Little Women Read Along - Chapter 18-33 Discussion Post

 

 

I have finished the book a couple of days back and I really enjoyed it. I thank Jenni, Kami and Suey for hosting this Read Along. Today Kami has posted her discussion questions for chapters 18-33. Here they go along with my answers.....

Chapters 18 - 33 Discussion Questions:

1. What would be your dream cast for the March sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy), Marmee, Laurie, and whoever else you'd like to cast.

 

       I have not watched any film adaptation and I wish to see the 1994 film adaptation.

2. How do you feel about Meg and Mr. Brooke's relationship?

       

       Both Meg and Brooke had their hard time and they managed it very well. They are an ideal couple.

3. How do you feel about Jo's reaction to Meg getting married?

 

       Though it's natural to feel sad when your sister is going to leave the house after getting married, I felt Jo's reaction is little exaggerated.

 

4. The girls are growing up and changing, do you feel differently towards them now than you did at the beginning?

 

     I felt Jo has changed a lot from being a tomboyish girl to a traditional young woman.

 

5. Two important men were introduced in these chapters. What are your impressions of Mr. March and Professor Bhaer?

 

        Mr. March and Professor Bhaer are good, kindhearted men having lots of patience.

6. Do you think it was fair that Amy got to go to Europe instead of Jo?

 

        It was sad to see Jo's disappointment, but in the end it turned to be for the best.

7. What are your thoughts on the time period and setting of the book? Do you like it? Why do you think a very important historical event like the Civil War is hardly mentioned in the story?

 

        The time period is middle of 19th century  and it was set in March sisters house at New England, modeling Alcott's Orchard House. I liked the setting. As the novel is about the growing up of March sisters from adolescence to adulthood, Civil War is hardly mentioned though Mr. March is away at war at the start of the novel and Brooke goes to war and returns wounded before his marriage to Meg.

8. Louisa May Alcott supposedly patterned the March sisters after herself and her own sisters. How accurate do you think she portrayed her family? Do you think a lot of the book is an idealized version of her and her sisters?

 

       She portrayed herself and her sisters as the March sisters; I think it is fictionalized to some extent.

9.Why do you think Louisa May Alcott later added Part 2 to the book?

 

       Alcott closed the curtain of part- 1 saying it will rise after seeing the response. As the response was good and the readers wanted to know more about the March sisters, Alcott added Part 2.

10. What is your favorite adaptation of Little Women and why?

 

        I am yet to watch the film. Hopefully I will watch as per the Read Along Schedule.

 

  

 

 

Little Women - Part I

I am participating in the Little Women Read Along hosted by Jenni, Kami, Suey. According to the schedule they will be discussing chapter 1-17 today at Suey's blog. Have to go and check them after this post. I completed part one of Little Women. As I said earlier I am reading it for the second time. I completely loved it again.
Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott, which was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. She had no intention of writing this book and she wrote it at the request of her publisher Thomas Niles. She completed it over a span of ten weeks. It became an immediate commercial success. In 1880 the two volumes were compiled in a single work entitled Little Women. She then went on to write two sequels - Little Men (1871) and Jo's Boys (1886). The book has been adapted for film twice as silent film and four times with sound in 1933, 1949, 1978 and 1994. Four television series were made, two in Britain in the 1950's and two animated series in Japan in 1880. (Source - WWW)
It is a semi-autobiographical novel as it was based on Alcott's real experiences with her sisters.
Alcott set her novel in an imaginary orchard house modeled on her own residence. We follow the life of four sisters as they grow from adolescence to adulthood. The four sisters Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March live with their mother and their father is away at war when the story begins. It was Christmas eve and the girls were little upset for not getting any presents. They receive a letter from their father asking his little girls to do their duty and conquer their faults. The girls then tell their mother their faults. Mrs. March then remind them of a game called Pilgrim's Progress which they played when they were young. Mrs. March suggest them to play it again, but in a grown up way. The burdens are their character flaws, their road is the life ahead of them and the celestial city is Heaven. Mrs. March tells them that they will find a guidebook under their pillow on Christmas morning.
The narrator describes the March sisters to the reader. Now, Meg is the eldest and she is sixteen, pretty and beautiful. She loves luxury and is little romantic. She wishes to be less vain and to work harder. Jo is fifteen, tomboyish, easily loses her temper, love reading books, writing and very very active. She wants to do something great when she grows up. Jo wishes to do the duties at home and stop being tomboyish. Beth is thirteen, too good and perfect. She is shy and happy to be at home. She loves music and envies girls with piano. She wish to stop being afraid of people and not envy other girls with piano. Amy, the youngest is twelve, pretty girl. The thing that bothers is her nose. She loves to paint and want to be a gentle woman. She wishes to be less selfish.
In the first part, we see how the girls grow, entertaining themselves, coping with poverty, trying to conquer their faults. They always seek their mother for guidance. Marmee is such a wonderful mom who allows her girls to grow for themselves and giving guidance when sought. Amy's intention to give a party to her wealthy friends and how Marmee made her realize her mistake is a nice example of proper parenting. I loved their neighbor Mr. Lawrence and Laurie in particular. I also loved the way the girls entertained themselves with plays, Pickwick club and Busybee society. The Lawrence camp was entertaining. At the end of part I, Meg's love for Mr. John Brooke is revealed.
 

The Tenant Of Wildfell Hall

 

 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the second and final novel by the English author Anne Bronte. She died of pulmonary tuberculosis at the age of 29. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was first published in 1848 under the pseudonym Acton Bell. It is one of the first sustained feminist novels. It had an instant and phenomenal success, however after Anne's death, her sister Charlotte Bronte prevented its republication. (Source - Wikipedia)
It is an epistolary novel. Gilbert Markham writes to his friend and brother in law, his most secret story. The first part and third part of the story is from Gilbert's point of view. The second part is pages from Helen's diary which Gilbert reproduces in his letter. The protagonist of the novel, Helen comes as a tenant to Wildfell Hall as Mrs. Graham, a widow along with her son Arthur and a servantmaid. Wildfell Hall is near the village of Mr. Gilbert, where he lives with his mother, brother and sister. Since Mrs. Graham is reclusive, she becomes the subject of local Gossip. Gilbert befriends young Arthur, become fascinated with Mrs. Graham and falls in love with her. Wild rumors concerning Mrs. Graham begin to spread. Now Gilbert wishes to marry Helen, but Helen is not in a position to accept his proposal. He doubts that Helen is in love with Lawrence, the owner of Wildfell Hall. She gives him pages of her diary to unfold her mystery. From Helen's diary we come to know about her and her marriage to Arthur Huntingdon. Helen comes to know of Arthur's true nature after marriage. When Arthur begins to corrupt the child, she wants to flee from her husband. However, Huntingdon learns her plan and destroys it. But finally with the help of her brother Lawrence, she finds a refuge at Wildfell Hall.  After Gilbert reads Helen's diary, she bids him to leave her. He complies and soon he learns that she has returned to Grassdale as her husband is gravely ill. She nurses him, but Huntingdon dies. A year had gone. Gilbert hears about Helen's wedding and goes to Grassdale only to find it is Lawrence who is getting married. He finds that Helen is wealthy and lives at Staningley. He goes to Staningley, but hesitates to meet her. Lingering at the gate to have a glimpse of her, he encounters Helen, her aunt and young Arthur by chance. They reconcile and get married.
Twenty years had passed. We don't get to know about Helen after remarriage except that she and Gilbert had children. Whether she continues her painting work, we are left to wonder. Helen is bold and strong for a 19th century woman. It's a very engaging novel portraying the women's status in 19th century England.

I consider it for Reading England 2016 Challenge and Women's Classic Literature Event, though I have not included it when I signed for the challenge.

The Red Badge Of Courage - Stephen Crane

It is set in the background of American Civil War. It portrays the internal conflict of a young soldier at the warfront. Henry Fleming, a young man joins the battalion to be a part of the American Civil War. But when he faces the real war, he flees from it.

"At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage."

Seeing injured soldiers, he feels guilty for fleeing. He feels shame that he did not possess any wounds which are the marks of courage. He returns to his battalion and finally proves his courage. I am happy to have read this novel which is considered to be one of the great works of American literature.