Little Women

By Peta Hawker

Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, was originally published in 1868. Despite it being nearly 150 years old, this book still resonates with people today, both young and old. I don’t remember the first time I read this enlightening book, but my copy is very battered and obviously well-read. It is a story that I grew up with; the four girls are the sisters I wanted but never really had. I hadn’t read it in years until recently when I got very sick, and wanted something comforting. No TV show, no music, no phone calls from my mother could do what that book did. Even though I am much older now, much more ‘grown-up’, I laughed and cried as I followed the girls on their adventures, triumphs and turmoils.

The novel is loosely based around Alcott’s experiences growing up with her three sisters. The main character, Jo March, is modelled off Alcott herself, in both personality and build. With her sisters Meg, Beth and Amy, Jo goes on many adventures and befriends a young boy called Laurie, who lives next door. The story line essentially follows all five of them as they grow into young adulthood, ending with Meg’s engagement. Good Wives, which was originally the second volume of Little Women but is now often sold separately, follows the sisters into womanhood – marriage, children, and careers.

The book on its own, even without Good Wives is simply fantastic. It is embedded with beautiful moralistic ideals as well as unique and truthful relationships between siblings, parents and friends. The mother and head of the family, Mrs March, often experiments on her children in the hope that they might learn a valuable lesson. On one occasion, the girls comment how lovely it would be to have no work to do, and to only have leisure time. Mrs March decides to enrich their lives by sending the family servant, Hannah, on a holiday, and then disappearing for a day herself, leaving the girls to their own devices. The sisters quickly learn how a small amount of housework each day allows them all to live in a well-kept, peaceful home; an important lesson for anybody to receive. The book is so full of love, friendship and hope that it is almost impossible for anyone not to admire it at the very least. Delving into its depths is like cuddling with a loved one before a roaring fire; it is comforting and warm in a way that, in my experience, no other book is.

The movie version of Little Women that I watched was made in 1994. It has a star-studded cast (although they weren’t all so famous back then); Winona Ryder as Jo, a tiny Kirsten Dunst as Amy, Susan Sarandon as Mrs March, and the ever-handsome Christian Bale as Laurie. The movie is not simply the first instalment, but rather it follows both Little Women and Good Wives, meaning that two 300 page books were transformed into a two hour movie. Each scene does get played out in the movie; however, the real gem of the novel is not in the action but is in the character development. It is hard to understand each of the sister’s motives behind their actions when you watch the movie, even if you have the background knowledge from the books. While it was so exciting to actually see these characters on screen, the lack of development is a huge let down. The film simply jumps from one action scene to the next, with none of the important insight into each girl and their battles and victories. It was hard to even get a sense of anybody’s personality; although it is obvious that the actor’s did their best with the script they were given. The best thing about the movie is a sense of liberation that is hard to explain. Watching characters come to life via a medium that wasn’t invented when the original was written is absolutely captivating. Nothing quite beats it.

In my opinion, the book of Little Women is far better than the 1994 film. The movie does have a few redeeming features; however its biggest asset has nothing to do with the actual movie, but rather with the fact that a 150-year-old book has been brought to screen. The character development, the moral lessons, and the overall sense of love and hope that prevails in the book will see me choose it over the film any day.