Little Women fans: Should Jo have left Amy under the Ice?

[jeannineatkins]

As students recently came into class, one spoke of a contingent of Little Women fans who think Jo should have skated away after Amy fell through the ice of a frozen river. And then Jo could have married Laurie. “Anyway, Laurie turned into a drunk and died young, so it worked out, “ she said

Comments

[d_michiko_f]

I really really need to reread LITTLE WOMEN! I still own the copy my aunt gave to me when I was in 5th (or maybe it was 6th) grade. It's been that long since I read it!

[jeannineatkins]

Debbi, you'll laugh, you'll cry! The movie is actually pretty good, too -- though one of my students said she couldn't stand Winona Ryder's take on Jo ( a young Kirsten Dundst as Amy... my daughter, then quite young when I dragged her to it, was most taken with that river scene!)

[lurban]

I could not stand Ryder's Jo -- and I love her otherwise.

And I was always dissatisfied with Jo's marriage. I didn't know Alcott fought the ending.

But yes, hooray for the fictional Jo getting over the burnt manuscript. I actually find that a pretty good lesson for myself -- not only the people being more important than books part, but the point that even if one manuscript goes up in flames, there are other stories still to be written.

[lurban]

I loved that book at 9 and wanted to be Jo -- but when I tried to reread it a few years ago, I couldn't. It struck me as overly sappy and cloying. Could just have been my mood, though. Maybe I should try again.

[jeannineatkins]

Well some of it is pretty sappy. I think I just loved Jo enough to overlook that. Or wanted that sappiness in my life.

[d_michiko_f]

That's always my fear when I want to reread a childhood favorite.