By Marissa Rotolo
Refinery 29 / Refinery 29
Having withstood time and its deepest complexities, Little Women continues to echo the experiences of women of every caliber. It’s become an online discussion: are you a Jo, Amy, or Meg? Addressing themes like domestic work, true love, and the profound interconnectedness of all these themes together, this story calls women to explore what it truly means to find vocation in its rawest form. What does it really mean to resonate with these women?
Jo March
Jo March is the second oldest of 4 sisters. She is a creative, fiery, and stubborn woman. She is burdened by finding the line between embracing her individuality and letting herself be loved, without losing integral parts of her soul. Perhaps one of Jo’s most inner realizations is when she speaks to Marmee about the dilemma she’s been fighting her entire life.
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they've
got ambition, and they've got talent, as well as just beauty. I'm so sick of people
saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it. But I'm so lonely…”
She grapples with the idea that she may have been too quick to turn down Laurie’s marriage proposal. In a deeply personal moment, Marmee asks, “Do you love him?” Jo responds, “I care more to be loved. I want to be loved.” Marmee replies, “That is not the same as loving.”
Feeling love in a patriarchal society is uncomfortable for Jo. She feels that admitting she wants love will diminish the things that fill her soul, as if the two cancel each other out.
Jo’s character represents the richness of life’s immeasurable qualities, experiences, and people. Human beings aren’t one-dimensional; it’s imperative to recognize that there can be multiple truths at one time. Her quest to strip these ideas down to their core and live honestly resonates as an existential experience among many women.
Amy March
Amy is the youngest of the March sisters. Playful and determined, she paves her way with logic. Often misunderstood, Amy grows to understand life’s harsh realities: intensity can make others uncomfortable, achieving big dreams often requires sacrifice, and self-doubt is the killer of potential. Amy’s monologue to Laurie is one of the most memorable moments in the film.
“Well. I'm not a poet, I'm a woman. And as a woman, I have no way to make money,
not enough to earn a living and support my family. And even if I had my own money,
which I don't, it would belong to my husband the minute we were married. if we had
children they would belong to him, not me. they would be his property. So don't sit
there and tell me that marriage isn't an economic proposition because it is. It may not
be for you, but it most certainly is for me"
This moment shatters the illusion of Amy March. It reveals the depth of how misunderstood her character truly is. Amy has gone her entire life full of spirit. She grew up incredibly imaginative, often looking innocent or childlike. However; the cruel realities of life have become a part of her. She is tainted by the world and her innocence fades in the name of achieving her dreams. Somewhere along the way, Amy accepts that in order to get to her end goal, she must discard the luxury of being soft.
To viewers, Amy appears to mature throughout the film. While that’s true, we also see Amy shed her purity. She is a woman thrashed by society’s rough hands, adapting her wounds for survival rather than embracing them.
The reason Little Women remains relevant is that its characters’ nature resonates across generations. Whether you identify as a Jo, an Amy, or even a Meg, there is humanity and nuance in each of them that remains timeless.