Robyn’s Blog

I thought it was extremely intriguing that all the literary intellects who commented on the book Little Women found themselves explicitely relating to Jo as a character.  I found myself wondering if all these sophisticated women were actually akin to Jo, or if they simply wanted be like her.  It is undeniable that Jo is one of the most charasmatic characters ever created in a novel.  How could anyone not like Jo.  She’s perfectly adorable.  “Fifteen-year old Jo was very tall, thin, and brown, and reminded one of a colt, for she never seemed to know what to do with her long limbs, which were very much in her way.  She had a decided mouth, a comical nose, and sharp, gray eyes, which appeared to see everything, and were by turns fierce, funny, or thoughtful.  Her long, thick hair was her one beauty, but it was usually bundled into a net, to be out of her way.  Round shoulders had Jo, big hands and feet, a flyaway look to her clothes, and the uncomfortable appearance of a girl who was rapidly shooting up into a woman and didn’t like it.” (6).  It is interesting how Louisa May Alcott sets up the personalities of her characters  from the very beginning of her book, but if I did an in-depth analysis of everything I found remotely interesting, this would be a very long blog indeed.

Even if you aren’t like Jo at all, she is the kind of person that you wish you were.  She is passionate, creative, inventive, quirky, spunky, spirited, and often ridiculous.  She’s often crazy and frustrating, and is all the more lovable for her faults.  Jo experiences struggles inherent to any girl trying to “find herself” as she grows into a woman.  She is, as Dr. Campbell says, both looking for a connection with her own sense of self, as well as simultaneously trying to understand how she fits into her community and experiences with other people.  She is trying to assert herself as an individual while also trying to be loved and form significant human connections. 

Jo is an incredibly relatable character, because we can find her in all of us.  Even if we are not exactly like Jo, we can find something about her to emphasize with and connect with our own sense of self.  I think it’s interesting how when we watch movies and read books, everyone usually talks about how they are similar to a particular character, and more often than not everyone relates to the same character.  No one ever relates to Beth.  No one ever wants to.  Beth is a weak character. 

I have a lot more to say on this I think, so I will reflect on this more later and probably come back to it later.