Background Information/Vocabulary:
- The rosary, a string of beads arranged in a set pattern, is a counting tool for a set pattern of repeated prayers (each bead of the rosary is associated with a particular prayer, so as a person prays, s/he moves his/her fingers along the beads to keep track of what prayers have already been said.) These prayers are offered to Mary, who Christians honor as the mother of Jesus. The rosary is usually associated with Catholicism, as most Protestant religions don't believe in praying to Mary or the other saints. (p. 190)
- "sealing wax" (p. 194)--wax that could be melted onto a folded piece of paper or the back flap of an envelope to hold it shut; often, a person's "seal" or another design was pressed into the wax while it was soft using a special metal disc.
- "standish" (p. 194)--a dish for pens and pencils
- I have no idea from where Amy got the $100 she leaves to her father in her will. Perhaps the Marches managed to put away a little money for each of their girls? Perhaps Aunt March gave it when the girls were born? I mean, it's not like they need college funds--maybe this is to help them set up housekeeping someday?
Final Thoughts:
These chapters really move fast: first Beth almost dies, then Marmee arrives, then Amy nearly converts to Catholicism, then all the business about Meg and Mr. Brooke! The pacing is pretty remarkable, but I guess that's because we're nearing the end of what was originally its own book. There are only three more chapters till the end of Part 1, so I guess Alcott is trying to wrap things up for the moment.
Question for readers:
What do you make of the scene between Jo and Laurie on pages 183-185, when she comes in from sending for Mrs. March and he tells her he'd already done it? If you had to write the subtext--what each character is thinking--during this scene, what would it sound like?
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