Previous
Symbols
In the novel, locks of hair represent March’s love for others, and the responsibility he feels to help improve people’s lives. March keeps a silken pouch that holds locks of his daughters’ hair, each tied with ribbon and labeled with their names. The pouch reminds him of home and the family he left behind. But Margaret, his wife, finds a sixth lock—black and tightly curled—in the pouch that does not belong to any of their daughters. She believes it came from Grace and assumes it means March had an affair. The hair causes confusion and jealousy, raising questions about March’s honesty. However, Grace reveals that it likely came from a child March tried to help during the war. The extra lock highlights the immense guilt and responsibility March feels to help others, even as it also shows how much March has hidden from the people closest to him.
Locks of Hair Quotes in March
The March quotes below all refer to the symbol of Locks of Hair. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 16 Quotes
She raked a hand through the fall of her hair as if considering it for the first time.
“I have my father’s hair, you see.”
“Then who...?”
She took up the ringlet and ran it between her long fingers. “Who can say? But my guess is that it is the hair of a child. See the ends? They are so fine. It appears like a lock one might retain from an infant’s first haircut.”
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire March LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Locks of Hair Symbol Timeline in March
The timeline below shows where the symbol Locks of Hair appears in March. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 3
...that was once Mrs. Clement’s sitting room, March draws out a small silk envelope containing locks of his daughters’ hair . He lovingly examines each curl, recalling their personalities. Then, his thoughts turn to the...
(full context)
Grace also reveals the scars on her back—the brutal evidence of the whipping March witnessed years before, a punishment he...
(full context)
Chapter 16
...Margaret turns to the silken pouch containing their daughters’ curls, only to discover a sixth lock of hair —tightly curled and unmistakably from a Black woman. Though she tries to rationalize what she...
(full context)
...Grace finishes her story, Margaret accuses her of being March’s lover, pointing to the black lock of hair in the pouch. Grace calmly removes her headscarf to reveal her own hair—which is black,...
(full context)
