Jo March

Little Women (2019)

Saorise Ronin (2019)

Topsy-Turvey Jo

### Personalities

Tomboyish, headstrong, honest, bookish, fiery, clumsy, arrogant, stubborn, candid, cheerful, creative, brave, spirited, determined, rebellious, wild, independent, passionate, intellectual, confident, strong, caring, kind, helpful, bold, protective, daring, moral

### Dislikes

Being called by her full name, when Amy burnt her story

> "*I’d have a stable full of Arabian steeds, rooms piled with books, and I’d write out of a magic inkstand, so that my works should be as famous as Laurie’s music. I want to do something splendid before I go into my castle—something heroic, or wonderful—that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it, and mean to astonish you all, some day. I think I shall write books, and get rich and famous; that would suit me, so that is my favorite dream.*"
> ― Chapter 13
>
>

Josephine “Jo” March is the main protagonist in Louisa May Alcott’s *Little Women*. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. March; the sister of Meg, Beth, and Amy March; the aunt of Daisy and Demi Brooke; the wife of Fredrich Bhaer and the mother of Rob and Teddy Bhaer.

The second of the March sisters, Jo desires to become a writer, struggles to control her fiery temper, and initially has no interest in getting married. With guidance and support from her family, she overcomes her trials, makes sacrifices, and finds happiness.

Because of her personality and character, she is considered one of the greatest leading heroines in literature and a popular role model for readers.

## Description

Jo March is the second oldest of the March sisters, whom the story mostly focuses on. She usually resents having feminine stereotypes of 19th-century women. She prefers being a tomboy, such as wishing she could be a soldier in the Civil War, instead of having to fulfill her female duties at home. As such, she wants to have her own space for herself and her ambitions and dreams. Along with her sisters, Jo makes a different step in her life from childhood to adulthood, overcoming her problems. Her biggest fault she manages to overcome is her violent temper, and when she angrily lashes out at Amy for burning her manuscript for her book, she vows she will never forgive her for the rest of her life. However, Jo realizes that never forgiving her sister is against her family's Christian beliefs, and with the help of her mother, Marmee, Jo finds her place in God again, and instead of vowing never to forgive, she vows never to lose her temper.

She is inspired by Louisa May Alcott, the author of the book. Like Jo, Alcott was lively and free-spirited until the American Civil War, when she contracted typhoid fever as a nurse. She never fully recovered from her illness and was weak for the rest of her life. However, she spent most of her time writing and wrote a fictionalized memoir about her experiences as a nurse in *Hospital Sketches*. It wasn't until *Little Women's* publication in 1868 that she became a successful writer. Her experiences in an impoverished family and growing up with her three sisters inspired Jo's family life.

In addition, the girls have their own goals, which they call "Castles in the Air." Jo's biggest desire is to become a famous writer, and she works hard to ensure her dreams come to fruition. However, she initially didn't get to fulfill her goals immediately, as some obstacles prevented her from achieving her dreams. Initially, she wasn't interested in marriage and rejected a marriage proposal from her childhood friend Laurie, as she didn't believe her love for him was anything but romantic. But when she met and befriended a German professor, she bonded with him and married him. As such, Jo had to give up her dreams of being an author and focus on her duties as a housewife, just like her older sister Meg. However, in the sequels, Jo enjoyed being a wife and mother and ran a successful school for boys she loved and doted on as her own. Many years later, when all her boys had grown up and secured a small fortune, she had to overcome some bad fortunes until she discovered her old passion for writing. In the end, Jo eventually made her "Castle in the Air" come true by becoming a writer, and she felt like she owed a great deal to her family and friends.

## Storyline

### An Impoverished Christmas

It is Christmas Eve, and 15-year-old Jo sits by the fire in their parlour with her sisters, Meg, Beth and Amy. Jo lies on the rug and laments that Christmas isn’t the same without gifts, and Meg sighs about how it’s miserable to live in poverty. Amy complains about how other girls receive lavish gifts for Christmas, but others don’t have anything at all, but Beth assures her sisters they still have each other and their parents.

Jo says they don’t have their father and may not see him again for a long time. She thinks about Mr. March, who is in an area where the Civil War conflict occurs. Everyone is silent for a minute until Meg explains why their mother, Marmee, suggested not having presents because they are going through hard times and shouldn’t spend money on gifts when the soldiers are suffering in the war. She also says they should make some sacrifices, but she doesn’t think she can. Jo says it won’t do any good when they spend little money, and they each have a dollar, which won’t even help the soldiers. She wants to buy a book called “*Undine and Sintram*,” and longs to have it.

Beth says she planned to buy some music, and Amy wants to have sketching pencils. Jo says Marmee didn’t say anything about money and doesn’t wish them to give up anything. Jo suggests they each buy something they want and have fun with it, and they will work hard to afford them. Meg complains about her governess job when she enjoys being at home the most, and Jo tells her that her job isn’t so bad as her having to look after her old, irritated great Aunt March. Beth laments that washing dishes and doing the housework is difficult. Amy complains she can’t go to school where rude girls insult and bully her for her lessons, dresses and poverty. Jo teases Amy about her vocabulary as she confuses "label" with "libel."

Meg wishes Mr. March still has the money they have lost and imagines living a lavish, wealthy lifestyle. Beth reminds her of when she said she was happy with herself than wealthier people they know. Meg says that while they have to work, they still make fun of themselves, and Amy points out that Jo likes to say slang words.

Jo gets up, puts her hands in her pockets and whistles. Meg hates it when Jo whistles because it makes her boyish, and Jo hates Meg's complaining. Meg lectures the girls they are old enough to act ladylike and reminds Jo that she is tall and can turn her hair up now that she is a woman. Jo prefers to wear her hair in pigtails, and she pulls off her hairnet and loosens her chestnut brown hair. She argues that she hates the idea that she has to grow up to wear lavish gowns and be called Miss March. She enjoys being a tomboy and is disappointed she wasn't a boy, and she even wishes she could fight along with Mr. March. Beth comforts her that she can do nothing about it, but she can still act like the tomboy. Meg lectures Amy for being vain but doesn't say anything critical about Beth.

The girls knit while the snow lightly falls and the fire burns cheerfully. The parlour is comfortable with Christmas roses and chrysanthemums blooming on the windows. When the clock strikes six, they know their mother, Marmee, will be home soon. Meg stops lecturing and lights the lamp, Amy gets off the armchair, Beth gets some slippers, and Jo doesn't realize how tired she feels when she places the slippers near the fire to be warmed. She notices that the slippers are worn out, and Marmee needs a new pair. Beth and Amy want to buy new pairs, but Meg declares that because she will run the household in her father's place, she will provide Marmee with the slippers herself. Beth decides they should get Marmee a gift, and they won't get anything for themselves. Jo agrees, and the girls think about what to get for Marmee.

Meg wants to give Marmee a new pair of gloves. Jo would give her a pair of army boots, Beth's gift would be handkerchiefs, and Amy would buy Marmee a bottle of cologne and have enough money to buy herself some drawing pencils. Meg wonders how they will present their gifts, and Jo suggests they will place them on the table where Marmee will open them as they would during their birthdays. Beth recalls how she used to be scared when it was her birthday, and everyone gathered around her as she opened her gifts.

Jo suggests they will let Marmee guess what presents they will get for themselves, and then they will surprise her. They will go shopping tomorrow before preparing for their Christmas play later that night. Meg thinks she is getting too old to play dress-up. Jo tells her she is a great actress and decides they should start rehearsing now by reenacting Amy's fainting scene. Jo and Meg start saying her lines while Beth watches them. After they finish rehearsing, Jo says she wrote their play called *The Witches' Curse*. She also wants to write another version of *Macbeth*.

The girls burst out laughing, and Marmee then comes home. She greets the girls and asks them how their day went. She removes her wet clothes and sits on the armchair while the girls make arrangements for supper. Jo clumsily brings in wood and sets the chairs. They gather at the table, and Marmee surprises them with a recent letter from Mr. March. The girls are delighted, and Jo urges Amy to hurry up as they rush to the parlour to listen to Mr. March's letter with her tea and buttered bread. In the parlour, she wishes that she could join her father and work as either a nurse or a drummer. Beth asks Marmee when will their father return home, and she replies it won’t be for a long time and will continue to serve his duties, unless he gets sick.

Everyone gathers by the fire, with Marmee sitting in her chair. Jo stands behind the chair, Beth sits at Marmee’s feet, and Meg and Amy lean beside the armchair as Marmee reads the letter, which contains details of Mr. March’s military life and then closes with him offering his heartfelt wishes to his daughters who he calls his “little women”. Everyone gets emotional towards the end, and the girls blame themselves for being selfish and vain, with Jo saying that she will control her temper and work at home. Marmee breaks the silence and asks if they remembered playing Pilgrim’s Progress, and Jo replies that she enjoyed it so much. Marmee then encourages them to practice playing Pilgrim’s Progress, but in a grown up way, until Mr. March returns. The girls used to wear bundles on their backs that symbolizes their burdens and sins, turning their home into an adventurous landscape until they reach the Celestial City, which is located on the roof. Jo says that will need directions for their Pilgrim’s Progress, but asks what they should do about it. Marmee hints they should look under their pillows tomorrow for their “guidebooks” they will need for their “adventure”.

As the girls discuss their plans, their family servant, Hannah, clears the table and the girls start sewing sheets for their great aunt, Aunt March. Jo suggests they divide their seams into four parts, calling them Asia, Europe, Africa and Asia. The girls agree with her idea and they discuss about the countries of those continents as they sewed. At 9 o’clock, Beth plays the piano and everyone sings with her until they go to bed.

Jo wakes up early on Christmas morning and is the first one up.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 1
2. ↑ Chapter 2