《小妇人》中女性形象的分析(3)
Eager for an inkstand, a stable full of Arabian steeds, and rooms piled with books, Jo hopes to be a famous and rich writer and do something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after she is dead. At that time, she is unwilling to grow up and scorn love and romance which is just accepted in books for her. That is her castle in the air.
2.2 Jo in the Eyes of Others
Jo is a girl who makes different impressions on different people. In the eyes of her parents, she is a rebellious daughter whose clothes, behavior and thoughts are like boys.In her sisters’s eyes, Jo is more like a brother. She never cares about what she looks like and admires all boys could do. Besides, she has a gift for writing. Bad temper as she is, she is so helpful, when others get caught in sticky situations. In the eyes of males, Jo is a special girl. Compared with other girls, she is independent, frank, longing for freedom and has strong wills.
2.2.1 Jo in the Eyes of her Parents
Jo is a “son” in her parents’ eyes, whose clothes behavior and thoughts are similar to boys. She is so independent and tough that she could work to support the family and handle most of her own things. So filial she is that she buys mom a pair of slippers as the Christmas present while she gets noting for herself. Though it is difficult for a girl, she prefers to sell her beautiful long hair for her father when Mr. March is sick. She tries her best to comfort her parents and undertake everything in the family when Beth is dead, though she is also extremely distressed on Beth’s death.
Besides, she is reliable for her parents to share her sister’s secrets and to stay with and look after them after Meg is married, Amy goes abroad and Beth is dead. Being a bookworm, their Jo spends her most of time in reading books and on writing in her leisure. She is so optimistic, humorous and frank that she brings a lot of joy to the family and friends. What’s more, she has her own vision of love. For her, marriage must be based on love, so she could not marry someone just for money.
However, being confused, Jo also makes mistakes and needs help. Once she is so angry with Amy about Amy burning her favorite book, Jo refuses to forgive her and lets her alone. Unfortunately, Amy falls into the river and is almost dead. After that Jo is very regretful and does not know how to deal with her dreadful temper. Her mother soothes her and gives her instruction rather than blame her. And once Jo does not know how to handle the relationship between Laurie and her, she decides to go away to avoid his love. Her mother agrees with her that “Jo and Laurie are very happy as friends, but they are too much alike: they are too fond of freedom, not to mention hot tempers and strong wills, which are not good for mating for life.” (Louisa May Alcott 298) Because of getting on happily together in a relation needs infinite patience and forbearance as well as love. So her mother makes Jo more determined on her decision.
At times, for her parents, Jo is very frail and needs comforting. After Beth dies, she aches with a ceaseless longing for her sister and has to bear heavier burdens all alone. Tough as she seems, actually, she feels too lonely to stand all of this. She is so helpless that she just sobs at night. “Her mother comes to comfort her, not with words only, but the patient tenderness that soothes by a touch, tears that remind her that her mother bears a greater grief than her, and broken whispers are more eloquent than prayers, as soon as she hears Jo’s sob.”(Louisa May Alcott 402) And “her father also gives her the help she needs and she gives him entire confidence.”(Louisa May Alcott 402) After that Jo’s burden seems easier to bear, duty grows sweeter and life looks more endurable. What’s important is that she learns to accept life without despondency or distrust and to use its beautiful opportunities with gratitude and power from her parents.
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