Little Women Quotes

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: That's my grandfather. Are you scared of him?

Jo March: I'm not scared of anyone! He looks stern, but my grandfather was much more handsome.

Marmee March: Jo! We do not compare grandfathers!

Beth March: It's like the tide going out. It goes out slowly, but it can't be stopped.

Jo March: I'll stop it. I've stopped it before.

Mrs. Kirke: Kitty and Minny are waiting!

Jo March: My students need me.

Friedrich Bhaer: Always working.

Jo March: Money is the end and aim of my mercenary existence.

Friedrich Bhaer: No one gets ink stains like yours just out of a desire for money.

Jo March: Well my sister Amy is in Paris, and until she marries someone obscenely wealthy, it's up to me to keep the family afloat. Goodbye.

Friedrich Bhaer: Goodbye.

Amy March: Aren't you ashamed of a hand like that?

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: No, I'm not.

Amy March: It looks like it's never done a day of work in its life. And that ring is ridiculous.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Jo gave me this ring.

Amy March: I feel sorry for you, I really do. I just wish you'd bear it better.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: You don't have to feel sorry for me, Amy. You'll feel the same way one day.

Amy March: No, I'd be respected if I couldn't be loved.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: And what work have you done lately, oh great "artiste" - or have you been too busy imagining how you'll spend Fred Vaughn's fortune? FRED VAUGHN, ladies and gentlemen!

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: [Laurie standing on a chair, looking out the window]

John Brooke: Please. You have to learn this. I can't afford to lose this position. Just return to the Cicero.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: There's a girl out there!

John Brooke: No, there is not.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Yes, Mr. Brooke. There's a girl.

John Brooke: No, there is not.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: [Laurie moves a stool over for Mr. Brooke]

John Brooke: [stands on chair] Oh. There is a girl.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: That's a girl.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: [Yelling to Amy] Hello there. Are you hurt?

Amy March: I'm Amy!

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Hello Amy, I'm Laurie.

Amy March: I know. You brought my sister back from the dance. I would have never have sprained my ankle. I have lovely small feet, the best in the family. But I can never go home again, because I'm in such trouble. Look!

Amy March: [Holding up her hand] Mr Davis hit me.

Jo March: When is Amy coming home?

Marmee March: We didn't want to worry her.

Jo March: Does she not know?

Meg March: Beth insisted we not tell her because she didn't want to ruin Amy's trip.

Jo March: Amy has always had a talent for getting out of the hard parts of life.

Marmee March: Jo, don't be angry with your sister...

Amy March: I'm sorry, Jo.

Marmee March: Amy...

Amy March: It's just that the only thing you care about is your writing so it's not as if I could hurt you by ruining one of your dresses. And I really did want to hurt you. I am the most sorry for it now. I'm so sorry.

Marmee March: Jo, don't let the sun go down on your anger. Forgive her. Help each other, and you begin again tomorrow.

Jo March: She doesn't deserve my forgiveness. I will hate her! I will hate her forever!

Jo March: If she had died it would've been my fault.

Marmee March: She will be fine, the doctor said he didn't even think she'd catch cold.

Jo March: What is wrong with me? I've made so many resolutions and written sad notes and cried over my sins, but it just doesn't seem to help. When I get in a passion I get so savage I could hurt anyone and I'd enjoy it.

Marmee March: You remind me of myself.

Jo March: But you're never angry.

Marmee March: I'm angry nearly every day of my life.

Jo March: You are?

Marmee March: I'm not patient by nature, but with nearly forty years of effort I'm learning to not let it get the better of me.

Jo March: I'll do the same, then.

Marmee March: I hope you'll do a great deal better than me. There are some natures too noble to curb and too lofty to bend.

Beth March: Is there any news? What does she say?

Jo March: She writes that Laurie is there... I'm glad he's with her, he won't respond to any of my letters.

Beth March: Do you miss him?

Jo March: [Tearing up] I miss everything.

Beth March: I know.

Amy March: Well, I believe we have some power over who we love, it isn't something that just happens to a person.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: I think the poets might disagree.

Amy March: Well. I'm not a poet, I'm just a woman. And as a woman I have no way to make money, not enough to earn a living and support my family. Even if I had my own money, which I don't, it would belong to my husband the minute we were married. If we had children they would belong to him, not me. They would be his property. So don't sit there and tell me that marriage isn't an economic proposition, because it is. It may not be for you but it most certainly is for me.

Beth March: I love to listen to you read, Jo, but I love it even better when you read the stories you've written.

Jo March: I don't have any new stories.

Beth March: Why not?

Jo March: Haven't written any.

Beth March: You have pencil and paper. Sit here and write me something.

Jo March: Uhh. I can't, I don't think I can anymore.

Beth March: Why?

Jo March: It's just, no one even cares to hear my stories anyway.

Beth March: Write something for me. You're a writer. Even before anyone knew or paid you. I'm very sick and you must do what I say. Do what Marmee taught us to do. Do it for someone else.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Don't marry him.

Amy March: What?

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Don't marry him.

Amy March: Why?

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: You know why...

Amy March: No, Laurie, that's mean, it's just mean of you...

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Why?

Amy March: I have been second to Jo my whole life in everything and I will not be the person you settle for just because you cannot have her. I won't do it, not when, not when I've spent my entire life loving you.

Jo March: You will get better. Father will get better. And we'll all be together soon.

Beth March: We can't stop God's will.

Jo March: God hasn't met my will yet. What Jo wills shall be done.

Meg March: I can't believe today is my wedding day!

Jo March: Me neither.

Meg March: What's wrong?

Jo March: Nothing.

Meg March: Jo...

Jo March: We can leave. We can leave right now.

Meg March: What?

Jo March: I can make money: I'll sell stories, I'll do anything - cook, clean, work in a factory. I can make a life for us.

Meg March: But, Jo...

Jo March: And you, you should be an actress and have a life on the stage. Let's run away together.

Meg March: I want to get married.

Jo March: Why?

Meg March: I love him.

Jo March: You will be bored of him in two years and we will be interesting forever.

Meg March: Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn't mean they're unimportant. I want a home and a family and I'm willing to work and struggle, but I want to do it with John.

Jo March: I just hate that you're leaving me. Don't leave.

Meg March: Oh, Jo, I'm not leaving you. Besides, one day it will be your turn.

Jo March: I'd rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe. I would. I can't believe childhood is over.

Meg March: It was going to end one way or another. And what a happy end.

Jo March: I can't say "Yes" truly so I won't say it at all. You'll see that I'm right, eventually, and you'll thank me for it.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: I'll be hanged if I do!

Jo March: You'll find some lovely accomplished girl, who will adore you, and make a fine mistress for your fine house. I wouldn't. I'm homely and awkward and odd and you'd be ashamed of me and we would quarrel - we can't help it even now! - I'd hate elegant society and you'd hate my scribbling and we would be unhappy and wish we hadn't done it and everything will be horrid.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: Anything more?

Jo March: Nothing more -- except that... I don't believe I will ever marry. I'm happy as I am, and love my liberty too well to be in any hurry to give it up.

Theodore 'Laurie' Laurence: You will care for somebody, and you'll love him tremendously, and live and die for him. I know you will, it's your way, and you will and I'll watch.

Jo March: Teddy...

Jo March: Perhaps... perhaps I was too quick in turning him down. Laurie.

Marmee March: Do you love him?

Jo March: If he asked me again, I think I would say yes. Do you think he'll ask me again?

Marmee March: But do you love him?

Jo March: I care more to be loved. I want to be loved.

Marmee March: That is not the same as loving.

[epigraph]

Louisa May Alcott: I've had lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales.

Marmee March: I've spent my whole life ashamed of my country.

Susan Robbins: No offense meant, but you should still be ashamed.

Jo March: And I'm so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I'm so sick of it.

[Almost crying]

Jo March: But I'm so lonely...