My first time watching Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of Little Women, I was absolutely floored. Every little detail was beautiful, from the cinematography to the storytelling itself. Gerwig always does a phenomenal job highlighting what it means to be a woman. We saw this in Barbie (2023) and Lady Bird (2017), but Little Women is a classic story that many people read during their childhood. Although I read this book as a little girl, seeing it played out in front of me had an entirely different effect. By showing various aspects of womanhood, these characters help young women accept themselves. What I especially love about the March sisters is that they aren’t perfect. They are vulnerable and multidimensional—unlike the typical, one-dimensional portrayal of women in the media. As a woman, it’s relieving to be able to see our flaws on the big screen.
Jo March is a feisty, independent girl. For all of the girls who grew up “tom-boyish,” she shows what it’s like trying to balance your boyish, playful side along with what society deems as womanly. Speaking from experience, I detested wearing dresses and would much rather play in mud. Much like Jo, as I grew older it became harder for me to embrace my femininity and do more traditionally feminine things. I believe many young women have experienced that as they grew up. Jo was always rougher and more independent than her sisters. As Jo grows up, she feels complex things like love and beauty are out of reach because she never saw herself as lovable or beautiful like her sisters. In the movie, Jo says, “I care more to be loved. I want to be loved.” Although she ultimately rejects Laurie’s proposal, she still desires that love and strong human connection. Even though Jo struggled with her physical self-image, she valued her intellect and her writing. In fact, it was her desire to be published, which dominated her attention, rather than to find love. So many women are shamed for focusing on their careers instead of settling down and having children at an early age, especially in the past. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with establishing yourself professionally before settling down with a family. Jo perfectly encapsulates this.
Amy March is the quintessential younger sibling. Florence Pugh absolutely embodies the character’s little girl mannerisms and, in doing so, enhances the story and makes the movie far more realistic. Throughout the film, Amy tries to seem more mature than she is. Since she’s the youngest, she’s always being left out of things and is forced to entertain herself. A big motive of Amy’s character is her relationship with Jo; she always feels like she’s second best to her. When Laurie, the family’s neighbor, was introduced, it was apparent that Amy had a crush on him. Alas, Laurie focused all his attention on Jo. This obviously crushed Amy and, in a way, made her feel undesirable despite her beauty. As she grew older, she realized that she needed to get over her crush on Laurie and marry a rich man to help provide for her family. Amy became very focused on her image, leading people to perceive her as vain, but reflecting on your image does not make you vain. Amy’s intelligence is often overlooked as well. She’s very ambitious and wise for her age, establishing that she’s aware that marriage is more of an economic proposition at this point than an act of love.
Meg is the pinnacle of the perfect older sister. She is responsible, talented and ambitious. Although she grew up seemingly “perfect,” she still chose to marry for love, which was very rare for the time, as the movie takes place during the Civil War. It is often perceived that independence is a feminist trait, and if you choose love over independence, then you’re anti-feminist. Meg, however, shows that you can still choose love and be a feminist at the same time. She wants a family, and that in itself is powerful because she’s making a choice for herself. Jo often doesn’t understand Meg’s appeal to love; after she gets married Jo makes a snarky comment: “you will be bored of him in two years and we will be interesting forever.”
Beth’s character definitely had the least amount of screen time, but that doesn’t make her any less significant. Beth is truly a fighter; she battles scarlet fever and survives. She’s incredibly quiet, but her musical talent is not to be diminished. Beth is an incredibly gifted piano player and a gentle soul. She follows her passions and is genuinely kind to everyone. She shows how important it is to show compassion to everyone, including those who may have stern reputations, such as Laurie’s grandfather. Beth goes to show that people shouldn’t underestimate women who do not need to be the center of attention, like Amy-type characters.
Greta Gerwig’s Little Women perfectly encompasses what it means to be a woman and how womanhood looks different in everyone. Womanhood can be reflected in independence and resilience, or talent and beauty. Despite the countless hardships the March sisters encountered, they still remained true to themselves.