Top 5 ‘Little Women’ Chapters
This article contains spoilers about certain parts of Little Women, so I do not recommend reading this if you are planning to read the novel in the near future for the first time.
Note: The numbers before the chapters indicate their ranking (the lower the number, the better the chapter). They do not indicate what number the chapter is in the book.
Little Women was one of the greatest works of literature of all time. Overall, it is an incredibly captivating novel that almost all readers can instantly enjoy and relate to. However, as most readers notice, some parts of the book are far more fascinating (or, as Amy says, ‘fastidious’) when compared to others. So, here are the top five chapters of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.
5. ‘Pleasant Meadows’
‘Pleasant Meadows’ is the twenty-second chapter from Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women. In this part of the story, Beth March, who was sick with scarlet fever, becomes well enough to move from her bedroom to the living room sofa, though the Marches continue to care for her. Amy finally is allowed to return home from her Aunt March’s house, where she had gone to avoid getting scarlet fever. The Marches soon find out that Mr. March, who had been injured, was also recovering and may come home soon as well. This piece of news uplifts the Marches.
Jo and Laurie think of plans to celebrate the upcoming Christmas that year. Later, on Christmas Day, the Marches are incredibly happy that Beth was feeling much better and that Mr. March was indeed going to return home. Jo and Laurie create a snow sculpture for Beth, which holds a song written on a scroll for her. That year, each of the March sisters received gifts that pleased them immensely: Meg receives a silk dress, Jo receives a book, and Amy gets the print of a painting she loved at her aunt’s house. However, Beth simply wants her father back. Immediately, Laurie enters with another Christmas surprise: Mr. March, home from the war.
Everyone happily hugs and greets each other, glad to be all together again. Mr. March informs the family about his journey, and the family, including Mr. Brooke, Mr. Laurence and Laurie, eat Christmas dinner together. The girls discuss the differences between their Christmas that year and the year before, and Mr. March comments on how each girl had changed since he had seen them last. This chapter of the story ends when Beth sits down and plays the piano to her family.
This chapter is particularly significant because it clearly reminds readers just how much each of the March sisters has changed. Meg is less vain, Jo is less of a tomboy, Amy is more selfless, and Beth is bolder. Additionally, the chapter introduces a character that did not appear in previous chapters but was often mentioned: Mr. March, who readers often thought about. However, most importantly, this part of the story is much less sad than the chapters before it; Beth is nearly hale again and Mr. March is home for the family to spend a nice Christmas together. It provides a sense of hope after several chapters of despair.
4. ‘Camp Laurence’
‘Camp Laurence’ is the twelfth chapter of Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. In this chapter, Jo receives a letter from Laurie which invites her and her sisters to a picnic the next day with the English Vaughns, a family which consists of children about their age. Once Marmee agrees to let the four girls attend the picnic, they discuss what it will be like, and Jo says that Kate, the eldest, is a bit older than Meg, Fred and Frank (twins) are Jo’s age, and the youngest, Grace, is around Amy’s age. Jo convinces Beth, who was reluctant to agree, to come to the picnic.
Soon afterward, Beth shows them a letter that she had received from Mr. Laurence, which asks her to play the piano for him. Later, during the night, Meg wears curling papers in her hair for the picnic, Jo wears face cream, Beth sleeps with her doll and Amy puts a clothespin on her nose to make it the way she wants it to be. The next day, the March sisters are introduced to the Vaughns by Laurie, Grace and Amy become friends, and they travel by boat to Longmeadow.
They start a game of croquet, in which John Brooke, Kate Vaughn, Meg and Fred Vaughn are on one team and the other team consists of Laurie, Sallie Moffat, Jo and Ned Moffat. The Americans play better than the English do, which results in Fred cheating; nevertheless, Jo manages to help her team win the game. Jo admits to Meg and Laurie that she is angry at Fred Vaughn for cheating. Towards the end of lunch, Jo suggests to Laurie that they play a quiet game until it is a bit cooler. Kate Vaughn suggests the game “Rig-marole,” where one person begins to tell a story and stops at an exciting point, and another person picks up the story where that person leaves off, then that person stops at an exciting point, so on and so forth.
Mr. Brooke begins the game, and tells the story of a knight falling in love with a princess. Kate continues dramatically, followed by Ned Moffat, who makes the tale full of action. Meg continues the story after Ned, followed by Jo. However, when she takes a breath, Fred continues and makes the story about pirates. Sallie tells the story after Fred, Amy tells a small part of the story, Laurie attempts to start closing up the story, and allows Frank to finish. Despite this, Frank states that he is not playing, so the story ends there.
The group plays a game called ‘Truth’ next, in which a chosen person has to answer three questions truthfully. Laurie, chosen first, has to say that Napoleon and his grandfather are his heroes, he believes Meg is the prettiest of the girls, and that he likes Jo the best. Jo, chosen next, shares that temper is her biggest flaw, she wishes to be a genius, and she values courage and honesty in men. Laurie and Jo later make Fred admit he cheated at croquet and that he took Laurie’s part of the story out earlier.
The group later plays a game called “Author,” while Mr. Brooke tutors Meg in German, and Kate leaves the two. Meg and Mr. Brooke later discuss their jobs as well as the future. Amy and Grace also talk in the meanwhile, as well as Beth and Frank. Ultimately, after some time, the Marches return home.
This chapter is a particularly important part of the story because it further shows some of the characters, especially Laurie and Jo, and more about what will happen in the future. As readers, we learn a lot about what Meg and Jo value and what they want in life. It also does a satisfactory job showing Meg and Mr. Brooke’s developing relationship as Mr. Brooke and Meg spend some time together and Meg even admits that she likes what he does. Mr. Brooke later agrees that American girls are nice once you get to know them, which proves that he had a good time. It even proclaims Laurie and Jo’s developing friendship, as they both interrogate Frank Vaughn in “Truth.” This chapter has a lot to do with what will happen in the future, as well as the development in each character, and is, quite surprisingly, a crucial part of the full story.
3. ‘Castles in the Air’
The chapter opens as Laurie is sitting in his hammock as he spots the March sisters leaving their house through his window carrying several items. Laurie starts to believe that they are having a picnic, and feels left out as they did not invite him. He follows them, but he soon sees them sit under a tree and begin working intently (Meg sews, Amy sketches, Jo knits, and Beth sorts pinecones).
Jo and Beth want to let Laurie join, but Meg insists as it is a “Busy Bee Society,” no one can be doing nothing, so Laurie begins reading in the place of Jo. Afterward, he asks what the March sisters are doing, but they are worried he will mock them; despite this, Jo explains their “Pilgrim’s Progress” game to Laurie — they come to the hill often and pretend it is the “Delectable Mountain” from the story.
The group then proceeds to talk about their future; Jo and Laurie describe how it is difficult for them to be good. Then, each of them describes their “castle in the air,” or dreams and hopes. Laurie describes how he wishes to travel, live in Germany, and become a musician. Meg wishes to be the mistress in a mansion. Jo states that he hopes to have a stable full of horses, books, and be a writer; she wants to do something brilliant in her lifetime. Beth would like to stay home and care for her family. Amy would like to go to Rome and become a prominent artist.
Jo suggests that they all meet again in a decade to see how their lives compare to their castles in the air. Laurie then talks about how does not want to be a merchant after college, the way his grandfather wishes for him to — he instead wishes his grandfather would allow him to choose his own path after college. Jo, on the other hand, believes Laurie should be intrepid, and run off to have adventures, but Meg tells Laurie to do what his grandfather wants, and be like Mr. Brooke. Meg tells Laurie that she knows that Mr. Brooke took care of his mother when she was dying, works hard and is a kind person. Laurie says that Mr. Brooke likes the Marches and was happy to have been treated just like Laurie by them (despite just being their servant). Laurie also comments on how he will eventually do something to help him; Meg suggests he could be a better student (she knows this from looking at Mr. Brooke after he leaves their house), but Meg then apologizes to Laurie for being nosy.
Laurie continues to aid the sisters with their tasks, but in some time, the tea bell rings from the March house, so the girls pack up their things and leave. However, they agree that Laurie is allowed to join them again, and Jo will later teach him to knit socks. The chapter closes later in the evening; as Mr. Laurence watches Beth play the piano, Laurie realizes he is incredibly important to his grandfather as he is all he has. So, he decides to forget his dreams and hopes and instead be a faithful grandson.
This chapter is incredibly important to add to the reader’s knowledge of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, as well as Laurie. Here, we learn more about their desires, hopes and dreams. This helps us understand the characters better on a deeper level and adds to what we think about them. It also clearly foreshadows or connects to several events that happen later in the book. For instance, it helps foreshadow what a couple of the characters actually do achieve: Jo eventually becomes a writer and Amy travels to Europe to study art later in the book. However, for characters like Meg and Laurie, their fate is not at all like their castle, which adds a lot to their character development. One more notable example is that readers may notice that Beth is not as ambitious as the others, which connects to her tragic death later in the story; she already has her castle in the air and has had it for a long time, because throughout the beginning of the story, she cares for her family. All in all, it provides some insight about these five characters and signals the trajectory of a few in the story.
2. ‘Harvest Time’
Jo and Mr. Bhaer are apart for a year, as they have to accumulate enough money to get married. In their second year apart, Aunt March passes away and her house, Plumfield, is left to Jo. Laurie guesses Jo will sell the mansion, but she says that she will instead convert it into a boarding school for boys. The entire family is happy with this because Mr. Bhaer can teach the subjects he is able to, Mr. Laurence will sponsor the school, and Mr. March can use progressive education techniques.
Jo explains she has been considering this for a while because it allows her to use her boyish instinct that she has, being a tomboy, as well as her motherly instinct, and wants to care for lost and abandoned boys. Laurie wonders how she will pay if all the boys will not be able to, and she explains she will first take rich pupils, and then use the money they paid to grant scholarships. Jo adds that she has already brought up one boy well, that being Laurie himself, and he can be a model for the other boys.
Jo is overjoyed by the happiness of her family, but she misses Mr. Bhaer nonetheless, who is still earning money as a teacher. However, Mr. Bhaer returns as Jo has Plumfield, and they get married to each other. Their school at Plumfield opens, and six to seven boys start to learn (many are sponsored by Mr. Laurence). The school goes pretty well, even though Jo makes a few mistakes, and Jo has two boys of her own in a few years: Rob (after her father) and Teddy (after Laurie).
Several years later, on one October day, the Brookes, Laurences, Marches and Bhaers (the entire extended family) decide to meet one day for a picnic. They all talk a lot and have a great time. The boys play, the men talk about philosophy, Amy sketches, and the March parents sort apples. A few hours later, they eat. Mr. Bhaer makes a toast to Aunt March, as well as Marmee’s sixtieth birthday, for which she is given many presents. They also sing a song for her.
Afterward, the boys return to play, the adults sit together, and the March sisters think about the years before. Amy points out how Jo’s life is different than what she wanted it to be, and Jo replies by saying she is happy nonetheless and still hopes to write a great book anyway. Meg comments on how she was very close to her castle. Amy says her life is also different than what she thought, but the same way Jo still wants to write, she is still an artist. She is making a statue of her baby daughter, who may die young.
The book ends as the Marches agree they are extremely content and happy with their lives, and Marmee says that she could not wish them a greater happiness than what they have.
There are many reasons that this chapter is one of the best in the novel. One reason is that it clearly connects to a prominent chapter before it, “Castles in the Air,” as the four of the five characters (excluding Beth) do meet, years later, to discuss how their lives are similar and different to what they’d hoped for, just as Jo had pointed out that they should. We get to see a glimpse of each of their pasts, presents, and futures, especially our wonderful protagonist Jo. This chapter does a wonderful job tying up loose ends, as the message of the entire book becomes apparent, and readers start to realize what the book was all about: happiness and family. The ending especially connects to the beginning: the Marches are not exceptionally more rich than they were then, but they have still found reasons to be happy with their lives, which is essentially what the theme of the book was. At any rate, this chapter does a wonderful job closing up the novel, and leaves readers with tears of joy in their eyes and a lot to reflect on.
1. ‘The PC and the PO’
Note: This chapter connects to another novel, The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club by Charles Dickens. Some parts of it may not make too much sense for those who have not read this novel, but it is still amusing and worth reading.
As spring arrives, each of the March sisters care for a designated part of their family garden. Each one of the four tends to a part of the garden in a way that represents their personality well. Meg is simple yet pretty, Jo is curious and experiments, Beth grows things to help animals, and Amy takes care of her part in an elegant manner. When it rains, the girls hold their meetings for ‘The Pickwick Club,’ a secret society they formed based on Charles Dickens’ The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, which they call the “PC,” and they apparently made this club because they all liked Charles Dickens.
During the PC meetings, each one of the girls impersonates a character from The Pickwick Papers that shares a few traits with them. Jo is Augustus Snodgrass, because they both enjoy literature, Meg is Samuel Pickwick, being the eldest, Amy is Nathaniel Winkle, because she always attempts things she cannot do, and Beth is Tracy Tupman, because she is round and rosy.
They also create a newsletter together, called ‘The Pickwick Portfolio.’ In the novel, only one newspaper of theirs is shown. It contains a poem for the club’s anniversary (by Jo), a romance story about a mistaken identity/marriage in Venice (by Meg), a joke about the club, “History of a Squash” (by Beth), a letter that explains why she hasn’t written anything (by Amy), a report of Meg’s accident in the attic, a description of Snowball, a missing cat, another poem about the cat (by Jo), several announcements about upcoming events, and finally, the behavior of each of the girls (Meg is good, Beth is very good, Jo is bad, and Amy is middling. Meg reads all this, and afterward, the girls give a round of applause.
After this, Jo announces that she would like to have a new member of the club: Laurie. Jo and Beth vote in favor of this, but Meg is afraid of being laughed at and Amy does not want to play with a boy, but the two are convinced to let him join ultimately. So, Jo opens the closet door which contains Laurie, who was secretly hiding there the entire time, which annoys the other Marches. However, Laurie immediately fits in with the club and declares he will portray Samuel Weller, a character from The Pickwick Papers that was introduced in Chapter 10.
Laurie also announces that as a token of his gratitude toward the club for allowing him to join, he will give them a post-office box. The box is shaped like a birdhouse and has been put in the middle of the Marches’ house and the Laurences’ house. The post-office (P.O. for short) can be used for them to exchange letters. It has a lock, so Laurie keeps one key and the girls have another. So, ultimately, the March sisters enjoy having both Laurie and the post-office as new additions to their club.
This chapter may not have as much of importance to the actual story as several other notable chapters, but it still takes the top place because it is truly one of the best things that makes Little Women as amusing, captivating and fun to read as it is. Here, we don’t learn very much about the girls’ personality and future, but it is a chapter worth reading nonetheless. The newspaper included was a nice addition on Alcott’s part, as it represents a tiny bit of each of the girls and is combined into a humorous, comical and detailed couple of pages for readers to enjoy. We also see the girls, especially Jo, become closer and closer to Laurie, and vice versa. It also clearly demonstrates how special the March sisters are and especially appeals to readers who enjoyed The Pickwick Papers. In the end, this chapter may not add much to the development of the story. And yet, without this part of the story and other parts like this, Louisa May Alcott’s charm would be lost entirely, and her simple yet engaging literary appeals are part of why we like Little Women as much as we do.
