Little Women—a Writer’s Perspective

I hate to admit that Little Women is one of those books where I watched the movie before I read the book. I saw the Winona Rider version in the 90s, and fell in love with the story. Not just the sister aspect, but Jo's character arc as a writer. 

Jo learns to write what she knows, her story, instead of what she thinks other people want to read. I may be in the minority, but I prefer Bauer to Laurie. Bauer isn't afraid to tell Jo the truth, something every writer needs.

I recently saw the new adaption with its lush New England scenery, cinematography, and acting. The music was beautiful, and the scenes with the sisters were poignant. Overall, the acting was much stronger than the 90s version. Certainly, this is a new classic.
 
Here are a few of my other thoughts. (Spoilers ahead!)

1. The back-and-forth timeline was very jarring, and I was often confused as to which time period we were in. The switching back and forth between Beth getting well (as a child) and dying (as an adult) was overtly confusing. Structure must serve the story.

2. I did not like the emphasis on money being the be all, end all for women. Money is Jo's main motive for writing, and Amy gives a speech about marrying for money. This didn't feel true to the story, but a modern interpretation of life back then. Marriage was more than a contractual agreement (even in those days!), and the idea of writing for money is almost laughable. (Louisa Mae Alcott was financial successful, but even in those days that was very rare, especially for female writers.)

3.  The ending. I  didn’t get the ending until a few days after I’d seen it. I thought Jo had gotten her book and married Bauer. Instead, it’s a choose-your-own adventure. It reminded me of  La, La Land in that way. I disagree that following your dream means you must give up love or a family. It’s not either/or. And if I truly had to choose, I’d choose my husband and family over writing.



However, as a writer, my favorite scene was her book being printed!

Have you seen the new Little Women? Do you think someone must choose between making art and having a family?