keep her temper under better control. She goes to visit Amy and they make up.
Experiments:
This chapter is essentially a twist on Chapter 9, insofar as it
presents a moral test for the March girls. This time, the test
involves the practical and moral value of work.

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Little Women

Chapter 2: At the party

Chapter 3: After the holidays

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