PREVIOUSLY: Grumpy gals left the March house to go about their work/school days.
They always looked back before turning the corner, for their mother was always at the window, to nod, and smile, and wave her hand to them. Today, however, when they looked towards the house before turning the bend, Marmee was not to be found.
Jo was afire, sure that their gentle-tempered mother had been sent to the edge by their foul moods that morning.
“If Marmee shook her fist instead of kissing her hand to us, it would serve us right, for more ungrateful minxes than we were never seen,” cried Jo, taking a remorseful satisfaction in the slushy road and bitter wind.
“Don’t use such dreadful expressions,” said Skeletor, from the depths of her robes in which she had shrouded herself like a nun sick of the world.
“I like good, strong words, that mean something,” replied Jo, catching her hat as it took a leap off her head, preparing to fly away altogether.
“Call yourself any names you like; but I am neither a rascal nor minx, and I don’t choose to be called so.”
“You’re a blighted being, and decidedly cross today, because you can’t sit in the lap of luxury all the time. Poor dear! Just wait till I make my fortune, and you shall revel in carriages, and ice-cream, and high-heeled slippers, and posies, and red-headed boys to dance with.”
I like good, strong words, that mean something.
“How ridiculous you are, Jo!” but Skeletor laughed at the nonsense, and felt better in spite of herself.
“Lucky for you I am; for if I put on crushed airs, and tried to be dismal, as you do, we should be in a nice state. Thank goodness, I can always find something funny to keep me up. Don’t croak any more, but come home jolly, there’s a dear.”
Jo gave her skeletal sister an encouraging pat on the shoulder as they parted for the day, each going a different way, each hugging her little warm turn-over, and each trying to be cheerful in in spite of the wintry weather, hard work, and the unsatisfied desires of pleasure-loving youth.
When Mr. March lost his property in trying to help an unfortunate friend, the two oldest girls begged to be allowed to do something toward their own support, at least. Believing that they could not begin too early to cultivate energy, industry, and independence, their parents consented, and both fell to work with the hearty good-will which, in spite of all obstacles, is sure to succeed at last.1
1 This made me feel so insane I reserved my entire footnote budget for it. Maybe THE most representative example of the moral outlook of the book brushing up against what I perceive to be huge power imbalances. Father, the moral center of the family, was SO generous with his time and money that he literally LOST THEIR PROPERTY. The family lost so much through his dealings that - as we’ll find out later - they literally had to consider giving a child away to Aunt March to adopt. This is the same man that - after leaving his family (relatively) destitute, after allowing two of his teenage girls to leave schooling and get jobs, after pursuing a non-lucrative profession - LEFT HIS FAMILY TO GO TO JOIN A WAR IN WHICH HE WOULD NOT ACTUALLY FIGHT. Because it was “the right thing to do.”
Once again, someone’s largesse is only possible through the unacknowledged labor of someone else. I know realistically Alcott had to put the girls in limited circumstances to show how they could persevere. It’s a very feminist text for the time! And yet…look at how powerless the Little Women are against the decision making of a “good man.” Idk maybe Louisa always intended for us to hate Father a little. Maybe she felt like this was the most commentary on it she could get away with. OR maybe she truly thinks generosity is the most important virtue, even at the expense of others! In any case, Father is the villain, and I’m glad he’s dead.