Little women, characters, film adaptations. Louisa May Alcottlittle women

For years. The novel describes life of four March family sisters - Margaret, Jo, Beth and Emmy. It is partly written from the author's childhood memories: Alcott also had three sisters. The first part of the book became widely known and became extremely successful commercially, which prompted the author to write a sequel, Good Wives, also very popular. Together, the two parts of the novel were first published in 1880. After Little Women, Alcott wrote sequels about the lives of the heroines of this book: Little Men (1871) and Joe's Boys (1886). Plays, films, cartoons and an opera have been created based on the novel Little Women.

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✪ Little Women - Russian trailer (2018)

✪ THE LITTLE MERMAID. FILM 2018 (FAMILY CINEMA, FANTASY, ADVENTURE)

✪ Legion (2/10) Movie CLIP - Granny's Got Teeth (2010) HD

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Characters

Basic

Margaret March(eng. Margaret March), or Meg- the eldest of the March sisters, one of the main characters of the novel. A very beautiful 16-year-old girl with excellent manners, feminine and romantic. Meg is obedient and modest, and is very concerned about her own reputation and that of her family. She is no stranger to vanity - she is embarrassed by her poverty, envies the beautiful dresses and expensive jewelry of her friends, she is drawn to a beautiful life. Meg's "favorite" is Amy, the youngest of the sisters. Meg spoils her sister and indulges her in almost everything. She subsequently married John Brooke and became the mother of two children.
Josephine March(eng. Josephine March), or Joe- The second oldest of the March sisters, she is 15 years old. Joe is a real tomboy in a skirt. Unlike her older sister, she does not like balls and girl talk; they seem boring to her. Joe is much more interesting in male company. She climbs trees, runs races with friends, skates, and maybe even fights. She loves to read and dreams of becoming a writer, Joe has a notebook with stories own composition. Jo is honest and sometimes too straightforward - she does not know how to dissemble at all and is devoid of coquetry. Because of this, many people find her rude, but others are even attracted to her openness. Of the sisters, Jo is most attached to Beth. Margaret admires her beauty and manners, Joe loves her older sister, but there is no complete mutual understanding between them - they are too different. The relationship with Amy is ambiguous, but overall not bad. Laurie fell in love with Joe, but she, realizing that she would not be able to be a good wife to him, rejected him. She subsequently marries Herr Friedrich Baer, a professor and German emigrant, and gives birth to two sons, Rob and Teddy.
Elizabeth March(eng. Elizabeth March), or Beth (Bess)- a quiet and obedient 13-year-old girl. Very timid and shy, she has difficulty getting along with people. He loves music very much and dreams of getting a new piano. Beth is completely non-conflict, she has an even relationship with all her sisters. This is a guardian of light who visited the earth and took on nothing but a human form. Beth loves Mr. Lawrence very much; the old man, in turn, is attached to her, as if to his own granddaughter. She suffered a severe fever, and the girl's health rapidly weakened. In the second book, Beth dies at the age of 18.
Amy March(eng. Amy March) - the youngest of the March sisters, the most controversial character in the novel. Amy is only 12 years old - she has a pretty appearance, is well-mannered, and at the same time cunning. She learned early on that she could please people whenever she wanted, and often used her charm for personal gain. Like Margaret, Amy is vain and at the same time touchy, selfish and capricious; only her upbringing and the spiritual values instilled in her family hold her back. Angry, Amy commits dishonest and sometimes cruel acts (for example, she burns Joe's notebook with stories), but she is also capable of repentance. Positive and negative qualities they are closely intertwined and are in a very fragile balance. Subsequently, Amy becomes more modest, kind and tactful. Laurie, rejected by Joe, falls in love with her, and she reciprocates his feelings. After getting married, Amy gave birth to a daughter, named after the late Beth.

Minor

Robert March(eng. Robert March) - head of the family, father of the girls. At the beginning of the novel he is at war (the American Civil War of 1861-1865). He fulfills his military duty to the country as a priest, maintaining the morale of the northern soldiers. After retiring, he returns home and becomes a real pastor. It is wise, kind and fair old man. His daughters love and respect him very much. Mr. March is no stranger to philosophy.

Margaret (Marmee) March(eng. Marmee March) - Mr. March’s wife, mother of the girls. For his daughters, he is an unquestioned authority and role model. Mrs. March is honest, virtuous, merciful, fair, although sometimes strict. Friendly with Mr. Lawrence; Laurie replaced her son.

Theodore Lawrence(eng. Theodore Laurence), or Laurie (Laurie) - a young man 15-16 years old, living in a house next door to the March family. The boy does not like his own name Theodore, he asks to call him “Lori” (later Joe will sometimes call him “Teddy”). Lori is an orphan. He studied in Europe for several years closed school for boys, then returned to the United States and, at the time of the events described in the novel, lives with his grandfather and is preparing to enter university. At the ball, Laurie meets Jo March (both of them are trying to hide from the crowd in a far corner and accidentally cross paths) and they manage to become friends. Later, Joe, with the consent of his mother, introduces Laurie into the March family, and the young man becomes a friend of the family. He is educated and very well mannered, but at times he is rebellious and impudent (largely due to his age). Laurie treats all the March sisters well, but has a special interest (at first friendly, then romantic) in Jo. The younger Lawrence has a talent for music and plays the piano well, but his grandfather does not encourage Laurie for this. Lawrence Sr. wants his grandson to succeed in "more important matters" Laurie loves her grandfather, but resists his control. By his own admission, he dreams of “moving to Italy and living as he pleases.” Subsequently, he confesses his love to Jo, but she reluctantly rejects him, and Laurie is tormented by leaving for Europe. There he unexpectedly falls in love with Amy, and she also falls in love with him. Lawrence Jr. marries Amy and becomes the father of little Beth.

James Lawrence(eng. James Laurence) - Laurie's grandfather. Strong-willed, strict, unyielding person. The owner of a large fortune and a rich house next door to the March family home. Mr. Lawrence in every possible way encourages his grandson to communicate with his neighbors, believing that Mrs. March and the girls have a positive influence on the rebellious young man. The old man treated all the March sisters well, but especially loved the shy and timid Beth.

John Brooke(eng. John Brooke) - Laurie’s teacher and friend, very smart, respectable, modest and honest. Having met Margaret March, he falls in love with her and later proposes marriage to her. By marrying her, John becomes the father of Demi and Daisy. In the book "Little Men", he dies of an unknown disease.

Annie Moffat(eng. Annie Moffat) - Meg's friend. The girl from rich family, a gossip and a frivolous dummy. Passionate about fashion, balls, entertainment and fans. Having met Meg at the ball, he invites her to visit and tries to involve her in his circle - he borrows his dress (too open and seductive), blushes her cheeks and makes a pompous hairstyle, teaches coquetry bordering on affectation. Annie is helped in this by her older sisters, Bell and Clara. Having learned about Meg's friendship with Laurie Lawrence, Annie, her mother and sisters gossip - they unanimously decide that Meg and her mother are simply “hunting” for a rich groom. Having gotten to know Annie Moffat and her sisters better, Meg (not without Laurie's participation) decides to abandon her friendship with them.

Friedrich Baer- German emigrant, poor professor. First appears in the book "Good Wives" as an acquaintance and then a friend of Joe. He falls in love with her, although she does not notice it at first. Herr Baer is wise, kind, calm and patient. Jo also fell in love with him and accepted his marriage proposal. On Aunt March's estate, Plumfield, the Bhaer couple set up a school for boys, where they raised a dozen worthy pupils, including Herr Bhaer's nephews - Franz and Emil - and sons, Teddy and Rob.

I became acquainted with Little Women through my fascination with actress Katharine Hepburn. One of her first film jobs was the role of Josephine March in the film Little Women. Her performance there fascinates and evokes admiration, so I really enjoyed the film. A couple of years later, I watched the film adaptation with still young stars of modern Hollywood. I had no idea that the book existed until I found it on a shelf in the children's library where I go with my son.

What surprised me even more was that both films were based not on one book, but on two - Little Women and good wives" Of course, I read both. Naturally, books are much richer than any film, they contain more stories and all sorts of incidents that can be included in the film, as well as wisdom and life lessons. It is not surprising that I wanted to find the ideal actress for the role of each girl, because there are three films to choose from - 1933 with Hollywood stars of the 30-40s, who are little known in our country, 1949 with Elizabeth Taylor, 1994 with Kirsten Dunst, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Christian Bale.

The plot of the books is simple - in the center of the story is the poor March family - father and mother (Marmee), an old maid Hannah, 4 daughters of different ages - from 12 to 16 years old - Meg, Jo, Beth, Amy. And their neighbors are the wealthy Mr. Lawrence, his 15-year-old grandson Theodore (Lori or Teddy) and the latter’s teacher, Mr. Brooke. Each girl is distinguished by her special prettiness and bright character traits.

Meg is a 16-year-old beauty, vain and envious of the rich, but at the same time sensible and hard-working, very feminine, which leads to envy of her wealthy friends. Jo is a 15-year-old tomboy who writes scary or love stories, loves theatrical effects. She is harsh, quick-tempered, restless, but at the same time generous and kind, cheerful and affectionate. Beth is the ideal person: kind, soft, flexible, loves to play the piano and kittens, but is very shy. Amy, a 12-year-old lover of painting and antique noses, is romantic, loves to show off, wants to become rich and famous, while learning to control her shortcomings and knows how to please anyone.

When I read both Little Women and Good Wives, I had a few thoughts running through my head.

1. The author of the book is Louisa May Alcott, who wrote both works back in 1868-69. These books have been loved by many generations of girls and women. What's the secret? After all, Louise, in principle, was describing her family - in particular herself and her sisters. But not every artistic autobiography achieves such popularity. For example, I cannot find or remember a similar book for young people in our literature, which is sad. If you can, in the comments I will be glad that I was wrong, since both books by Louisa May Alcott are really good both for entertainment and for the formation of high moral beliefs.

2. The book is a must-read for teenagers and young girls. I myself greatly regretted that I did not know about its existence in my youth. If at my age many things seemed to me simply a storehouse of knowledge on self-development, on a harmonious attitude towards oneself and people, then what can we say about young minds and hearts? Of course, reading about girlish entertainment, problems and dreams for an adult woman is a little boring, but all this is compensated by the thoughts to which the author leads his readers. Many fans of "Little Women" prefer the first book, but I was more interested in reading the sequel - "Good Wives" - love twists and turns, the choice of betrothed, relationships in marriage.

3. Despite the fact that the main characters of the books, the March sisters, are still the core of the family, its basis is their mother - Marmee, Mrs. March. Father - Mr. March passes in the background, but from Marmee's stories we know that it was her husband who helped her become wiser and learn to deal with shortcomings. The influence of the spiritual and moral principles of the father and mother allows girls to make the right choice every time they are faced with difficulties, grief or a difficult decision. Several times I was simply amazed at how my mother prompted or explained to her daughters some simple, but very clear everyday rules, gently guiding them towards morality and self-development. Despite poverty and limited funds, March's parents always encouraged their daughters' hobbies, so Jo became a good writer (Louise wrote to Jo from herself), Amy tried a lot different ways artistic creativity, and Beth played the piano beautifully. Marmee, by her example, taught the girls mercy and patience, although she herself told them how difficult it was for her after her husband lost his fortune. Parents allowed their daughters a lot, even if they knew they were wrong. And they never reproached them later, trusting the girls in choosing their path, counting on their inner honesty towards themselves.

In the novel, the girls receive a Christmas gift from their mother - “The Pilgrim’s Progress to the Heavenly Land” - a religious book, very popular and constantly reprinted since 1678. The book should aim girls at fighting their own weaknesses and shortcomings, which every person has. Marmee is also surprisingly progressive - unlike Aunt March (the rich sister of the girls’ father), she does not count on a profitable marriage for one of her daughters, believing that finding her own path and independence is more useful than material well-being. Therefore, girls start working early and are confident that they will support themselves, even if they never get married.

Some readers find the novels too cheesy, but I didn't think so. Of course not exactly shown real people, which is natural for fiction. They suffer almost no flaws, and those that are present are quite innocent and common. The sisters do not quarrel or fight (with the exception of Joe and Amy), they are polite and well-mannered, smart and well-read, educated and beautiful. Mom does not scold them for mistakes and pranks, she is always ready to devote her time to them. The father studies science with them, is always calm, cheerful and loves to tinker with the children. This cannot but irritate some, but it is not the real reality that is being described, but the one in which the author would like to be in his childhood. Louisa May Alcott leaves behind the scenes what her family had to endure (for example, real hunger), painting a softer and more romantic image ideal family. In addition, her novels were instructive literature for girls, so they could not be a purely realistic work, a real biography, but, first of all, a book that encourages development in the Christian understanding of the word.

Many fans of Louisa May Alcott's novel Little Women are disappointed in the second part of the book, Good Wives, because their hopes are not fulfilled. For example, Beth's death pisses many people off, but Louise's sister actually died from the effects of scarlet fever. Many are disappointed that Jo did not marry Laurie, that he went to the youngest, spoiled sister, who is considered a dummy. But if you read the novel carefully, it is immediately clear that Jo needed a husband whom she would admire, who would be morally superior and guide her. (As her father guided her mother). Amy has also changed very, very much since the first book and has grown up to be a worthy daughter of her parents. Otherwise, Laurie would not have married her, because... It was the healthy moral and spiritual principles that he valued in the March family. Thanks to their influence, he became a man who reconsidered his superficial and frivolous attitude towards life, became the support of his family and a benefactor to those around him.

In general, Louisa May Alcott hoped in her second book to show a more real world of adults, where she deliberately shattered all the readers’ expectations. In life, indeed, often what is desired does not coincide with reality, and dreams sometimes remain dreams and people grow up and behave differently than in childhood, develop or degrade, change their minds on many important issues due to accumulated experience and emerging opportunities, etc. P.

These novels gave rise to many film adaptations: the first two were filmed back in 1917-1918 in the UK and the USA. But popular and loved among wide audience the next three are 1933, 1949 and 1994. I heard that they are going to make another film, because 20 years have passed since the last film adaptation. 17 series and films were shot for TV, but we won’t talk about them here. because they are all not translated into Russian and are difficult to find on the Internet.

The first film adaptation deservedly glorified Katharine Hepburn - I’ll say right away that she is the ideal Jo for me - tall, fast, frisky, eccentric and very organic. The actresses playing her sisters are also all famous and popular in Hollywood, because... they all had other successful film roles. Of course, looking at them, it’s hard to imagine at the beginning of the film that they are from 12 to 16, because the roles are already played by adult women - the youngest is 17 (Beth - Jean Parker), and Amy (Joanne Bennett) was actually pregnant during filming. The film is still in black and white, but this somehow does not interfere with enjoying the atmosphere. Until I read the book, I was happy with everything about this version. Now I will say that Laurie is “pale”, and the story about the sisters did not work out - all the attention is on Jo, and the rest pass in the background - each has only one or two large scenes about their own story, and not about the March family as a whole.

The second film adaptation of 1949 almost completely repeats the first, but has a number of advantages. Firstly, the film is in color, secondly, Beth is played here by a talented girl - Margaret O'Brien, who won an Oscar at the age of 7!, thirdly, in the film again star cast of established and future stars of American cinema. But there are also disadvantages - Jo is played by an actress (June Allison) who is 32 years old! This is, of course, not a guard, and she looks natural with her partners, who are from 27 to 33 (Lori and the professor, respectively), but still, still. It's annoying that Amy is not the youngest here - Elizabeth Taylor was already 17 when filming began. I also didn’t like Laurie (Peter Lawford) at all - he’s kind of faded and looks old.

There is also a scene in the film that is simply impossible to imagine when reading the novel: the girls receive a letter from their father, but then Aunt March arrives and gives them money for Christmas. And they run off to the store to do some shopping, and read the letter after returning. Anyone who has read the novel will immediately say that without reading the letter from their father, not one of them (maybe only Amy, and even that is not a fact) would have thought of running for gifts. This clearly does not take into account the atmosphere of the March family, where a kind and loving attitude towards parents exceeds any material acquisitions.

Another minus is that the film has not been translated into Russian. For those who speak English or know the novel well, this fact will not be an obstacle to viewing. But the rest of us are unlikely to be interested in this film, which is a little sad, because... Most Americans love this particular film adaptation, because it is often shown during the Christmas holidays.

It’s a pleasure to watch the 1994 film “Little Women” - the picture and the actors are pleasing to the eye. All the main characters are known to us from other film works at an older age, so it’s especially interesting to look at them at the beginning of their journey. It’s good that there are two Amys in the film—a little one and an adult—everything immediately falls into place. In addition, this film specifically indicates a time period of 4 years in the life of the March family, which divides the film into 2 parts. In this regard, previous film adaptations are very inferior, when it is not clear how much time has passed and how old the heroines are now.

The first part of the film pleased me - this is really the story of sisters, each assigned story line, no one stands out, everyone is in charge, everyone is equal. The only thing that confuses me is Marmee’s feminist statements, which look ridiculous if you are familiar with the source material.

The second part is horror, horror! But not all that pleases. A lot of "gag". First, the good stuff. Firstly, here at least shown love line between Laurie and Amy, it becomes clear why and how they fell in love with each other. In other films this is not or is not developed, so their relationship is not clear to the viewer - how and why they suddenly got married, although no one expected this based on the plot. Secondly, the birth of Meg’s children is shown; this was mentioned in passing in previous film adaptations. It’s bad that Joe was turned into Louisa May Alcott, a feminist who eventually wrote the novel “Little Women.” For what? And it’s also incomprehensible how calculatedly Professor Baer seduces young Jo March, who doesn’t want to get married at all (according to the book), but in the film she immediately starts flirting with him, shining her eyes and so on. In my opinion, the whole love story between Joe and the professor is unconvincing and does not coincide with the images that are born when reading the book “Good Wives”. In general, the second part is not for everyone, although the costumes and actors play very well, but when you watch it after reading the book... some scenes are disgusting.

Well, now let's move on to the film image of the main characters:

Marmee, Mrs. March is a tireless worker and mentor. I’m not the only one who considers her simply the standard of a woman: a wife and mother. Honestly, for me all the actresses who play this role are equal. Although, to be honest, I simply adore Sarandon and single her out separately, but this is due to her age: if I were over 50, I would most likely prefer actresses of the older generation.

Marmee-Sarandon was made into a bright feminist, who is radically different from Marmee in previous film adaptations. What’s even more striking is that the director somehow guessed the real character of Louisa May Alcott’s mother, with whom the character of Marmee was written. Recently the book “Marmee and Louise” was published in America, dedicated to a new biography of the writer based on recently open documents. It turned out that Abigail, Louise's mother, was indeed very active socially, as well as a supporter of women's equality.
In the book, at first it is not clear what Jo’s character is like - she is so hot-tempered and uncontrollable, until her mother admits that her character was even worse!

“For forty years I tamed myself and only recently achieved some results. Almost every day I suddenly begin to feel terrible irritability. But I’ve learned to hide it, and no one seems to notice what’s going on with me. Still, I hope that the day will come when I will get rid of irritability itself. In any case, I will try, even if it takes another forty years.”

Personally, this kind of self-education really amazes me, because I am also very emotional and irritable. I don’t even know whether it’s good or bad for the psyche to be able to control yourself like that, but the results from Marmee’s book are wonderful - she is always full of strength to become a comforter and inspiration for her girls, while also doing other social things. She achieved such heights thanks to the influence of her husband:

“It wasn’t me who managed it, Joe, it was your father who did it. He never loses his temper. Melancholy and despair are alien to him. He believes in the best. You see, in the face of all the misfortunes, he showed such cheerfulness and hard work that I was simply ashamed to behave any differently. And how he consoled me, Joe! And he convinced me that I myself must possess all the qualities that I want to endow my children with. I should be an example in everything. And then the task became simpler: holding back for your sake turned out to be much easier than just looking after yourself. As soon as I lost my temper, your frightened look brought me to my senses. And the best reward I received for my efforts is the love and respect of my daughters.”

By my calculations, Marmee is 45 years old at the beginning of the novel. All her daughters are beautiful, each in their own way, so if we take purely external data, then for me the most beautiful and feminine was Marmee, played by Mary Astor.

Meg is the older sister, therefore the most reasonable, reserved and responsible. However, like any young woman, she is not without frivolity. According to the book, she is the most beautiful of the sisters, a fashionista, and therefore suffers greatly from the loss of the family fortune - after all, new hats and ball dresses. Unlike her younger sisters, she remembers what it means to live in abundance. Aunt March hopes that with such appearance Meg will hook up with a rich man and help the whole family, but she falls in love with Theodore Lawrence's poor teacher, Mr. Brooke. She waits 4 years for Brooke to start her own business and buy them a house in order to live separately from her parents. Meg is the first of the sisters to become a mother - she has twins - a boy and a girl.

Louisa May Alcott's real older sister, Anna, with whom the character of Meg was written, loved the theater and met her husband during the production new play. She also had two children. But, unfortunately, her husband died very early and she was forced to use the help of her mother and Louise in order to raise and support the kids. Louise bought Anna a house, but a few days after moving in, their mother died. Anne lived the longest of the Alcott family members.

I really like Meg, despite her beauty, she doesn’t turn up her nose, doesn’t brag, but is ready to work for the sake of her family, to be a support for everyone who needs consolation or advice. In this regard, she is very similar to Marmee. If we take movie images as an example, the best Meg for me is Trini Alvarado. The fact is that it is in “Little Women” of 1994 that the image of Meg is revealed almost completely and Trini has room to develop and show the character of the heroine. But in previous films he often just passes in the background. In the 1933 film adaptation, Frances Dee is almost not remembered, but her contemporaries considered her a beauty and it was because of her appearance that she did not get the role of Melanie in Gone with the Wind - they thought that she would be too beautiful and outshine the new girl - Vivien Leigh! Frances Dee is very feminine, but there is too little of her on screen. Janet Leigh is very pretty and you want to look at her, but again there are too few of her in movies. At least she appears in the final frames several times, which is already pleasing. So if you decide to watch the 1933 or 1949 film adaptations, pay close attention to both actresses - they deserve it.

The second sister - Josephine March - is clumsy, eccentric, harsh, impatient, impetuous, unrestrained. It would seem that there is something to like about it? But on the other hand, she is open and kind, smart and talented, direct and selfless. Louise wrote Joe from herself and one can only guess whether she was actually like this in childhood or whether she thought up the image, making it more vibrant and attractive. Joe, like Louise, becomes a writer; all the money from the sale of her works goes to help her family. Unlike her real self, her Joe gets happily married and becomes the mother of two boys.

Despite his flaws, which would be annoying in real life, Jo March is one of the most... bright characters, although not my favorite. This is especially noticeable in the films, where Jo's story is clearly chosen as the main story, in contrast to her sisters, whose problems and their solutions are less interesting for the writers, but, in my opinion, more useful for young girls.

The brightest, most unique, graceful, playful and eccentric is Katharine Hepburn's Jo. June Allison copies Catherine's performance in many ways, but her Jo is grittier and therefore more realistic. (By the way, June always reminded me of the young Gurchenko from the times of “ carnival night".) And Winona Ryder's Joe is generally too petite and feminine, and is not at all associated with the kind of tomboy who does not want to observe any rules of decency.

Beth, the third sister, is shy and very kind, she looks like a house fairy. Beth grows flowers, tinkers with kittens and dolls, greets children running to school, and plays the piano. She never argues, never quarrels with anyone, and is always in a good mood. Her kindness will melt the heart of Mr. Lawrence, who has lost his granddaughter. He gave a piano deceased granddaughter Beth so she can enjoy the music. Unfortunately, Beth becomes seriously ill with scarlet fever and the disease permanently weakens her health. Beth's death greatly affects Joe because... they were very close.

Beth is my favorite, her character is attractive to me, because I myself am far from calm and peaceful. People of this type seem to me to be the happiest, because they know how to create their own cozy and clean world, they know how to love with all their hearts, they know how to accept the blows of fate with courage and without hysterics.

I'm happy with Beth's portrayal in all three film adaptations. Each actress created her own unique Beth, which makes viewers fall in love with their character even more. The young actresses who match Beth’s age in “Little Women” look especially natural. And Gene Parker plays the final scene superbly.

Louisa May Alcott's younger sister Elizabeth actually died at the age of 23, so the chapters dedicated to Beth's illness and death are extremely heartfelt and sad.

“There are many such Bethes in the world, timid, quiet, sitting in their corners and living for others so joyfully that no one notices their self-sacrifice until the little cricket behind the stove stops chirping and the presence of something sweet, sunny ends, leaving Behind me there is only shadow and silence.”

Amy is the most interesting character in my opinion. And her fate is no less amazing than Joe’s story. If Meg is a model of a traditional woman, and Jo is a modern and enlightened, almost feminist, then Amy is a Cinderella who “made herself” (Self made man). In the first book we see a typical youngest daughter - narrow-minded and spoiled, and in the second book (Good Wives) the author shows us Amy, who undergoes a metamorphosis. Having decided to become a better person, to fight vanity, pride and arrogance, Amy before her eyes turned into a young woman with a gentle character and tall moral principles. Louisa May Alcott shows several situations from the life of the matured Amy, which show how the spiritual and moral growth of this girl took place. It's no surprise that Laurie was attracted to this new Amy and they ended up surviving death. loved one and broken dreams made an excellent family duet.

Real younger sister Louise - Abigail was 8 years younger than her. Since childhood, she loved to draw. After the publication of Little Women, Louise was able to sponsor her sister’s education in Europe - in Paris, London and Rome. She became especially famous as a copyist of Turner's paintings. At 38, she married a 22-year-old businessman who sponsored her passion for painting. A year later, her painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon - this was a great achievement for a woman artist at that time. (1879) Unfortunately, she died that same year, 7 weeks after giving birth to her daughter. The girl was sent from Paris to be raised by her aunt, Louisa May Alcott, and after Louise's death she was taken into the care of the elder sister of the Alcott family, Anna.

The best Amy is undoubtedly in the 1994 film adaptation - little Amy is played by Kirsten Dunst, a masterpiece, and the matured, serious and restrained beauty played by Samantha Mathis evokes respect and admiration not only from Laurie. If we talk about earlier Amys, I liked Joan Bennett more than Elizabeth Taylor. Taylor beautifully showed the comical side of little Amy's mannerisms and arrogance, but when performed by an already grown-up girl, it looks a little vulgar. Joan Bennett plays the capricious girl better and therefore looks younger than her age.

Laurie is cheerful, active, loves music, rides horses, and rows. He grows up without his mother and father, who died early. That is why he is very happy to communicate with the March family - wonderful parents and girls, who are always more affectionate and kinder than boys, make up for his lack of maternal affection. Laurie's mother is Italian, so he is described as having dark hair. curly hair and dark skin. He is an artistic, sympathetic boy, but, like any child, he loves to play pranks. As a student, he leads a lavish lifestyle, which girls do not like. After Jo refuses to become his wife, he goes to Europe and tries to become a pianist. As a result, realizing that he lacks talent, he, on Amy’s advice, begins to help his grandfather with business.

Laurie is a charming young man, with excellent manners, active and kind. He is ready to take part in all the affairs of the March family, help selflessly and have a lot of fun. In the movies, the closest person to the book Laurie is Christian Bale, both in appearance and in his demeanor. Christian was 20 when the film was filmed and is the youngest Laurie in all the film adaptations. Douglas Montgomery wears too much makeup and, although he runs and fences well and wears boyish clothes, he still looks like a young man, not a youth. Peter Lawford generally seems like an old man and also looks vulgar. I don’t know how, but at 27 years old he has the appearance of a rake and is quite shabby. Apparently his real life affected his appearance too much. I don’t even understand how he got through the casting.

Another unique character in the novel, controversial and accepted differently by fans of the book, is the German professor Friedrich Baer. Many people do not want to understand why the young and impetuous Jo chose the poor “old man” professor as her husband, and not the young and rich Laurie. But if you read the novel carefully, everything falls into place. Professor -amazing person— he is unusually responsive and kind to all the people around him. He supports two nephews and for their sake endures hardships far from his homeland. His gentleness, delicacy, artistry, ease and simplicity of communication could not help but interest Jo, and then win her heart - after all, this man became an example and teacher for her. And judging by his inability to “do business,” most likely Louisa May Alcott was partially describing her father.

« Why did everyone love him? That's what puzzled Joe at first. He was neither rich, nor noble, nor young, nor handsome, nor in any respect was he what is called charming, representative, outstanding, and yet he attracted people to himself, and people gathered around him, just like like being around a nice warm fireplace. He was poor, but he always seemed to be giving something away; a stranger, but everyone was his friend; far from young, but he enjoyed life like a boy; ugly and eccentric, but his face seemed beautiful to many, and his oddities were readily forgiven.”

If we consider film adaptations, then the most “bayer” Baer is Paul Lucas. He completely coincided with my vision of the professor from the book - a magnificent image, somewhat reminiscent of Pierre Bezukhov. Rossano Brazzi would have been more suitable for the role of Laurie - no one would have disputed his Italian origin. And at 33, he looks like a man happy with life, impressive and quite wealthy, and not a shabby, absent-minded professor, who is slightly over 40. Gabriel Byrne is the closest match in age to the hero of the book, but his Baer can hardly be called naive, lost or overly sensitive. He is more reminiscent of an Englishman than an enthusiastic and poetically inclined German. And his behavior with Joe looks like a clearly rehearsed seduction, while in the book the professor for a very long time did not dare to confess his feelings to the young girl, because he was poor and thought that she would marry a rich man and the same age as Theodore Lawrence.

Louise May Alcott Little Women - a wonderful novel for girls school age, and for teenagers, and for young women, and for parents. The plot of the novel is simple, but the main characters are very lively and sweet. Maybe that’s why the novel has an unfading fame - it is not only constantly republished and filmed, but plays based on it are regularly staged. I think that many actresses and just young schoolgirls are happy to take part in the production of a story from the life of four sisters, adapted for the stage, because it’s so cool to wear long dresses and pretend to be educated young ladies from the 19th century.

P.S. To be honest, this article should have appeared back in May, but I was sorely short of time to write it. Maybe that's why it's so bulky. Don’t judge harshly, and if you liked it and had the strength to finish reading it, press the “magic” buttons of social networks - maybe someone else will be able to finish it. Thank you.

In my friends' LiveJournal feed, I came across a post listing books that had a great influence on readers and shaped their views on life. It was a long time ago, I can’t find where the fuss started. But, in general, it was an average top (as in the recently released “The Great Equalizer” he masters “100 greatest books world literature" - this kind of list). I skimmed the top and my eyes caught on Little Women. When, as a schoolgirl, I went to English lessons with a tutor, we read the first chapter, adapted for a limited vocabulary, in which the girls buy Christmas gifts for their mother with their pocket money. Even then, I mentally checked the box next to the title of the book and intended to finish reading it someday, preferably in the original. 15 years have passed, and I realized this intention. Moreover, I'm in Lately I read a lot about children.

Every chapter in Little Women is a lesson.

The heroines learn parting words from their parents or, by helping each other, learn to endure life’s difficulties. They work on their imperfect characters (for example, Jo is hot-tempered, Amy is quite materialistic), they are not afraid to admit their mistakes - and that’s how they grow up. I liked that the girls know for sure that they can be frank with their mother, confess everything to her and, in essence, receive absolution. Because such evening conversations with debriefing are called `fess, i.e. “confess”, “confess”. I think this is a very important lesson, both for children and for parents. It is much easier to openly admit your mistakes if you are sure that you will find patience and understanding in the listener. Even if it seems that the offense is terrible and forgiveness is impossible. Wise Mrs. March, the girls' mother, knew how to listen so that the sisters had hope of fixing everything and making amends.
The book teaches that family is a common cause, everyone contributes, and as a result, a strong family gives a person more than money and position combined.

It is impossible not to notice that the author often uses a didactic tone. There is an episode in the novel in which Jo March (the literary embodiment of Louisa May Alcott) tries to publish her writings, and the publisher asks to cut out the “moral”, they say, we need more events and less teaching. At first, Joe, as a young and insecure author, works and even sells stories to the magazine, incl. purely entertaining crime-detective stories. And after a conversation with an older comrade, he burns this scribbling and decides that it is better to accumulate material for a serious and worthy book, because it is a shame to write dummies or stories about human baseness that are harmful to young people who read. And in the future, she does not agree to give up “morality.” This explains the position of Louisa May Alcott, who has any number of teachings. But I can’t say that they weigh down “Little Women” - no, it reads like quite a ladies’ and girls’ novel about getting yourself and your sisters married.

Despite the fact that the writer was known for her feminist views, and her heroines in “Little Women” more than once proudly called themselves struggling girls (in in this case- girls who do not disdain work in order to be able to support themselves), everyone, except the sickly Beth, got married. Maybe because the only couple I was rooting for (Joe and Teddy) didn’t work out, or maybe because independent Joe was afraid of loneliness, gave in and wanted to end up like everyone else, I’m very disappointed with this development of events.

It's clear why it's a classic, but it's not entirely clear when to read it. It probably took me two weeks, and I wasn’t too keen. As a teenager, I would definitely prefer the novels of Jane Austen. But overall, Little Women is a positive, kind book that can't hurt.

Current page: 1 (book has 19 pages in total)

Louisa May Alcott
Little women

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet or corporate networks, for private or public use without the written permission of the copyright owner.

* * *

Now, Book, the fruit of my labors, go
And show everyone what you keep
in your chest.
You entertain and instruct my friends,
May the right path to good
my verse will show them.
I flatter myself that my dreams will come true,
What is the meaning of life to understand
you will help them all.
You introduce them to Mercy; it
On the path of life there should be a rule.
Let your voice be loud
will call upon young maidens
Appreciate the world that exists, and the one
what awaits us all.
Having the Lord in your soul, let him be with Him
The pilgrim will follow the safest path.
John Bunyan

Chapter 1
Pilgrim game

“It’s not Christmas without gifts,” Jo grumbled dissatisfiedly, stretching out on the rug in front of the fireplace.

- How disgusting it is to be poor! – Meg sighed and looked down at her old dress.

“It’s just unfair that some girls have a lot of beautiful things, while others have nothing at all,” little Amy added, sniffling resentfully.

“But we have dad and mom, and we all have each other,” Bess responded with satisfaction from her corner.

At these encouraging words, the four young faces, illuminated by the firelight, brightened for a moment, but immediately darkened again, for Jo said sadly:

“We don’t have a dad and won’t have one for a long time.”

She did not say: “Perhaps never,” but each of them added these words to herself, thinking about her father, who is so far from them - where they are fighting 1
The action takes place in one of the cities in the northern United States during the Civil War between the North and the South (1861–1865).

Everyone was silent for a minute, then Meg spoke in a different tone:

“You know why mom suggested not giving each other gifts for Christmas.” The winter is going to be hard, and mom thinks that we shouldn’t spend money on pleasure while men bear all the hardships. front-line life. There is little we can do to help them, but we are still able to make our small sacrifices and should do so joyfully. But I'm afraid there is no such joy in my soul. - And Meg shook her head, sadly thinking about all the beautiful things that she wanted to have.

“But in my opinion, the little pocket money we have cannot bring any noticeable benefit.” Each of us has only a dollar, and it is unlikely that we will help the army that much if we donate this money to it. I agree not to expect any gifts from mom and from you, but I really want to buy myself “Ondine and Sintram” 2
“Ondine and Sintram” (1811) is a work by the German romantic writer Friedrich de la Motte Fouquet (1774–1843).

I've dreamed about this for so long! said Jo, who was a famous book eater.

“I was going to spend my dollar on new sheet music,” Bess said with such a small sigh that it was heard only by the tea stand and fire brush standing nearby.

– I’ll buy myself a box of colored pencils. “I absolutely need them,” Amy said decisively.

“Mom didn’t say anything about our pocket money, and she, of course, won’t demand that we completely give up all pleasures.” Let each of us buy what we want, and we will be at least a little happy. I think we deserve it because we worked so hard! - exclaimed Jo, looking at the heels of her worn-out shoes like a man.

“I really had a hard time teaching these annoying children almost all day long when I really wanted to go home,” Meg began again in a plaintive tone.

“It wasn’t nearly as hard for you as it was for me,” Jo said. “How would you like to sit locked up for hours with a fussy and capricious old woman who doesn’t give you a minute of peace, is always dissatisfied and bores you to such an extent that you are ready to throw yourself out of the window or burst into tears?”

“It’s not nice, of course, to complain, but I think that washing dishes and keeping the house in order is the most unpleasant job in the world.” It makes me irritable, and my hands feel like wood, so I can’t even play scales properly. - And Bess looked at her calloused hands with a sigh, which this time everyone heard.

“And I think that none of you suffers as much as I do!” – Amy exclaimed. “After all, you don’t have to go to school and sit there with arrogant girls who tell on you if you don’t know your lesson, laugh at your dresses, insult you because you don’t have a very beautiful nose, and clean your father, since he is not rich.

- If you want to say honor, then say so, and don’t talk about your father as if he were a sooty kettle,” Jo advised with a laugh.

“I know perfectly well what I want to say, and there’s no point in addressing me like that.” starcasm. It is very commendable to use Nice words and replenish your fox, – Amy retorted with dignity.

- Don't peck each other, kids. Don't you wish, Joe, that we had the money now that Daddy lost when we were little? - said Meg, who was the eldest and could remember better times. - My God! How happy and friendly we would be if we had no worries!

“And the other day you said that, in your opinion, we are much happier than the King children, despite all their wealth, because all they do is quarrel and fight.”

“Of course, Bess, I said that and I really think that we are happier than them, even if we have to work.” After all, we know how to have fun, and in general we are a “warm company,” as Jo would say.

“Joe always uses such vulgar expressions!” – Amy remarked, looking reproachfully at the long figure stretched out on the rug.

Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets and whistled.

- Stop it, Joe, it's so boyish!

“That’s why I whistle.”

– I can’t stand rude, ill-mannered girls!

– I hate cutesy and mannered touchy-feely ones!

“The birds in their nest are all chirping in harmony,” Bess sang with such a funny expression on her face that the irritated voices gave way to laughter and the “birds” stopped pecking each other for a while.

“Really, girls, you both deserve to be blamed,” Meg said judiciously, starting to teach like an older sister. “You, Josephine, are old enough to give up these boyish antics and behave like a girl.” Your manners didn't matter much when you were little. However, now that you are so tall and are giving yourself a “grown-up” hairstyle, you should remember that you are already a young lady, and not a tomboy.

- I’m no young lady! And if I become a young lady by styling my hair, then I’d better wear two braids until I’m twenty! - Jo exclaimed, pulling the net from her hair and shaking her thick chestnut mane. “It’s disgusting to even think that I’ll have to become an adult, call myself Miss March, wear long dresses and be prim, like some Chinese aster!” And it’s so bad to be a girl when I love everything boyish: work, games, and manners! I can’t get used to the fact that I’m not a boy, and now it’s even harder because I’m dying to go into the army and fight shoulder to shoulder with dad, but instead I have to sit at home and knit, like some sleepy old woman ! - And Jo shook her blue soldier’s sock so fiercely that the knitting needles knocked against each other like castanets, and the ball jumped around the room.

- Poor Jo! It's terrible, but there's nothing you can do about it. “You’ll have to be content with turning your name into a man’s name and playing the part of a brother to us girls,” said Beth, stroking Joe’s tousled head with her small hand, the touch of which no amount of hard work in the world could ever make rough.

“And as for you, Amy,” Meg continued, “you are too picky and ceremonious.” It's just funny for now, but if you don't watch out in time, then when you grow up, you'll turn into a stupid cutesy goose. I like your good manners and pleasant way of expressing yourself, but only until you begin to become more sophisticated. All these ridiculous words of yours are no better than Joe's slang.

“If Joe is a tomboy and Amy is a cutesy goose, then please tell me who I am,” Bess asked, ready to listen to reproaches addressed to herself.

“You’re just a delight, that’s all,” Meg answered warmly, and no one objected to her, because Mouse, as Bess was called, was the favorite of the whole family.

Young readers are always interested in “how people look,” and therefore we take this moment to give them a brief description of the appearance of four sisters who sat with knitting in their hands in the December twilight, when fluffy snow was quietly falling outside the windows, and there was joy in the living room the fire crackled. It was a cozy old room; True, the carpet was faded and the furniture was very simple, but there were several good paintings hanging on the walls, the closet was filled with books, chrysanthemums and small roses were blooming on the window sills, and everything around exuded homeliness and peace.

Margaret, the eldest of the sisters, was sixteen and very pretty: plump and fair, with large eyes, soft dark hair, a lovely mouth and white hands, of which she was especially proud. Fifteen-year-old Jo, very tall, thin, dark, resembled a foal, since she seemed to have absolutely no idea what to do with her long arms and legs, which always got in her way. She had a well-defined mouth, a funny nose and prickly gray eyes that seemed to see everything at once and looked fiercely, mockingly, and thoughtfully. Her long, thick hair was her only beauty, but she usually tied it into a bun and put it in a net to keep it out of the way. Jo was stooped, with large hands and feet, and was indifferent and carefree about her clothes. Overall, she gave the impression of a girl who was rapidly turning into a woman and was very unhappy about it. Elizabeth - or Bess, as everyone called her - was a rosy-cheeked thirteen-year-old girl with smooth hair and bright eyes, shy, timid, with an invariably meek expression on her face. Her father called her “Little Serenity,” and the name suited her perfectly, for she seemed to live in her own happy world, venturing out of it only to meet the few whom she trusted and loved. Amy, although the youngest, was the most important person in the family - at least in her own eyes. A real Snow Maiden with blue eyes, curly golden hair hanging down to her shoulders, pale and slender, she always watched her manners, trying to behave like a young lady. As for the characters of the four sisters, we will leave the clarification of this issue for the future.

The clock struck six, and after sweeping the ashes from the fireplace, Beth placed her mother's slippers before it to warm them. The sight of these old shoes gave the girls a pleasant feeling, because their mother was soon to return, and everyone was preparing to greet her with joy: Meg stopped scolding her sisters and lit the lamp, Amy climbed out of the most comfortable chair, although she was not even asked to do so, Jo I forgot about my fatigue and sat down to hold my mother’s shoes closer to the fire.

– Mom needs a new pair, these are completely worn out.

“I’ll buy her one with my dollar,” said Bess.

- No, I'll do it! - Amy screamed.

“I’m the eldest,” Meg began, but then Jo decisively intervened:

- While dad is away, I am the man in the family, and I will buy her shoes, because when he left, he told me to take care of her.

“Listen to what I came up with,” said Bess. - Let each of us give her some kind of gift for Christmas, but we won’t buy anything for ourselves.

- Great, dear! How similar to you! What will we buy? – Jo exclaimed joyfully.

They all thought deeply for a moment, then Meg announced, as if the idea had been suggested to her by the sight of her own pretty hands:

– I’ll give her a pair of beautiful gloves.

– Army shoes, it couldn’t be better! - Jo screamed.

“A few handkerchiefs, hemmed and marked,” said Bess.

- I'll buy a small bottle of cologne. She likes it, and besides, it will be inexpensive, so I will have money left over for pencils,” Amy added.

- How do we give her gifts? - asked Meg.

“We’ll put everything on the table, bring her in and watch her unwrap the packages,” Jo answered. – Remember how it used to happen on our birthdays?

“I was always scared when it was my turn to sit in the big chair with a crown on my head and watch you all march around and give me gifts with kisses.” I was happy with the gifts and the kisses, but it was just terrible that you sat and looked at me while I unwrapped the gifts,” said Bess, toasting both her face and the slices of bread for tea on the fire.

– Let mom think that we want to buy gifts for ourselves, and then we will surprise her. I'll have to go shopping tomorrow afternoon. It’s only a little while before Christmas, and we still have so much to prepare for the production,” said Jo, looking down on everyone and pacing up and down the room with her hands behind her back.

– This is probably the last time I take part in a production. “I’m getting too old for this kind of fun,” said Meg, who was still a child when it came to dressing up.

“Well, I’m sure that as long as you can walk around in a white dress with your hair down and wear jewelry made of gold paper, you won’t refuse it.” “You are the best actress among us, and if you leave the stage, our theater will come to an end,” said Jo. - Let's have a rehearsal right now. Amy, come here, let's re-enact the scene where you faint, otherwise you look like you swallowed a yardstick.

- What can I do? I’ve never seen anyone faint, and I’m not going to fall flat like you and end up completely covered in bruises. If I can’t lower myself smoothly, then it’s better for me to fall into a chair, and everything will be very graceful. “Even if Hugo comes at me with a gun, I don’t care,” said Amy, who had no dramatic talent but was cast as the leading lady because she was small enough for the play’s villain to drag her offstage.

- Do this: clasp your hands - like this - and, staggering, retreat and desperately shout: “Rodrigo! Save me! Save!" - And Jo demonstrated this maneuver with a melodramatic scream that sent shivers down to the bones.

Amy followed her example, but at the same time she put her arms completely straight forward and moved with sharp jerks, as if wound up, and her “O-oh!” it was more reminiscent of a pin prick than of fear and mental anguish. Joe let out a groan of despair, Meg laughed openly, and Bess, looking at what was happening with interest, let the bread burn.

- Useless! Okay, do what you can when the time comes, but if the audience laughs, don't blame me. Now you, Meg.

Then everything went smoothly: Don Pedro, the heroine’s father, challenged the world in a speech two pages long, delivered without taking a breath; the sorceress Hagar chanted terrible spells over a simmering cauldron full of poisonous toads, thereby achieving a supernatural result; Rodrigo, the main good hero, resolutely tore his chains into pieces, and Hugo, the main villain, died in agony caused by arsenic and remorse, with a blood-curdling “ha, ha, ha!”

“This is the best production we've ever had,” Meg said as the dead villain rose and sat down, rubbing his bruised elbows.

“And how do you manage to write and stage such wonderful plays, Joe?” You are a real Shakespeare! - exclaimed Bess, who firmly believed that all her sisters had wonderful talents in all areas.

“Well, not really,” Jo answered modestly. – I think that my opera “The Curse of the Sorceress” is not a bad thing, but I would gladly try to stage “Macbeth” 3
Macbeth (1606) is a tragedy by William Shakespeare (1564–1616).

If only we could create a trap door for Banquo's spirit on stage. I always wanted to play the role of a killer. “Do I see a dagger in front of me?” - Jo muttered, rolling her eyes wildly and convulsively grasping the air with her hands, as did some famous tragedian whom she had once seen in the theater.

- No, it’s just a fork for toasting bread, and instead of bread there’s mom’s shoe on it! - Meg exclaimed, and the rehearsal ended with a general burst of laughter.

“How nice it is that I found you so cheerful, my girls,” a joyful voice was heard at the door, and the actors and spectators turned to greet a tall woman with a tender motherly look and a pleasant expression on her face that always seemed to say “I can’t.” Shall I help you? and it was truly amazing. Despite her modest clothes, she had a very noble appearance, and the girls believed that under the simple gray cloak and unfashionable hat was hiding the most wonderful mother in the world.

- Well, my dears, how did you get along without me today? I had a lot of work to do - we were preparing Christmas parcels, so I couldn't come home for lunch. Has anyone come in, Bess? How's your runny nose, Meg? Joe, you look so tired. Kiss me Amy baby.

And with these motherly questions Mrs. March took off her wet cloak and hat, put on warm shoes, sat down in a comfortable chair and drew Amy to her, preparing to spend the most happy hours of your day full of work and worries. The girls began to fuss, trying - each in their own way - to do everything for her comfort. Meg was setting the table, Jo had brought logs for the fire and was now arranging the chairs, dropping and overturning everything she touched with a crash, Bess was quietly and busily scurrying between the kitchen and the living room, while Amy sat with her hands folded and gave directions to everyone.

When everyone was already sitting at the table, Mrs. March said with a particularly happy expression on her face:

- I have something to treat you after dinner.

Quick, lively smiles, like a ray of sunshine, ran across their faces. Beth folded her hands, forgetting the biscuit she was holding, and Jo threw up her napkin, shouting:

- Letter, letter! Long live dad!

– Yes, a wonderful long letter. He is healthy and believes that he will cope with the cold season much better than we thought. “He sends us all his best Christmas wishes and a special message to you girls,” said Mrs. March, touching her pocket as if it contained a treasure.

– We quickly finish eating – that’s all! Stop bending your little finger and simpering over the plate, Amy! - Jo shouted, swallowing her tea in a hurry and dropping the bread butter side down on the carpet.

Beth could no longer eat, she slipped back into her dark corner and, sitting there, reflected on the upcoming pleasure.

Finally everyone was ready.

“It’s just wonderful that dad went to war as a chaplain, although he is already over military age and his health is not good enough to be a soldier,” Meg said warmly.

– How I would like to go to war as a drummer or vivan... 4
Vivandière – canteen ( French.).

What are they called there?.. Or a nurse, so I can be close to dad and help him,” Jo moaned.

“It must be very unpleasant to sleep in a tent, eat all kinds of tasteless food and drink from a tin mug,” Amy sighed.

- When will he come home, mom? – Bess asked with a slightly noticeable tremor in her voice.

- Not soon, dear, unless he gets sick. He will remain there and faithfully perform his duty as long as he can, and we have no right to ask him to return one minute before the moment when they can do without him. Now sit down and listen.

Everyone sat close to the fire: Mom in the big chair, Bess at her feet, Meg and Amy sat on either side of the arms of the chair, and Jo leaned against the backrest so that no one would see signs of excitement on her face if the letter turned out to be touching. . And only a few of the letters written at that time hard times, were not touching, especially for those letters that fathers sent home. This letter said little about the difficulties endured from day to day, about the threatening dangers or the stubbornly suppressed longing for home. It was a cheerful, hopeful message with lively descriptions of soldier’s life, campaigns, military news, and only at the end it was discovered that the author’s heart was filled with fatherly love and longing for the daughters left at home: “Give them my deep love and kiss them for me. Tell them that I think about them during the day, pray for them at night and take my best comfort from thinking about their love. Whole year we have to wait for the meeting; this is such a long time, but remind them that while we wait, we can work, and therefore these hard days should not go to waste. I know they will remember everything I told them and will be loving and caring children for you, will do their duty honestly, fight persistently with their internal enemies and defeat them so decisively and beautifully that when I return to them, I will be able to love my little women even more and be proud of them.”

Everyone sighed when this part of the letter was read. Jo wasn't ashamed of the huge tear that rolled down the tip of her nose, and Amy didn't notice that she was ruffling her hair as she hid her face on her mother's shoulder and sobbed:

- I'm so selfish! But I'll try really hard to improve, so maybe he won't be disappointed in me when he comes back.

- We will all try! - Meg exclaimed. – I know that I think too much about my appearance and don’t like to work, but this will not happen anymore, as far as I can.

“I’ll try to be the little woman he wants me to be, not be rude and wild, and do my duty here at home instead of dreaming of being somewhere else,” said Jo, thinking at the same time that she would find it much more difficult to control herself while staying at home than to face one or two Southern rebels.

Bess didn’t say anything, she simply wiped away her tears with a blue soldier’s sock and began to knit with all her might, so that, without wasting time, she could begin to fulfill her immediate duty. In the depths of her meek soul she made a promise to herself to become what her father hoped to meet when next year will bring him a happy return home.

Mrs. March broke the silence that followed Joe's words, saying in a cheerful voice:

– Remember how we played pilgrims when you were little? How you rejoiced when I tied bags with rags on your back instead of knapsacks, gave you hats, sticks and paper scrolls with parting words and sent you on a journey through the house from the cellar, which was the City of Destruction, to the very roof, where from various beautiful things we created the Heavenly City? 5
This game is based on the plot of a religious-didactic poem English writer and the preacher John Bunyan (1628–1688) “The Pilgrim’s Progress” (1678), which tells the story of the difficult journey of Christian, the hero of the poem, to the Heavenly City, where he goes, convinced that the city in which he lived until now is the City of Destruction, - doomed to death. Mentioned below are the Swamp of Dejection, the Beautiful Palace, Vanity Fair, and the Valley of Humiliation - the places where Christians end up on their way.

– Oh, how wonderful it was, especially getting past the lions and fighting Apollyon 6
Apollyon is a monster, an angel of the abyss, blocking Christian’s path.

Pass through the valley of evil elves! - Jo exclaimed.

“I really loved the moment when we finally threw off our knapsacks and they rolled down the stairs,” Meg said.

“It was most pleasant for me when we all went out onto the flat roof and stood among pots of flowers and other beautiful things and sang for joy in the rays of the sun,” Bess said with a smile, as if reliving these beautiful moments.

“And I only remember that I was afraid of the cellar and the dark hallway, but I loved the milk and pies that we ate on the roof.” If I weren’t now too old for such entertainment, I would probably play again,” said Amy, who started talking about giving up childhood games at the ripe age of twelve.

– My dear, we are never too old for this game, because we play it one way or another all our lives. Our knapsacks are always behind our backs, our road is in front of us, and the desire for goodness and happiness is the guide that leads us through many sorrows and mistakes to peace of mind, which is the real Heavenly City. Now, my little pilgrims, why don't you start over again, not just for fun, but for real, and let's see how far you can get before daddy gets home.

– Are you serious, mom? Where are our knapsacks? asked Amy, who was a very matter-of-fact young lady.

“Each of you has already said what burden she will have to bear.” And only Bess remained silent. I don’t think she has such a burden,” said Mrs. March.

- I have it too. My burden is washing dishes and wiping dust, and I also envy girls who can play a good piano, and I am afraid of people.

Bess's burden turned out to be so funny that everyone wanted to laugh, but no one did this, not wanting to offend her.

“Then let’s hit the road,” Meg said thoughtfully. – Playing pilgrims is just another name for striving to become a better person. Maybe the game will help us; because although we want to be good, it is hard labour for us, and often we forget about our goals and do less to achieve them than we could.

“Tonight we were sitting in the Swamp of Dejection, and Mom came and pulled us out, like Hope in a book.” 7
That is, in "The Pilgrim's Progress."

But we also need scrolls with parting words. Where will we get them? – asked Jo, delighted that this game would bring at least a little romance into such a boring task as doing duty.

“Look under your pillow on Christmas morning and you will find your guidebook there,” answered Mrs. March.

They discussed this new plan while old Hannah cleared the table. Then four small work baskets were brought out, and needles began to flash as the girls hemmed sheets for Aunt March. It was not an interesting activity at all, but no one complained that evening. The work progressed as they accepted Joe's suggestion: divide each of the long seams into four parts, call them Europe, Asia, Africa and America and, while making stitches on each of these parts, talk about different countries these continents.

At nine everyone stopped working and sang a few songs in chorus before going to bed. No one but Beth could extract melodious sounds from the old piano; only she alone knew how to gently touch the yellowed keys so that the simple songs they sang would sound to the music. Meg's voice was like a flute; she and her mother led a small choir. Amy chirped like a cricket, and Jo was in seventh heaven and wandered there as she pleased, always managing to ruin the most thoughtful melody with an unexpected trill or hoarse low sounds. The girls sang from the time they learned to speak, and this evening singing became a family tradition, for the mother was a born singer. The first sounds heard in the house in the morning were the sound of her voice as she walked through the rooms, singing like a lark, and the last thing heard in the evening were the same soul-gratifying sounds, for the girls were never too old to refuse from the usual mother's lullaby.

Little women

Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are four sisters who live in the small town of Concord, Massachusetts. Meg is sixteen years old and the most beautiful of the sisters. Jo is fifteen, wishes she had been born a boy, and writes stories and plays. Beth is two years younger than her and has an angelic character, although she has no other talents. The youngest Amy is twelve years old, she is very proud of her pretty face and loves everything beautiful.

It happens during civil war in America. The girls live in a northern state, so they do not encounter the horrors of war (military operations are taking place in the South of America). However, the war took away their beloved father; he serves as a regimental priest. Moreover, another source of their constant sorrows is poverty. Once they were quite rich, but their father, wanting to help a friend, invested his money in an unreliable enterprise and went bankrupt. Although the girls do not starve, they cannot live the lifestyle that people around them lead, and this causes them constant suffering.

The book describes one year in the life of the March family, but during that year so much happens. The sisters will meet their neighbor Laurie (he is fifteen), and he will become their reliable friend. Laurie's teacher Mr. Brooke falls in love with Meg and they get engaged. Joe's manuscript will be accepted by the publisher. The girls' father, Mr. March, will become very ill, and the girls' mother will go to the hospital with him. Beth will catch scarlet fever and barely survive. However, after all the trials, the beloved father will finally return home, and the entire family will gather by the fireplace in the evening.

This novel, becoming very popular immediately after its publication, is still considered the most famous American book for young people. I think one of the reasons for its popularity is that it is filled to the brim with simple family happiness, which, unfortunately, is becoming more and more rare these days. The secret to this happiness seems simple, and that is love. And to love your neighbor, you need to forget about your needs more often. The life of the March family is clear evidence of this old truth.

The friendship of the four sisters reminds us of another forgotten truth - children are a blessing from the Lord. How much help, support and joy they bring to their parents in old age.

This book is a song of innocence and kindness. The purity and chastity of the sisters is like a breath of mountain breeze; reading about them, you simply relax your soul. Funny and sometimes very touching stories always happen to the heroines. (For example, the story about how Joe cut her hair to send twenty-five dollars to her father in the hospital).

The novel is based on real events the life of Louisa Alcott. Joe is the author's literary double, Meg, Beth and Amy are her sisters.

The book contains many moral lessons. This is not surprising, since it was written for children. Most often they are presented in the form of instructions that a loving mother gives to her daughters. But the favorite thought of the hard-working author runs through the entire book - work is necessary, without work nothing good will happen in life.

The novel has undergone several film adaptations. The most famous and quite successful is the last one, filmed in 1994.

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