Let's have a chat about Jo March. Josephine (Jo) March is possibly one of my favorite, if not my favorite, character in classical literature. I identify a lot with her refusal of classical female gender stereotypes while still keeping her own femininity. Louisa M. Alcott did an incredible job portraying such a groundbreaking character for the era the book was published in. HOWEVER: There has always been something that bothered me incredibly every time I read the sequel to little women, good wives, or watched the move. I get incredibly upset at the fact that Jo does not end up marrying Laurie, but instead marries professor Bhaer, a German professor she meets once she leaves her family's house. Now, this does not disappoint me because I "shipped" Jo and Laurie (I did, not the point), but because in my opinion Alcott destroyed all the hard work she put in to creating the character of Jo buy having her marry Bhaer. HERE'S WHY: Josephine March is an incredibly strong character, she's hot headed, creative, altruist and mostly full of life and passion. When she's she Laurie this traits of her are enhanced and are able to flourish. Laurie is a very proper young man, but he's also very progressive, and he appreciates Jo with all the little quirks and fantasies she has, he loves her because it's her, the girl he grew up with, the Tom boy that writes and makes him lough and doesn't want to dance at a party, that doesn't wear gloves and who's dresses are always burned from staying too close to the fireplace. On the other hand, what Bhaer does, in my opinion, is diminish all their wonderful qualities that make Jo one of my favorite character. He criticizes her stories and thinks of himself as a superior just because he's a man, and he had been able to go to university, learn many languages and Braden his colture with the help of society. Criticizes Jo so much (in a non constructive way) that he makes her give up writing, the one thing that gave her joy throughout her life, and makes her in to in to the '800 wife she was "suppose to be" instead of allowing her to keep her rebellious qualities. Alcott created such an incredible, independent character, just to make her fall in love with the 1st man who "puts her in her place", the 1st man who made her in to what is alluded by the title, a "good wife". This is why I'm mad at Alcott, and mostly I'm mad a Jo, because she is one of my favorite characters, I identified with her as a kid, and I still do, but to her younger self, the Jo that should have married Laurie, and she disappointed me in the end. Rant over...
