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LittleWomen
BeforeIreadthisbook,IhadwatchedacartoonmoviemadebyJapan.SoIhaveastronginterestonit.
Itallbeginsinthedeadofwinter;TheChristmasSeason.Thecoldestoneofall,werethewarhasmadefuelforheatingveryscarce.Whileherhusbandisoffatwar,Marmeeisleftalonetoraisetheirfourdaughters:Jo,Meg,Beth,andAmy.
OnChristmasEve,Marmeehasjustarrivedhomefrompassingoutfoodtothelessfortunatewithaletterfromherhusband,thegirls'father.Theallgathertogetheraroundthefiretoreadtheletter.Afterwards,thegirlsaretearyeyed.Marmeekissesthemandtheyareofftobed.
Joislongingtobecomeawriter.So,everynightshestaysuplatewritingthescriptforsoapoperas.Asmorningcomessheisthelastoneawake.Thetableisset,andfoodpreparedfortheirChristmasfeast.
Asduskfalls,thegirlsareallupintheatticactingoutJo'splay,whichshereadsfromthelocal（fake）newspaper.Astheyareperforming,theirrich,next-doorneighborsgrandsonwatchesfromthewindow.
The2oldestgirls:JoandMeg,getreadytoattendtheChristmasBall.WhileJoiscurlingMeg'shair,thereisastrangesmelltotheair.Amyscreams,Megshairisbeingsinged.Theycontinuediggingthroughtheoldclothesbinforapairofwhitegloves.
OneoftheprominentthemesinLittleWomenisthecomingofageormaturationofthegirls.Duringthecourseofthenovelweseethemgrowinmanyways--physically,intellectually,andespeciallyemotionally.OnequestionwhichreadersmustaskthemselvesiswhethertheviewsthecharactershaveonthecomingofageprocessaresharedbyAlcott.Iftheyaren't,whatareAlcott'sviewsandhowdotheydifferfromthoseofthewomeninherstory?
ItisinterestingtoexaminethelasthalfofChapter20,"Confidential."JoaddressesthematurationissueasshespeakswithMarmeeofthesituationbetweenMegandMr.Brooke.Thepossiblelovebetweenthesetworepresentsoneoftheveryimportantaspectsincomingofageforateenagegirl.Jotreatsthisnaturalprocessasifitweresomesortofdisease,however.JocannotunderstandwhyMegwouldwanttostopbehaving"likeasensiblecreature"（p.202），andreferstoloveas"suchnonsense."