Chapters 3 and 4

Background Information/Vocabulary:

• "garret" (p. 31)--like an attic, usually not a particularly nice one.  There is an association with the "starving artist"--he or she lives in a garret (because it's all s/he can afford) making art and not caring about practical concerns like food or furniture.  In this case, it's Jo's retreat in this very crowded house.  I imagine her sisters are not wild about the idea of hanging out with a rat, no matter how friendly it is.
  
• "russets" (p. 31)--a type of apple.  (This word can also be used as an adjective, in which case it means reddish-brown, like this kind of apple.)
  
  
• "poplin" (p. 31)--a type of cotton fabric.  The March girls have relatively inexpensive poplin dresses, rather than dresses made of silk or another fancy material.
  
• "toilet" (p. 32)--in this context, the process of getting dressed and groomed.  So, the March girls have simple "toilets", because they don't have a lot of choices in how they will dress or fix themselves up for this party.
  
• "ice" (p. 39) I assume this refers to some kind of frozen dessert, not just, you know, frozen water.  Some supper: ice cream and coffee!
• The Vicar of Wakefield can be read online; it's a bit more fun than Pilgrim's Progress, although it can be a little tricky because of its age.  But it's a book Jo enjoyed thoroughly. (p. 48)

My Noticings:

•  Jo is a mess!  She burned her dress and stained her gloves, and it really doesn't bother her much at all.  Since the Marches can't afford to replace her ruined things, she just shrugs and makes do.  Meg, on the other hand, would rather skip the party entirely or risk her own nice things (even her gloves!) than have Jo turn up without the "necessary" items.

• Poor Jo: parties are no fun if you can't talk to the people you want to talk to (skating!  with boys!  Out of the question!) or eat food (how unladylike!) or even really move around (how on earth did she manage to set her own dress on fire that time, anyway?)  But I suppose there had to be a reason for her to duck behind that curtain and meet Laurie. 
  
•  Oh man, I'd never noticed this before: Laurie is totally already into Jo.  Reading umpteen YA novels (and writing my own) has keyed me into language like this:
  

  But Laurie didn't laugh. He only looked down a minute, and the expression of his face puzzled Jo when he said very gently, "Never mind that. I'll tell you how we can manage. There's a long hall out there, and we can dance grandly, and no one will see us. Please come." (p. 37)

  He doesn't laugh at her, he can't look at her, he gets a weird expression on his face, and then he speaks "very gently"--this guy is toast.  It's all over.  He's crazy about her.  (Also, wow.  Who knew this interaction had been written in pretty much exactly the same way in every book since 1868.)
  

Final Thoughts:




We're really starting to see the ways in which the Marches' financial situation affects them.  The idea that family and simple pleasures can outweigh anything money can buy is repeated over and over throughout the book; certainly this is something that still bears repeating.  And I think one of the strengths of the novel is the way it shows each sister having different struggles--they're not all pining away for silk gowns, but they all want something they can't afford, they each have to go through their own unpleasant tasks each day, and they each handle it in different ways. 

Question for readers:

If you had to choose one of the jobs that the March sisters do: governess to spoiled children (Meg), companion to a crotchety old lady (Jo), assistant housekeeper (Beth), or student of a cranky teacher (Amy), which would you pick?  Why?