#nat blake

[besotted-with-austen]

Margaret Brooke: Daisy should not go around making foolish promises at such a young age! It is way too early for her to think of marriage!

Josephine Bhaer: *smiling* you were around the same age when you were writing “Margaret Brooke née March” on your journal-

Margaret Brooke: but I was different! And John was different! He was a man with a job, not a kid with a dream!

[morningdawnbreaks]

Illustrations of Little Men

by Louisa May Alcott

[rainbowmilk1996]

Just some wholesome pics of Nat and Daisy from the anime adaptation of Little Men for your timeline.

I unironically love them both so much. Daisy needs more love.

[kimorrow]

STOP SCROLLING!

let Luca and Alberto draw you in

Now. I can’t be the only one who was thinking of Dan and Nat from Louisa May Alcott‘s “Little Men” the whole time right?

Also, Tom and Huck

I cant be the only one, right?

You May now continue scrolling.

[the-other-art-blog]

Jo’s Boys: Chapter 2 Parnassus (Part 3)

Did I tell you that my first two posts about this chapter only covered 4 pages of the chapter... 4 pages!!!

The shrine 🥺

Probably one of my favorite things in this book. It's such a thoughtful thing to have for such a powerful legacy. And it definitely echoes May’s shrine to her mother in her home with Ernest.

So there are a couple of busts of John and Beth. Both were made by Amy and she chose marble. The material is very important. It goes after the saying:

'Clay represents life; plaster, death; marble, immortality'.

It just made think me of the idea of an afterlife that was very important to Louisa. Marble also is a luxury and art teachers only let the best students try the material. So it's really significant that Amy chose this material (and it also speaks of how good she is as an artist).

For the old generation, there are three portraits. On the right, there is Mr. Laurence's painting and is called the “founder of the house”, which makes me think that he got to live there at least for a few moments. And it's also the same portrait that Jo saw in LW part 1. There are so many Easter eggs in this book.

There's also Aunt March. I really like that it's said to be "a legacy to Amy". I don't know if Aunt March married a wealthy man for love or if it was an arranged marriage gone right. But if it was the former, then Amy kind of repeated the pattern: the girl from a working-class who falls for a wealthy man and thanks to that she rises up in society.

Also, Aunt March was also the most and least supportive person to Amy's artistic dreams. On the one hand, she paid for her artistic education in exchange for becoming her companion. On the other, I highly doubt Aunt March expected and wanted Amy to work as an artist. Or maybe she just left the portrait to Amy and I’m over-analyzing. Who cares, I love this relationship.

At last, it's Marmee's portrait. It was made by a friend of hers, when they were still poor and I just think it shows how kind and free of prejudices Marmee was. I like to think Marmee gave him his first gig! And maybe Amy and Laurie helped him later on. I really have to make a list of all my headcanons.

Fritz x Jo

This is also a great chapter for JoxFritz fans. They had a make out scene and they’re so in love. It’s a thing of beauty. Jo is so excited for Franz’s engagement. These boys are truly part of the family and I love it. 🥰

Nat Blake

So, Nat is all grown up and about to go to Europe. Laurie is financing his trip and Fritz will help him with some friends in Germany. Jo... well, she doesn’t have much hopes. In Little Men, both Jo and Fritz described him as a “daughter” and even though he has grown up, in Jo’s eyes, he needs to get stronger and independent. Look, this might seem politically incorrect today, but please, this is 1880s, give them a break.

But hey, we have a forbidden love! I’m writing a post solely on this subject, but just know it mirrors Amy and Laurie. 🥰

Feminism

Jo’s Boys also makes some of the clearest feminist remarks in the entire saga. After a discussion with Ted, Josie goes to Mr. March and Bess and asks,

'Grandpa, must women always obey men and say they are the wisest, just because they are the strongest?'

'Well, my dear, that is the old-fashioned belief, and it will take some time to change it. But I think the woman's hour has struck; and it looks to me as if the boys must do their best, for the girls are abreast now, and may reach the goal first,' answered Mr March, surveying with paternal satisfaction the bright faces of the young women, who were among the best students in the college.

I really enjoyed all the Ancient Greece references. It’s a really long and interesting discussion. And Laurie is there too. But it’s great to see women questioning the status quo and men encouraging them and having faith in them.

Emil arrival

So Emil comes back and bring gifts to everyone. It’s all really nice and I love his gift to Amy:

'I couldn't find anything swell enough for Aunt Amy, because she has everything she wants, so I brought a little picture that always makes me think of her when Bess was a baby'

But the best one is the one for Nat: a pair of lava earrings shaped like little skulls. To which Bess is horrified! 😂 Why do I feel that’s something my sister would like. She was all excited dissecting rats in a lab and she sent me pictures of the brains as if that was something I enjoyed watching. That’s Nat. In modern times, Nat would be like, look this surgery tape, it’s awesome! Poor Bess and Josie.

[besotted-with-austen]

Accidentally leading a woman on to the point where she and her family expect you to propose:

Frederick Wentworth 🤝 Nat Blake

[rainbowmilk1996]

Get you someone who looks at you like Nat looks at Daisy.

[the-other-art-blog]

My Little Men’s thoughts part 4: Laurie

Music

I highly appreciate that Louisa showed how Laurie didn’t drop music once and for all. Not only is he helping Nat, but he is still composing! He’s not crafting an opera, but isn’t it more special to compose for his loved ones?? Without the pressure to be successful and famous artist??

He wrote a beautiful piece for Nat to perform in Thanksgiving.

And like I mentioned when I talked about Nat. He shows great responsibility towards his protegee. He’s a true mentor for the boy. He wants him to succeed. He wants him to have the opportunity to prove himself and earn a living from his music. I think that’s very noble.

I think part of him is always going to wonder how his life might have turned out if he would have had genius. However, there’s a quote in Little Woman in Blue that I think can apply to Laurie’s (and even Amy’s) situation.

It’s Mrs. Nieriker (May’s mother-in-law) talking to May:

“Don’t give up your art. I had help with my children, but there were always quarrels to settle, cups of milk to pour, lost toys to be found, or small heartbreaks to help mend. But I made sure to spend twenty minutes a day at the piano. It made a difference to shut the door.”

Laurie’s background

Laurie’s background is fuzzy to say the least. Really the only thing that we know for sure is that his father ran away to marry his Italian mother because Mr. Laurence did not approve of her. We don’t even know why for sure. Later they died somehow and Laurie was left at Mr. Laurence’s care. He spent a few years in boarding schools until he turned 15 and needed to get ready to attend college in America.

You have to read very carefully to grasp for details and clues that can easily go unnoticed. But even with the oversimplification of his background, you can quickly realize that that boy is, to quote @thatvermilionflycatcher, a “walking trauma”.

I bring this up because in Chapter 4: Stepping Stones it is stated that music help Nat go through the hardest parts of life. And while this was discussed, we find out Laurie also took refuge in music.

Perhaps his [Nat’s] love of music kept it sweet in spite of the discord all about him; Mr. Laurie said so, and he ought to know.

I imagine little Laurie being enchanted by his mother’s talent and wanting to be like her. It’s such a shame that his parents died and couldn’t witness their son’s achievements. I imagine she would have been much more willing to give him a musical education, not like Mr. Laurence. And maybe that’s why he hold on to his dream to be a composer for so long until he realized he didn’t possess genius and let it go.

The jolliest uncle

Laurie’s generosity and kindness is not reserved for Nat only. He is like that with every one!

He’s the rich uncle and he doesn’t waist opportunities to spoil the children:

He bought the little kitchen toy for Daisy.

He set up the “Laurence Museum” for Dan. And we also learned about how he wants to endow some sort of institution later on.

He took Dan on a carriage ride to lift his spirits when he was hurt.

He tells exciting stories of his adventures. Btw, he went to Egypt!

He let Dan break his new horse.

And he helps with the financing of Plumfield

He does confess that work is a bit tiresome, so he does all this kind deeds to amuse himself.

Part 1: Jo and Fritz, 

Part 2: the girls at Plumfield,

Part 3: Nat Blake