Awesome Ladies, Day 26

[next_to_normal]

We are approaching the end of this, the longest month in the history of EVER.

Day Twenty-Six: Favorite classical female character
(from pre-20th century literature or mythology or the like)
Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March


Originally, I'd planned to include the March family on mother/daughter/sister day. But my lack of "classical" literature knowledge means that I don't have many other options, haha. Sort of cheating a bit, since I picspammed the movie, but I was also a huge fan of the books - not just Little Women, but the less-popular ones that came after it, too. I also had Meg and Jo dolls as a child. (Not sure how I ended up with two of the four, but Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz made a passable Beth and an Alice in Wonderland doll doubled as Amy, haha.) Pretty sure my mother still has them somewhere, actually. Anywho, being an only child, I am fascinated by stories about family and particularly siblings. I'm not sure if this was the first one to give me sibling envy, but it was one of the earliest I can remember.

I was a relentless Jo/Laurie shipper back in the day, which may have had more to do with Christian Bale than anything else. And I still cry EVERY TIME Beth dies. Man, now I kinda want to watch the movie again...

Comments

[alexeia_drae]

Little Women was something I read over and over again growing up. I read the sequels once, though they didn't have the same thrill. And a Meg and Jo doll! How awesome is that!?

Lately I've become interested in Louisa May Alcott's "scandalous" works such as A Long Fatal Love Chase a a series of short stories she did wrote. Love Chase was considered to be too racy to publish when she wrote it! Of course while it's a fun, fast read, I wasn't all that scandalized. Ah, changing times.

[next_to_normal]

Heh, yeah, the sequels aren't nearly as good. Maybe because they're all about the BOYS? I recall thinking, "Why so few girls?" and of course, I can't remember the characters' names anymore, but whichever ones I liked, I felt there wasn't enough of them.

Oooh, scandalous! I must check this out.

[pocochina]

MARCH SISTERS! <3 <3 <3

I enjoyed the later books, too! Though I look back and understand my reaction much better now. I couldn't have put my finger on why at the time, but Jo getting married (being hammered down into heterosexuality) was unimpressive to me. I liked her husband and kids as characters, but it felt wrong.

bwahaha, I remember the first time I watch the Winona Ryder movie and was so excited because I had read the book so many times, and my perky Amyesque little sister plopped down right next to me and asked WHICH ONE DIES? BETH? WHICH ONE'S BETH? DID BETH DIE YET?!? every five minutes.

[next_to_normal]

I couldn't have put my finger on why at the time, but Jo getting married (being hammered down into heterosexuality) was unimpressive to me.

Hmmm, that's interesting. And here I always thought it was just because I was a Jo/Laurie shipper. :) But, you know, the thing I liked about that pairing is that Jo could be herself around Laurie - which is why the whole proposal thing scared the shit out of her, because she didn't want things to change. You're right, she seems like she's being hammered into a role she didn't really fit.

[ever_neutral]

*draws many hearts and flowers*

UGHHH JO/LAURIE TO THE DEATH. WHYYYYYYYYYYY.

[next_to_normal]

I MAY HAVE WRITTEN JO/LAURIE FANFIC IN MY HEAD. I WAS A PRECOCIOUS CHILD.