When I was younger, my mum read my two little sisters and I the Little Women series by Louisa. M. Alcott. Little Women is a novel that has been adapted many times with the most notable adaptions being the 1994 film and the 2019 film. I personally prefer the 1994 version, but that debate should be saved for a whole other article! Both versions brilliantly highlight the blend of individuality and shared characteristics and values that arise in siblings. My sisters and I would argue endlessly about which Little Women sister we were as each is so individual. However, shared values of charity, kindness and a flare for the dramatics can be seen in all of them. Another differentiating factor between each sister, is the romantic partners they choose, which highlight a lot about their characters.
Meg is the eldest, which significantly impacts her character. She appears mature and is maternal and caring over her younger sisters. She marries John Brooke, an understated tutor, who for Meg embodies everything a ‘good man’ should be. John is reliable and moral, a character who Meg can trust and admire. We see the importance all the sisters place on kindness through Meg when she falls for John after he visits her wounded father in the hospital each day. Whilst Jo March can recognise that John is good, she cannot help but find him quite dull.
Jo is an avid writer; keen thinker and she will never shy away from expressing her opinion. As a result, Jo is drawn to the intellectual Professor Baher, they bond instantly over a love for literature and find eachother’s conversation fascinating. Professor Baher is a rather shabby and bookish man who the unfashionable Jo, finds warm and deeply likeable. Jo recognizes that he is a man who values literature and culture just as much as her and for her these shared interests are indispensable.
Amy March is a character who does not seem to share any interests with Jo. These two are by far the most different of the sisters, where Jo is unfashionable and outspoken, Amy is elegant and refined. However, they are both the most childish of the four girls which is perhaps why they both care the most deeply for Theodore Lawrence. ‘The Lawrence Boy’ is their next-door neighbour, enthusiastic, confident and fun, Jo finds in him a friend whereas Amy finds a husband. His fashionable charisma attracts the attention of Amy; she sees him as a man to be admired whilst Jo sees him as one to be mocked.
The last of the March sisters Beth, sadly dies too young to find a partner, however it is safe to assume she would have picked a quieter, calmer kind of person. Little Women explores how four sisters, alike in so many ways, grow up to want entirely different things. Identical experiences shape their characters so differently and highlight how characteristics like Jo’s bravery and Beth’s kindness must be instinctive. As a sister myself, I feel Alcott’s depiction of the relationship between sisters is timeless. The games the girls create and the performances they stage remind all siblings of how they once played. The conflicts over hair and shoes are instances that could have been plucked right from my own childhood! Finally, the steadfast bond and understanding the girls have of each other is an invaluable part of having a sister and a gift I am very glad to have been given.
Edited by Zara Ahmed.
