Was there any circularity in this adaptation?  I’m not sure.  There was definitely a strong emphasis on feminism and independence.  There was plenty of juxtaposition/binary opposition with Jo cutting her hair.  With long hair, Jo retains more of a feminine quality.  She is naive and innocent and interested more in playing with Laurie than in becoming a young lady.  However, when she cuts her hair to raise money for Marmee’s trip to Washington, she loses a bit of her innocence.  By this I mean she realizes the power of  money as a tool.  Her hair becomes a commodity and she the bearer of this tool which has the power to regenerate itself.  Her hair keeps growing and she can keep selling it.  It is odd that men lose power when they cut their hair and women gain it when they do the same.