Chapter 9

NOTE: Page numbers refer to the Barnes & Noble Classics paperback edition.

Background Information/Vocabulary:

• "dowdy" (p. 90)--unfashionable, out of style

• "Mrs. M has made her plans, I dare say, and will play her cards well, early as it is." (p. 90) The women are discussing the friendship between the Laurences and the Marches, and speculating that Mrs. March has encouraged it so that Meg will wind up marrying Laurie and becoming wealthy.  None of this ever occurred to poor Meg, who only thinks of Laurie as a good friend (and it probably wouldn't occur to anyone who knew Mrs. March well, either, as it's totally untrue and out of character.)
• "worsted work" (p. 91)--light knitting or sewing (probably, since the fashionable young ladies are doing it, work that is mostly decorative or artistic rather than practical; a hobby)

• "It's evident Daisy isn't out yet" (p. 91)--when a young lady came "out", it meant that she was to be treated as an adult--particularly in the context of courting and marriage
• "pastoral" (p. 91)--related to country/rural life; the connotation is heavily idealized.  In this case, it means that Meg is far removed from sophisticated life and is too naive to realize that Laurie is a wealthy potential suitor.
• Meg "rebels" against even a little bit of rouge (what we more often call "blush" today) because attitudes toward wearing makeup were different then.  Although it's almost expected today that women will wear makeup, especially at fancy events, then it was something that a lot of people disapproved of.  Clearly, among this fashionable set, it doesn't seem to be a big deal, but that's not how Meg rolls.  (p. 92)

My Noticings:

•  Alcott's style is more straightforward than, say, that of Jane Austen, or even Charles Dickens; the humor in Little Women has more to do with what's happening and less to do with how the story is told.  (And in fact, as much as I love this book, it's not as funny as Austen or Dickens.  I don't think it tries to be.)  But in this chapter, we do get some cutting observations of the well-to-do.  We learn that Mrs. Moffat makes the assumptions she does about Laurie because she "judged others by herself" (p. 90) and Sallie, "who was not an observing young lady," embarrasses Meg by asking why Meg doesn't simply send home for another dress, when Meg clearly doesn't have closets full of dresses as Sallie does.  (p. 92) 
• There's a tough double-standard here: Marmee tells her girls that "to be loved and chosen by a good man is the best and sweetest thing which can happen to a woman," but she cautions them against being "unmaidenly girls, running about to find husbands." (p. 99-100)

Final Thoughts: 

This is our first real look at "society"--the life that the Marches left behind when they lost their money.  The book quite clearly endorses Mrs. March's ideas: that children should live simply, that marriage should have only to do with love, not money, and that there are more important things than money and fashion.  I do wonder, though, if trying to shield her girls from the way the fashionable people live and think is actually doing them a disservice: Marmee even strongly implies that she wouldn't have let Meg go if she knew what she would encounter (p. 98).   Similar to Marmee's description of her struggle with her temper vs. her husband's apparent perfection in the last chapter, this makes me wonder about the virtues of a life lived with no temptation (like Mr. March, who never feels angry, or the way Mrs. March would prefer to raise her daughters, keeping them away from people she disagrees with) vs. one in which temptation must be overcome (Marmee's triumphs over her temper; Meg's repentance upon returning from her trip.)


 Question for readers:



What parallels exist between the standards for female behavior we see in this chapter (it's fashionable but frowned-upon to wear makeup; the girls pressure Meg into wearing tight and revealing clothes; marriage is seen as the pinnacle of female achievement but trying too hard to get a husband is somehow "unmaidenly", etc.) and modern expectations of women?  If this chapter took place now, what concerns would Meg be thinking about?