Throughout Little
Women, Louisa May Alcott attempts to redefine the true meaning of wealth. In
the beginning of the novel, the March sisters tend to focus on their
materialistic desires as they plan their futures based on money. Although Alcott
conveys money as a necessity, she exposes the unfulfilling life accompanying
excess wealth. Ultimately, she demonstrates that true happiness derives from
loving relationships, rather than possessions.
In the beginning of the book, Meg spends her time desiring
material objects, especially those of the Moffatt family. Furthermore, when
describing her ideal life, she describes “a lovely house full of luxurious
things” (Alcott, 142). However, her ideals change upon meeting John Brooke.
When Aunt March criticizes Meg for marrying a man without money, Meg defends John’s
honor. Furthermore, she finally accepts that “she’s not afraid of being poor”
as she has found happiness thus far in her life (Alcott, 231). This scene shows
a shift in Meg’s character as she chooses her relationship based on love rather
than money. Instead, Meg finds happiness in her two children as well as her
husband. Even though she marries poor, Meg concludes that the “happiest kingdom
is home” (Alcott, 399). Furthermore, when Sallie Moffat comes to visit, she
envies Meg’s “quiet and pleasant home” since her own home contains “splendid
loneliness” (Alcott, 399). Despite the Moffat’s high status, Sallie Moffat
struggles to find the happiness that dominates Meg’s life. This juxtaposition upholds
Alcott’s idea that money does not determine life satisfaction.
Similarly, Amy originally wants to marry Fred Vaughn simply
because he is rich. However, after spending time with Laurie, she claims that “something
more than money and position was needed to satisfy the new longing that filled
her heart” (Alcott, 425). Her relationship with Laurie serves as a shift in Amy’s
character as she redefines her values and pursues a marriage based on love. Although
the Laurence couple possess large sums of money, their happiness still stems
from their relationship. Additionally, Laurie remained unhappy with his wealth
until finding love with Amy. For example, when abroad, Alcott explains that “he
had plenty of money and nothing to do” (Alcott, 422). Although Laurie grew up
with wealth, he did not achieve happiness until meeting the March sisters and falling
in love. Economic wealth only brings satisfaction when accompanied by loving
relationships.
Overall, this confirms Baym’s idea that family life in women’s
fiction were “organized around love rather than money” during the time period
(Baym, 40). This novel challenged the notion that all women sought money and
status when pursuing relationships. Although some of the March sisters obtained
large sums of money through marriage, their motives were purely based on love. Regardless
of status, each sister finds wealth in her marriage, which suggests its deeper
meaning. True wealth can be acquired through relationships rather than
materialistic possessions.
I agree with all of the above and would like to wonder at why it was the case that "family life in women's fiction were 'organized around love rather than money'" as you put it (Baym 40). Although in Little Women each of the sister's is able to put off marriage until she has fallen in love, they all end up married regardless, showing the difficulty women in the time faced in finding meaningful work that could support them, not to mention the social stigma that would accompany remaining single. Marmee says, "'I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queen on thrones without self-respect and peace'" (Alcott 103). I called attention to this quote in class last week because the adjectives which describe the wealth of the girl are instead assigned to her husband (i.e. "poor men's wives," not "poor women") (Alcott 103). Perhaps the emphasis on love over money in women's literature at the time was only partly a moral mission. Maybe it was partly practical, as the readers would surrender control of the finances anyway, so they may as well strive for love and pray against abuse.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with this post and enjoyed, as mentioned, watching the March sisters find wealth and happiness in their own marriages that were purely based on love. I agree that a lesson that can be learned from this is that “true wealth can be acquired through relationships rather than materialistic possessions.” I think that another important lesson can be derived from reading about the economic circumstances of the March family and how they choose to govern their lives.
In the very first scene of the novel, the girls demonstrate selflessness and the joys of giving. In the first chapter of the novel, the girls begin to complain of their shortcomings: “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,’ grumbled Jo, lying on the rug. ‘It’s so dreadful to be poor!’ sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.” Despite these complaints, in the next scene the girls have all resolved to spend their own money for presents for their mother instead of themselves. Then, on Christmas day, the girls, although reluctant at first, give their Christmas breakfast to the poor neighbors who lived nearby. Despite their reluctance, the girls were content with their decision to help others who had less than themselves. This scene demonstrates the lesson that giving offers more satisfaction than receiving and this theme continues to show up throughout the novel.