Time after time again, either on the train, on my bed, or simply while I am on my lunch break at work, I find myself reading Little Women. Louisa May Alcott has always been a favorite author of mine and her other works, such as An Old-Fashioned Girl, will always be near and dear to my heart. Yet, I cannot help but wonder, does Laurie truly love Amy or was she a plan B after the love of his life, Jo, rips his heart out by saying no to his marriage proposal?
If you, the reader, have not heard of nor read Little Women, the novel focuses on four unique March sisters. The oldest, Meg March, is known to be kind and caring and has the attitude of a loving mother. Josephine March, Jo, is known to be a tomboy who loves to be independent, writes novels and plays, and cares dearly for her family. The next youngest is Beth, very quiet and gifted musically on the pianoforte. She makes the Orchard House feel like home with her warm smiles and generous spirit. Last but never the least, Amy March. Amy is a gifted artist known for painting and sketching everything. She prides herself on her looks and makes sure she is included in any shenanigans that her sisters are doing. Altogether the sisters share their experiences while trying to navigate through young adulthood, from relationships to trouble making limes.
Fast forwarding to Laurie and Jo, Laurie is the next-door neighbor with whom Jo quickly becomes kindred spirits. Although Jo is oblivious, Laurie has always taken a liking to Jo’s adventurous and creative spirit. After years of waiting, Laurie finally exclaims to Jo: “I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you, Jo, couldn’t help it, you’ve been so good to me. I’ve tried to show it, but you wouldn’t let me; now I’m going to make you hear, and give me an answer, for I can’t go on so any longer” (Little Women 351, Barnes and Nobles Classics). All I am saying is if a man said that to me, I would marry him that minute, BUT let’s dive deeper. By declaring his love, Laurie puts himself at risk for rejection but he desperately needs to tell her. He needs to be able to declare her as his. He knows he will have some push back, since he comments about her not letting him express his feelings towards her. After she tries to dismiss his affection, he explains the sacrifices he made to win her over, including giving up billiards. Although he tells her about his sacrifices, he never complains and does not show any sign of regretting his decisions.
I like to reflect on the saying, “one never truly gets over their first love”, and to some extent, I believe it is true. A person’s first love is either the stepping stone for another or the deciding factor that a new lover is not as ‘good’. Reflecting on the movie adaptation of Little Women (2019), directed by Greta Gerwig, throughout the movie, Gerwig cleverly adds little Easter eggs. In this case, there is a big symbol depicting Laurie’s love for Jo: when Meg is saying goodbye to her family to attend Moffat’s party, Laurie and Jo pretend to be pirates and try to attack each other as if they were playing children. To conclude the fight, Jo casually gives Laurie a ring and Laurie puts the ring on immediately. He keeps the ring on his finger all the way up to proposing to Amy. Through Jo’s rejection, through running around Europe, up to the moment he kisses Amy after she says yes to his proposal. Although he takes off the ring, symbolically showing he no longer loves Jo, instead of letting her go, he AGAIN professes his love. Though this time he defines that his love for Jo is different than the love he has for Amy, he still says that he has always loved her. Philosophers may disagree, but love is not a choice. One cannot choose to stop loving another person. I do not know how one stops, but love is not an emotion nor a mental state that can be switched on and off like a light switch. Although not physically married, Laurie will always love Jo and should have ended up with her. In my heart, they end up together in the end and love each other either with eros or storge.
By Monica Ronayne ‘25, Staff Writer
25mronayne@montroseschool.org
