Little Women contains many snappy idioms. Idioms are phrases established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. For instance, in Chapter 13, as the March girls discuss their future plans, Jo says mysteriously:
“I've got the key to my castle in the air, but whether I can unlock the door remains to be seen.”
What Jo really means is that she has all the skills necessary to accomplish her goals. She has grit, determination, and a way with words. But she remains cynical about professional opportunities for women, hence her uncertainty about being able to "unlock the door." Most young women in her era were expected to marry and have children, but Jo dreams of becoming a successful writer. Thus she has the key, or the skills, to accomplish her dream, but she understands the possibility of obstacles due to her unconventional goal.
Another key idiom appears in Chapter 42. Just after Beth dies, Jo contemplates her family's lot in life:
“Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow…”
Sunshine and shadow stand for good and bad fortune. This idiom reflects Jo's increasingly dim view of life; no matter how hard she works, she and her family seem to get "all shadow." In other words, they continue to face tribulations beyond their control. Beth's passing marks a shift in Jo's attitude toward life; she becomes more cynical and sad.
Little Women contains many snappy idioms. Idioms are phrases established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. For instance, in Chapter 13, as the March girls discuss their future plans, Jo says mysteriously:
“I've got the key to my castle in the air, but whether I can unlock the door remains to be seen.”
What Jo really means is that she has all the skills necessary to accomplish her goals. She has grit, determination, and a way with words. But she remains cynical about professional opportunities for women, hence her uncertainty about being able to "unlock the door." Most young women in her era were expected to marry and have children, but Jo dreams of becoming a successful writer. Thus she has the key, or the skills, to accomplish her dream, but she understands the possibility of obstacles due to her unconventional goal.
Another key idiom appears in Chapter 42. Just after Beth dies, Jo contemplates her family's lot in life:
“Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow…”
Sunshine and shadow stand for good and bad fortune. This idiom reflects Jo's increasingly dim view of life; no matter how hard she works, she and her family seem to get "all shadow." In other words, they continue to face tribulations beyond their control. Beth's passing marks a shift in Jo's attitude toward life; she becomes more cynical and sad.
