I think the character development of Meg is by far the most
intriguing of the sister’s as you see the progression from young woman to
mother and flat to fleshed out character. From the very beginning Meg is not
portrayed as a most shallow character. On the very first page of Little Women, when her mother tells them
that there will be no Christmas presents that year due to the war, Meg bemoans
her poor status and says, “We can’t do much, but make our little sacrifices, and
ought to do it gladly. But I’m afraid I don’t.” This clearly from the very beginning
of the novel paints a picture of a less than virtuous young woman, who knows
what it is right to do yet cannot bring herself to do it with good grace. This
trend persists throughout the novel her vanity and love for pretty things
alters her behavior. On page 153 of the novel calls Jo and Laurie childish for
running about but privately admits that she would be tempted to join them if
she were not wearing her best frock. She thinks herself above such childish revelry,
but mostly because she does not want to spoil her pretty things or impugn the
dignity of the garment with activities she has demeaned immature. Yet, one begins
to see Meg growing out of these vanities as most of Chapter 23 in the novel is
devoted to Megs staunch defense of Mr. Brooke when her wealthy Aunt March threatens
to her write her out of her will if she marries poor. Meg defends herself and
her choice of the moneyless Mr. Brook and gives up her dreams of riches for a
meaningful relationship. She shows perpetual growth even after she has married
Mr. Brooke. And is still learning even at end of the novel how to manage her
relationship as a mother to her children and as a wife to Mr. Brooke. I think
that Meg’s story by far is the most believable and human of the four March
sisters. As her character in the novel progresses from more than just a vain older
sister who wants pretty things to a wife and mother, a more fleshed out
character who desires meaningful relationships and discovers the complexities
of being a grown woman.
I think the title of your post is appropriate, as even as Meg grows older and in many ways more mature, she retains her vanity at least on occasion. For example, in the chapter "Domestic Experiences," the unmarried Meg's self-centeredness and desire for beautiful things strains her marriage when she spends fifty dollars on silk to make a dress. While this chapter is a display of how childish Meg remains as a wife, it is also a point of growth for her when her husband forgives her. It is important to note that, despite this forgiveness, Meg is unable to move past her mistake herself for weeks, another sign of her immaturity. She "cries herself to sleep," and is seemingly punished by John's distancing himself from her. Im essence, she learns financial responsibility not pragmatically, by understanding what she can and cannot afford, but through her husband's negative reinforcement. In this way she resembles her younger self, learning lessons not from the actual consequences of her actions on the world, but through Marmee's disappointment or approval. This is why the latter half of the work is appropriately titled "Good Wives" rather than "Independent Women." Independent and mature women do not learn to manage money through their husband's emotional punishment.
ReplyDeleteI want to add my page numbers for citations for the above (301-302), but I have a different edition of the book, so it will not be the same as in the recommended class copy.
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