Little Women, Week 4

Welcome to the final week of the Online Book Club discussion of Little Women.

Did you enjoy reading the end of the book? Are you excited to read the next part of the book now that you've read the first part? Have you decided which character is your favorite character? Did your favorite character change from the beginning of the book to the end of the book? 

At the beginning of this section, Beth gets really sick with scarlet fever. Did you think she was going to pull through? I was very nervous, and I just didn't know if she was going to recover. I was really scared when the doctor said to call Marmee. That seemed like the end. And, I was nervous when Beth was delirious and offering her possessions to everyone. Didn't you think it was ironic that Amy decided to write a will for herself, even though she wasn't sick? And, she had no knowledge that Beth was giving away her possessions. I wonder what put the idea for a will in Amy's head? 

While Beth is sick, Amy spends time with Aunt March, and she forms a connection with her. Why do you think Amy had such success with Aunt March but Jo didn't? Do you think Amy is more sweet? Do you think she was less stubborn than Jo? I was a little confused by the shrine and chapel that Amy created in this chapter. It seemed to me like she was just praying so she could receive something from Aunt March. I think she just wanted the turquoise ring, and by the end of the chapter, she got it. 

Meg and Mr. Brooke definitely progressed in their relationship in this last section. At first, it seemed like Meg wasn't interested, but then she was really interested, especially after she had to defend him to Aunt March. What did you think of the part where Laurie plays a prank on Meg and Jo by writing those love letters? I was sad that Meg had to endure that kind of stress and humiliation, but I was really glad that Laurie was the only one who saw the letters, and Mr. Brooke had no knowledge of them.  At the end of this section, it's agreed that Meg and Mr. Brooke will eventually marry. Do you think Meg will regret not marrying a more wealthy man? What do you think Jo will do when the actual marriage arrives? I think she will have a really hard time, and I think she will try to convince Meg to stay at home in the years between the proposal and the marriage. 

So, what were your impressions of this first part of the book? Do you think you'll want to read the second part? Let me know in the comments section if you end up reading more! And, let me know what your favorite chapters were. What scenes did you like reading the most? I liked the scenes where the girls were imagining and playing together. That sounds really fun to have a sibling relationship like that. 

I hope you enjoyed reading with us this month! If you liked reading this book, you might enjoy some titles on this list I created. Make sure to let me know if you check anything out from the list!

If you'd like to read some facts about Louisa May Alcott, check out this article. Do any of the facts surprise you? 

Before you go, check out the video clip below in which the director of the latest movie version talks about why she wanted to make a Little Women movie. 

Thanks for following along with us this month! I hope you'll join us again next month as we read Atonement by Ian McEwan. I can't wait to hear all of your thoughts and opinions in the comments section!