I watched "Little Women" a long time ago, and I only have vague memories of some plots, so it's hard to say anything about it. After watching the film version of "Little Women" (1994), my memory of the past became clear. An idea that pops up repeatedly in my mind is that Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice fit so well, and probably both are set in about the same period in England, although Little Women is set in the Civil War. America, but people in New England adhere to all the cultural vibes of their home country, and it's hard to tell them apart. Perhaps only in the intermingling German neighbors and Joe's German professor boyfriend, Frederick, the impact of American cultural intersection can be discerned.
Why do three classic works leave such a similar impression in my mind? A closer look reveals a similar theme—female growth. A novel by American author Louisa May Alcott , first published in 1868. The background of the story is the joys and sorrows of a pastor family in the United States during the Civil War and the growth of several of their women. At this time, the South still maintained an idyllic life. In Alcott's works and in the movies, this idyllic idyll is not expressed in the beauty and tranquility of life, but more in the purity of the moral values of the people inside. It can be seen that although the times have changed and women need more power, this view is undoubtedly new and bold in the society at that time, but the morality of this period still maintains the British elegance and gentlemanly demeanor. In the March family, although their lives are not rich, they still help their poor neighbors on a regular basis. Life is not perfect, but love and joy flow in the whole family. The girls write scripts and perform by themselves, and they are happy every day. As they get older, their life goals begin to go in different directions. The lively and moving Meg and Amy are full of yearning for love. Meg finally chose a poor but reliable tutor and became a happy and ordinary wife. Amy followed her mother-in-law to London to study painting and grew up into a high society. lady, while Beth, who is weak and shy and introverted, eventually leaves due to illness. Qiao went to New York to pursue her dream of being a writer, but the reality was far from being as perfect as she thought. She met a professor in Germany. The two had similar interests and fell in love quickly. Qiao also showed him her works. , but many works were written by Joe in order to cater to the mainstream hobbies of society, and Frederick did not agree. When Joe finally broke up because of his criticism of his own works, Joe returned home and witnessed Beth was gone, while Amy and Laurie were still on their way. Joe burst into tears at the thought that they would never be together again for the rest of their lives.
Throughout the work, Meg, Joe, and Amy have been insecure growing up. Mother and Beth have always been the strength behind them, they can find solace from here when they encounter pain, and these beautiful qualities of them also come from the good teaching of Mrs. March, who told them "I hope My daughters are beautiful, kind, multi-talented: admired and respected; youthful happiness, happy marriages...live a happy and meaningful life...money is a necessary and precious thing…but I never want you to see it as the first thing or the only goal. I would rather you be the wives of poor families with love and happiness than you have no self-respect, no Queen of Peace."
It's rare to be able to live in peace while living in poverty. This is why "Little Women" contains the theme of female growth compared to "Jane Eyre" and "Pride and Prejudice", but it is more tender . Jane is a helpless, lonely and helpless orphan. She eventually won respect and Rochester's love with her tenacity, independence, and self-esteem, but after all, Jane is a lonely woman. If there are posters for Qiao and Jane in these two works, Qiao will be in the warm sunshine in the south, while Jane is likely to be in the white snow field. "Pride and Prejudice" is a comedy of marriage, and there are multiple social relationships in it, but in my opinion, Elizabeth's independence is much weaker. The shadow of female growth is much weaker.
When watching "Little Women", I cried several times, that kind of reliance on the warmth of the family, that kind of reliability, is the source of her strength, the family's concern for the father who is far away on the battlefield, the care for others, and the love for her. family care. In the end, when Beth left, Joe's heart was broken, not just for Beth, she said "will we never all be together again?" The separation of the family was unbearable for her, it broke her heart, and the two may have It is also a collective sense of uncertainty in that turbulent era of the Civil War.
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