Alcott wrote the second volume of Little Women ("Part II") as a satire of stereotypical women's fiction. Frustrated by traditional literary expectations, she rejected the tired tropes of her generation. Instead of capitulating to her publisher's requests and marrying off the girls in a wholly-happy fashion, Alcott instead chose to torture Jo until she was, in a sense, broken enough to marry her suitor. The following passage from Chapter 35 captures Jo's initial feelings toward marriage:
"Nothing more, except that I don't believe I shall ever marry. I'm happy as I am, and love my liberty too well to be in a hurry to give it up for any mortal man."
Despite having learned from Marmee and Meg that partnership is a boon, Jo continues to resist the institution of marriage. However, later in the book, she capitulates to traditional expectations as a result of enormous emotional stress. The magical kiss with Mr. Bhaer under his umbrella does little to hide the fact that Jo's motivating factors are grief and fear of loneliness (especially after the deaths of Beth and Aunt March). Her grief is sharpest just after Beth dies:
[...]where in all the world could she 'find some useful, happy work to do', that would take the place of the loving service which had been its own reward? She tried in a blind, hopeless way to do her duty, secretly rebelling against it all the while, for it seemed unjust that her few joys should be lessened, her burdens made heavier, and life get harder and harder as she toiled along. Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow. It was not fair, for she tried more than Amy to be good, but never got any reward, only disappointment, trouble and hard work.
Jo formerly enjoyed writing and working to serve her family but now struggles to find any meaning in writing or odd jobs. This passage from Chapter 41 likewise illuminates her distress:
Jo decidedly couldn't and wouldn't. She was wrapped up in Beth, and never wished to hear the word love again. Then she begged him [Laurie] to be happy with somebody else, but always keep a little corner of his heart for his loving sister Jo [...] Laurie must write to her often, and not let her feel lonely, homesick or anxious.
Jo continues to rely on Laurie for emotional support but eventually chooses to marry Mr. Bhaer. She seems satisfied with him in the end, but she takes a very nontraditional path to happiness.
The other girls go through tribulations and must make immense sacrifices to assume their roles as women in society, too. These difficulties demonstrate the pain that women must go through in order to conform to societal standards and transform this section of the novel into a poignant commentary on 19th-century women's literature.
Alcott wrote the second volume of Little Women ("Part II") as a satire of stereotypical women's fiction. Frustrated by traditional literary expectations, she rejected the tired tropes of her generation. Instead of capitulating to her publisher's requests and marrying off the girls in a wholly-happy fashion, Alcott instead chose to torture Jo until she was, in a sense, broken enough to marry her suitor. The following passage from Chapter 35 captures Jo's initial feelings toward marriage:
"Nothing more, except that I don't believe I shall ever marry. I'm happy as I am, and love my liberty too well to be in a hurry to give it up for any mortal man."
Despite having learned from Marmee and Meg that partnership is a boon, Jo continues to resist the institution of marriage. However, later in the book, she capitulates to traditional expectations as a result of enormous emotional stress. The magical kiss with Mr. Bhaer under his umbrella does little to hide the fact that Jo's motivating factors are grief and fear of loneliness (especially after the deaths of Beth and Aunt March). Her grief is sharpest just after Beth dies:
[...]where in all the world could she 'find some useful, happy work to do', that would take the place of the loving service which had been its own reward? She tried in a blind, hopeless way to do her duty, secretly rebelling against it all the while, for it seemed unjust that her few joys should be lessened, her burdens made heavier, and life get harder and harder as she toiled along. Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow. It was not fair, for she tried more than Amy to be good, but never got any reward, only disappointment, trouble and hard work.
Jo formerly enjoyed writing and working to serve her family but now struggles to find any meaning in writing or odd jobs. This passage from Chapter 41 likewise illuminates her distress:
Jo decidedly couldn't and wouldn't. She was wrapped up in Beth, and never wished to hear the word love again. Then she begged him [Laurie] to be happy with somebody else, but always keep a little corner of his heart for his loving sister Jo [...] Laurie must write to her often, and not let her feel lonely, homesick or anxious.
Jo continues to rely on Laurie for emotional support but eventually chooses to marry Mr. Bhaer. She seems satisfied with him in the end, but she takes a very nontraditional path to happiness.
The other girls go through tribulations and must make immense sacrifices to assume their roles as women in society, too. These difficulties demonstrate the pain that women must go through in order to conform to societal standards and transform this section of the novel into a poignant commentary on 19th-century women's literature.
Alcott wrote the second volume of Little Women ("Part II") as a satire of stereotypical women's fiction. Frustrated by traditional literary expectations, she rejected the tired tropes of her generation. Instead of capitulating to her publisher's requests and marrying off the girls in a wholly-happy fashion, Alcott instead chose to torture Jo until she was, in a sense, broken enough to marry her suitor. The following passage from Chapter 35 captures Jo's initial feelings toward marriage:
"Nothing more, except that I don't believe I shall ever marry. I'm happy as I am, and love my liberty too well to be in a hurry to give it up for any mortal man."
Despite having learned from Marmee and Meg that partnership is a boon, Jo continues to resist the institution of marriage. However, later in the book, she capitulates to traditional expectations as a result of enormous emotional stress. The magical kiss with Mr. Bhaer under his umbrella does little to hide the fact that Jo's motivating factors are grief and fear of loneliness (especially after the deaths of Beth and Aunt March). Her grief is sharpest just after Beth dies:
[...]where in all the world could she 'find some useful, happy work to do', that would take the place of the loving service which had been its own reward? She tried in a blind, hopeless way to do her duty, secretly rebelling against it all the while, for it seemed unjust that her few joys should be lessened, her burdens made heavier, and life get harder and harder as she toiled along. Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow. It was not fair, for she tried more than Amy to be good, but never got any reward, only disappointment, trouble and hard work.
Jo formerly enjoyed writing and working to serve her family but now struggles to find any meaning in writing or odd jobs. This passage from Chapter 41 likewise illuminates her distress:
Jo decidedly couldn't and wouldn't. She was wrapped up in Beth, and never wished to hear the word love again. Then she begged him [Laurie] to be happy with somebody else, but always keep a little corner of his heart for his loving sister Jo [...] Laurie must write to her often, and not let her feel lonely, homesick or anxious.
Jo continues to rely on Laurie for emotional support but eventually chooses to marry Mr. Bhaer. She seems satisfied with him in the end, but she takes a very nontraditional path to happiness.
The other girls go through tribulations and must make immense sacrifices to assume their roles as women in society, too. These difficulties demonstrate the pain that women must go through in order to conform to societal standards and transform this section of the novel into a poignant commentary on 19th-century women's literature.
