Little Women: The March Sisters

Introduction

I recently watched the 2019 film Little Women directed by Greta Gerwig. I had always wanted to watch it, and it was luckily one of the various movies we watched in my Literature and Film class. I enjoyed the movie very much; there were funny moments, tragic moments (specifically THE tragic moment), and sweet moments. One of the key aspects I particularly love is the March sisters and their relationship with one another. It was especially fascinating to see the different personalities and dynamics between the sisters. I also believe that the actresses for the sisters were perfectly cast. Saoirse, Florence, Emma, and Eliza were phenomenal as Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth respectively. I thought I would share my opinion on the March sisterhood and the individual sisters.

March Sisters Dynamic

The movie starts by introducing us to each sister one by one. Then, we are sent back seven years before the present day where we get a first look at the March sisters' relationship. We see right away that they are close despite their contrasting personalities. We have the oldest sister, Meg, who is the "third parent" of her younger sisters. Next, we have Jo, the second-born sister who is an aspiring writer, like yours truly. The third sister is Beth, the quiet sister who enjoys playing the piano. Lastly, we have Amy, the bratty yet misunderstood youngest sister who dreams of being an artist.

While Meg loves all of her younger sisters, it is clear that she and Jo are especially close, which makes sense as they are close in age. The two older sisters attend parties and double dates together. In the film, Jo expresses sadness when Meg gets married to her husband, John Brooke. As I said, Meg and Jo seem to have a special bond with one another. Meanwhile, the two youngest sisters, Beth and Amy, are close to one another. Whenever they were around each other, they seemed to get along well, most of the time. Their bond during their youth was so beautiful; it's a shame Amy didn't get to say goodbye to Beth before she died.

It is not uncommon for siblings to not get along every once in a while. The March sisters are no different. Sure, they may playfully fight and bicker sometimes. However, it was Jo and Amy who butted heads the most. As I said, Meg and Jo often went out at night, leaving Beth and Amy at home. While Beth did not mind this, Amy constantly complained about never going anywhere. Meg tries to smooth things over by pacifying Amy (for lack of a better term). On the flip side, Jo did not have time for Amy's temper tantrums and would constantly leave Amy out of things, intentionally or otherwise.

One night, Amy was fed up with being left out and belittled by Jo. In an act of anger and revenge, Amy burned Jo's book (the ultimate disrespect in my opinion). Upon finding out, Jo tackled Amy to the ground and attempted to fight her (valid). Despite Amy's apology and Marmee's attempted persuasion, Jo refused to forgive Amy and vowed to hate her forever. Jo stood on business...until Amy almost drowned in a frozen lake. Jo and Amy always had this love-hate relationship throughout the film, especially during their youth. The two eventually made amends after Beth's death and Amy's marriage to Theodore Lawrence AKA Laurie.

That is all I have to say about their bond with each other. Let's talk about each sister individually, from oldest to youngest.

Meg March

Margaret "Meg" Brooke (née March) is the oldest sister. She is the most similar to her mother, Marmee. For starters, the mother and daughter share the same first name. Second, Meg took on a parental role while Robert, her father, served in the Civil War. Another similarity she shared with her mother was her marriage and family. Meg wished to marry a wealthy man when she was younger. However, she ended up marrying John, Laurie's tutor who had little to offer financially. In the present, we see an evident parallel between her life and her mother's life.

Meg is the older sister that anyone would be lucky to have. Though she can be rather bossy, it is only because she loves her younger sisters. She is compassionate, loving, and understanding.

Jo March

Josephine "Jo" Bhaer (née March) is the second oldest sister. An important aspect of her character is her dream of being an author. During her youth, she wrote plays that she and her sister performed for children in their neighborhood, and her novel (the one Amy burned). While she is considered the more daring of the March girls, she also cares about her family's financial well-being. This aspect is shown during her youth (chopping off and selling her hair) and her adult years (writing and selling her stories). After Meg married, Jo confessed to Laurie, who had confessed his feelings for her, that she did not believe she would ever marry. Fast forward to the present, Jo meets, falls in love with, and marries Professor Friedrich Bhaer.

Jo is the textbook definition of "second-born." She is often rebellious and goes against social norms and traditions. She is ambitious and knows what she wants, making her the most similar to modern women today.

Beth March

Elizabeth "Beth" March was the third sister. When she wasn't interacting with her sisters and mother, she was often seen playing the piano. Beth is also seen to be generous to those less fortunate than her and her family. Unfortunately, her giving and generous nature causes her to become ill. While she initially recovers, the illness returns, and Beth's health deteriorates until she passes away.

Beth is the March sister I relate to the most; she and I often keep to ourselves. She loved her family dearly until the very end, and her death left a lasting impact on the March family.

Amy March

Amy Laurence (née March) is the youngest sister and an aspiring artist. She declares her dream as a young girl, and we see her drawing and painting throughout the film. She also meets and develops a crush on her neighbor, Laurie. Amy gets invited to travel with Aunt March to Europe where she improves her art and grows into a young woman. Like Meg, Amy wants to marry a wealthy man; she gains the attention of Fred Vaughn. However, her feelings for Laurie reappear after the two reunite in Paris. Eventually, Amy and Laurie get married and have a daughter, whom they name after Beth.

Amy started as the typical bratty, misunderstood youngest sister. Over time, she grows into a wise young lady, though one could say she was always wise in some way. When Jo asked when Amy became so wise, Amy said it best: "I always have been, you were just too busy noticing my faults."

Conclusion

While they share the same DNA and last name, the film shows us how different the March sisters are. Meg was interested in the finer things but married for love. Jo aspired to have her freedom but married a man she loved. Beth was a quiet girl who loved music but met a tragic end to her short life. Amy was a young girl who loved art but was forced to grow up fast for the sake of her family. I find myself relating the most to Jo, Beth, and Amy. Jo was an aspiring writer, Beth kept to herself, and Amy was the youngest sister. Meg reminds me of one of my older sisters. Overall, I loved the film, and I am currently reading the book.

Which March sister do you resonate with the most? Answer in the comments below.

Author's Note: This will be my last post for 2024, but I look forward to sharing more here next year. Happy New Year!