"Dear little bird! See Jo, how tame it is. I like peeps better than the gulls: they are not so wild and handsome, but they seem happy, confiding little things. I used to call them my birds last summer, and Mother said they reminded her of me – busy, quaker-coloured creatures, always near the shore, and always chirping that contented little song of theirs. You are the gull, Jo, strong and wild, fond of the storm and the wind, flying far out to sea, and happy all alone. Meg is the turtledove, and Amy is like the lark she writes about, trying to get up among the clouds, but always dropping down into it’s nest again".
With these whimsical comparisons, the shy Beth captured the individual essences of each and every March sister.
Little Women, set at the turn of the Civil War; explored the lives, loves, quirks, joys, disappointments, shadows and triumphs of the March family. Uncomplicated fare that continues to enchant it’s readers even today.
For me, this classic tale has always been about Josephine (Jo) March.
Right from Page 1 onwards till the ambiguous end, I remain a member of the *Jo Fan Club*. She was blunt, honest and a no-frills-raggedy-cat to boot. At a time when social graces were the order of the day, Jo clomped through her genteel surroundings with all the grace of the proverbial bull in a china shop. She loved her family fiercely and no sacrifice was too great or too small where it was concerned. She pursued her writing career with all the highs-and-lows that plague fledgling authors.
When I was younger, I had read only the first section. So when I heard that Jo had turned down the loyal and cheeky Laurie, I was a tad disappointed. Now, as the years have passed and I have read both sections in their entirety, I am content with this decision. Laurie's lovable, carefree boy of Part 1 dissolved into a sulky, wilful young man in Part 2. And Prof.Bhaer (for all his poverty, seniority, shabbiness of appearance and at times, regressive outlook) was a true hero. As Jo aptly puts it, “ Mother would admire him for his warm heart, Father his wise head. I admire both, and feel rich in my new friend, Friedrich Bhaer.” Once more, our mighty heroine makes the right choice and gives us further cause to bolster her position on her pedestal.
Every female mind with literary leanings and a tomboyish demeanour will associate with Jo. We see our failings mirrored in her. We see a glimpse of our backbones in her strident ravings. We wish to write the next Great Novel. We claim to not fall prey to the failings of romance and yet, are pleasantly surprised and befuddled when that ‘one great love’ breaks all our misconceptions. Loving the home-nest, aching to fly from it and fiercely protecting it’s thistlelike comforts from condescending outsiders....we all, at some time, totally and absolutely “GET JO”.
At the end of the day, the tale of the March sisters is a cozy read with a hint of defiance. The holiday season is the perfect time to dig out this little gem, sink into a cushy sofa and lose yourself in a world that was simplistic and yet light-years ahead with it’s stab at realism.
