Little Woman

[CallingOnAvengingAngels]

Just finished reading Little Woman and Good Wives (inspired by a thread by someone who didn't like Little Woman a few days ago! ) And now I have questions ! : Beth is ..an odd character, no? She's 13 at the start and 19 when she dies. She plays with dolls all the way through as far as I could tell, she's "too shy" to go to school, and she doesn't seem to die of anything - doesn't seem to see a doctor or receive and treatment when she dies. Was she written as a someone we'd now see as developmentally delayed or someone on the autisic spectrum? Also what is Hannah's accent meant to be? Tried to read it as written and can't work out what it is meant to be!

My favourite book! I thought she dies because she never really recovers from scarlet fever? Agree with PP about Hannah, not sure what her accent is supposed to be other than not as 'posh' as theirs!

Scarlet fever can cause heart valve damage. I think Hannah is Irish?

I agree Hannah is of Irish descent; Asia, the cook in book 3 (Little Men) is black.

Without antibiotics scarlet fever was a dangerous disease. My grandmother lost her sense of smell for life from it.

Scarlet fever can cause heart valve damage

Ahh that makes sense - because she seems to get better from Scarlet Fever to the extent she can go outside, etc ( I think she does go visiting etc at least a couple of times), then declines a few years later when she dies. I was reading it while travelling yesterday and my eyes were did well up reading the chapter she dies, it is sad! Also welled up when Jo tells Laurie she doesn't love him.

See I always thought Hannah was Irish too, but on re-reading it her 'voice' doesn't sound Irish to me. I do think it's cheeky how she's described as more like one of the family than a servant - but she definitely puts in more work than them!

I used to think Hannah was black, then changed my mind to Irish.
Also thought Beth had TB (consumption) as a result of having a weakened immune system after the Scarlet Fever she caught from the Hummel’s baby, but the post-infection heart failure would also fit her vague symptoms.

Was Hannah Irish? I always presumed she was German like the Hummels.

I'm leaning more towards Hannah being black now I think.. it would fit with what I vaguely know about about Louisa Alcott's real life.

I was assuming TB as well, but she doesn't cough, and I feel like Consumption was known and talked about in other books from a similar time period.

Also noticed on this re-read that Laurie had a little sister who died? The piano that Beth gets belonged to her? And that seemed so sad, because she's never mentioned again. Poor Laurie had lost his parents and sister by the time he was 15, no wonder he was messed up.
I have to admit I skimmed over the more moralising bits this time, and the descriptions of the plays they put on. 😀

I'm leaning more towards Hannah being black now I think.. it would fit with what I vaguely know about about Louisa Alcott's real life.

No, I don't think so if you compare versus the depiction of Asia.

No, I don't think so if you compare versus the depiction of Asia.

that gives me an excuse to download the next 2 and read them! I think when I first read them I didn't like them enough, but I can't really remember what I didn't like. Will give them a go!

Long time since I read these! Used to read them a lot.

Iirc Beth's character is based on Louisa's sister Elizabeth "Lizzie" Alcott who died in her early 20's of rheumatic fever believed to be acquired from having scarlet fever.

RF is rare these days as its bacterial in cause and we have antibiotics and steroids etc now but it was fairly common even here in the uk until I think the 1940's?

My father had a cousin die of it before my father was born in the late 40's.

It can indeed affect the heart and membranes of the brain.

Re pp who mentioned she didn't see a dr - they couldn't afford it! They were a poor family and there was no health insurance then.

I believe in parts of the USA among certain groups it is still a problem because they can't access healthcare:

My DM had rheumatic fever when she was a child before WWII, and had heart valve damage.

Yes, Asia is specifically referred to as ‘the black cook’ in Little Men. There were comparatively few African-Americans in New England in the 19th century, although there would have been some demographic shifts after the Civil War, so I think Alcott would have thought it worth stating if Hannah were black.

I vaguely recall something about the scarlet fever leaving a ‘shadow’ on Beth but I can’t find the quotation and I wonder if I’m actually remembering this from the 1994 film. I suppose the general sense of acceptance that Beth will die is part of a wider fatalistic faith in God.

Re pp who mentioned she didn't see a dr - they couldn't afford it! They were a poor family and there was no health insurance then.

They weren't really poor. They may have been in 'genteel poverty' but that was the kind of poverty that still could afford servants.

Yes - and by then Meg had married and left home, and Amy was in Europe, so there were two fewer mouths to feed. Mr. March had returned, of course, but presumably would have had some kind of a small war pension?

They did call Dr Bangs when it was really urgent, like during Beth's initial infection.

Also noticed on this re-read that Laurie had a little sister who died? The piano that Beth gets belonged to her?

I thought that was his aunt - old Mr Laurence's own daughter?

I thought it was Laurie's mother! I'll need to re-read!

I think it says Laurie said how much Mr Laurence had doted on the little girl, and then says the Beth reminds him of his granddaughter .. will have to check!

Yes that's what I thought re their financial status - they're not rich, but they seem to be doing better at this point - even though Amy's trip is paid for, they must have been doing better or she'd have had to work too...

Must remind myself they are not real

Maybe things were better economically because the civil war was over and the father was home and I suppose working (not entirely clear on that). Jo contributed financially with the proceeds from her sensationalist stories, didn't she?
Also, I also can't imagine old Mr Laurence letting Beth go short of a doctor or the Marches being too proud to receive help on that score if it was needed - I think they did have one but there was little that could be done in those times.

Def not Laurie's mother - she was Italian and Mr L didn't approve of the marriage.

I also can't imagine old Mr Laurence letting Beth go short of a doctor or the Marches being too proud to receive help on that score if it was needed - I think they did have one but there was little that could be done in those times.

Absolutely. It was her heart giving up due to the damage from the scarlet fever.

I don't believe Beth was autistic at all. Certainly suffering from anxiety though. I don't find it odd that she plays with dolls until she's an adult - queen Victoria did likewise! There wasn't any TV in those days...

I think Hannah is black. Amy despises the 'little Irish children' which it seems unlikely she would if Hannah were Irish - the whole family love Hannah.

Beth had had scarlet fever which weakened her heart.

Hannah the help was not black and she was like part of the family.

My favourite film version of 'Little Women' is the one with Wynona Ryder as Jo.

Louisa May Alcott based the story on her own family who went through great financial hardship because the dad was a transcendentalist. He tried various projects which didn't work and sometimes they nearly starved! It's interesting to read the background of LM Alcott and there is a biographical book about her.

Hannah is not black.

I'm currently watching the Wynona Ryder version on Netflix and think I'll read the book.