Little Women, Week 2

Welcome to Week 2 of the Online Book Club discussion of Little Women. 

Did you enjoy reading the first section this week? I really did. It's such a warm and cozy story. There's something about reading about a close-knit family that is just so comforting. 

Do you feel an affinity for any of the girls yet? It's interesting that they are all so different from each other. It was easy to see Jo, Beth, and Amy's passions, but I found it a little harder to understand Meg and her interests. She seems so mature and good. How would you describe Meg? What did you think of Amy in this first section? It's so hard for me to think of nice things to say about Amy--she just isn't a likeable character to me. But, she was only 12 at the beginning of the book, so it makes sense that she acted immaturely throughout. I've always felt like Jo is the most interesting character just because she is so creative and bold. I like how feisty she is. 

At the very beginning of the book, we see that the March family has fallen on hard times, but they are still willing to give up their meal for a family that is less fortunate. Did that scene at the beginning endear you to the girls? I felt like it served to show readers that even if they girls make mistakes and are cruel to each other at times throughout the book, they are all good at heart. What did you think? 

I feel like the family dynamic changed once Laurie came on the scene. What do you think of Laurie? Do you think he's good for the girls? I always think about Jo and Laurie together when I think about the book, and I never really think about him interacting with any of the other girls. So, it was nice to see him be tender to Beth when she came to his house to play the piano, and he is so kind to Amy throughout the first section. What was your favorite interaction with Laurie? 

I found myself feeling really emotional when Beth was given the new piano. She just seems so meek and tender--it was nice to read about someone being tender to her. And, it was fun to see her be brave and kind to Mr. Laurence. Did you enjoy this section? Did you like seeing Beth recognized? 

What did you think of Amy's pickled limes incident? I found the whole situation to be over the top. I thought Amy's punishment was too much. I could have understood if the teacher just had her throw away the limes. That seems perfectly reasonable. But, the fact that he hit her hand and made her stand in front of everyone was a little much. However, I felt that it was an overreaction to have Amy pull out of school after the punishment. I think corporal punishment was really common at school back then, so I'm not sure why Amy pulled out of school completely afterwards. WHat did you think? 

At the end of this section, Amy and Jo have an intense fight, and Amy ends up falling in the frozen pond. Luckily, she's not hurt, but still, it was a scary situation. Were you surprised that the pair had such an intense fight? I don't blame Jo for being angry at Amy--it was really harsh that Amy burned up Jo's manuscript. But, I did feel disappointed that Jo ignored Amy on the pond, especially since she knew the pond could be really dangerous. 

What was your favorite part of this first section? Are you excited to keep reading? 

Before you go, check out this clip in which the actors and director of the latest movie adaptation discuss the creation of a scene. It's really interesting!

I hope you'll join us again next week as we read through chapter 16. I can't wait to hear from you in the comments section.