Little Women Summary and Complete Study Guide

The novel opens in the March household during Christmas 1861, early in the Civil War. Mr. March is away serving as a chaplain in the Union Army, leaving Marmee to raise four daughters in genteel poverty. The girls—Meg (16), Jo (15), Beth (13), and Amy (12)—lament having no presents, but Marmee teaches them to be grateful for what they have and to help those less fortunate. This sets the novel's moral tone: virtue, sacrifice, and caring for others matter more than material wealth. The March sisters befriend Laurie, their wealthy neighbor, and his grandfather Mr. Laurence. These relationships provide both fun (parties, plays, adventures) and economic support (gifts, opportunities, eventually a marriage). Laurie becomes like a brother to the girls, particularly close to Jo, though his romantic feelings for her go unrecognized initially. The first half follows the sisters' adolescent adventures: Jo burns Meg's hair with curling tongs, Amy burns Jo's manuscript in revenge for being excluded, Beth befriends Mr. Laurence through music, and Meg is tempted by wealth at a party but chooses simpler values. These domestic dramas teach lessons about vanity, anger, forgiveness, and what truly matters. Alcott makes ordinary life meaningful—a burned manuscript becomes tragedy, a sister's illness becomes crisis. Mr. March becomes seriously ill in Washington, and Marmee rushes to nurse him. Jo sells her beautiful long hair to fund the trip—a sacrifice that shows her love for her father and her willingness to give up feminine beauty for family. While Marmee is away, Beth contracts scarlet fever from visiting a poor family with a sick baby. She nearly dies, and the experience damages her health permanently. Mr. March returns home recovered, but Beth's health never fully returns. Part Two (often published as "Good Wives") jumps three years ahead. Meg marries John Brooke, Laurie's tutor, and begins domestic life. Jo rejects Laurie's marriage proposal, devastating him and surprising readers who expected them to marry. Jo cannot see Laurie romantically and refuses to marry just to make him happy. This rejection is radical for 1868—the heroine rejects the handsome, wealthy boy who loves her because she doesn't love him back, choosing independence over security. Laurie goes to Europe heartbroken, where he eventually pursues and marries Amy, who has matured from spoiled girl into accomplished artist. Their marriage surprises Jo but works well—Laurie and Amy actually suit each other's temperaments. Meanwhile, Beth's health continues declining. She grows weaker through winter, and despite the family's desperate care, Beth dies peacefully with her family around her. Her death is the novel's emotional climax—the best, gentlest sister dying young because the world is unfair and goodness doesn't protect you from tragedy. After Beth's death, Jo goes to New York and meets Professor Bhaer, a poor German immigrant who teaches at her boarding house. Bhaer is older, not handsome, and has no money—the opposite of Laurie in every way. But he's intelligent, kind, and supportive of Jo's writing (though he criticizes her sensational stories and encourages more serious work). Jo falls in love with Bhaer's mind and character, and they eventually marry. The novel ends with Jo and Bhaer running a school for boys at Aunt March's estate, Jo writing while mothering students, finding happiness in work, family, and intellectual partnership rather than conventional romantic marriage.