Little Women: A BBC TV Series Review

“Put her book out into the world, just as we have to put our girls out there.”-Marmee March

Marmee was speaking to her husband about making an effort and allowing their daughter Josephine (Jo) to have her works published out into the world. Their daughter needed the experience of having her work trusted and set out into the unknown. 

Little Women by Louisa Allcott was written in 1868 and 1869; this two part novel has had various adaptations to date. This BBC version produced in 2017 has an exceptional cast and feel. As I watched all three episodes, I saw how every one of the March girls evolved into their own person as they as a family faced countless trials and tribulations. 

Alcott had it seemed written this book to mirror her own life. She had numerous sisters, friendships, tragic situations that all seemed too familiar when reading her works. I feel as if every character portrayed in her book was based on her (several it seems at times) and her family and friends. Allcott grew up poor but her March family were seen as the genteel poverty. They had enough to still give out to the poor. However, they still were lacking without such refined things that it was made a point throughout the book and film. I think Marmee March dedicated her life to making sure her family did not feel as inadequate but to show them through dedication and faith they can be a shining beacon for each other and others. 

Little Women is a book that has stood the test of time and I think is a classic ensemble of characterization, themes and it hits you in the gut full of emotions. The BBC did a splendid job at showcasing this great book to the small screen. It has become one of my favorite versions; I have yet to see the 2019 version starring Emma Watson (Harry Potter, and Beauty and the Beast) 

Marmee March played by Emily Watson (Miss Potter) was the link to the March family. She was a steadfast character who kept the girls on their toes, kept them out of mischief, and made sure they knew the meaning of sacrifice and serving others. Watson shined in this performance as her character delved deeply into this narrative. Her husband Robert (veteran actor Dylan Baker known for Selma) was the other half of advice giving but from afar. It is shown that he himself is a writer and a great admirer of his own daughter Jo’s works.

However, Jo is a sure spitfire who wants nothing more to do than be a famous writer, to be known for her works and to get out of her small town, even if it is to get away from a man who loves her but she does not. Jo, played by Maya Hawke (Stranger Things), I think grows the most out of this series. She evolves after every major circumstance but at a snail’s pace. Hawke delivers a performance that seems to be made for a more seasoned veteran of the arts. Her tenacity to show the world that she can play Jo March allows her character to shine throughout the series. 

Meg March played by Willa Fitzgerald (Reacher)  is such a sweet and forgiving woman. She seems to be the second in charge, but wants something more. She may not have the same literary qualities as Jo, but her aptitude to rise above all challenges shows that she is the leader of the March girls. She learns how to become more aware of the world, learns to love and appreciates what life gives her. In her, I found a quiet patience, humor and dedication to her family. Fitzgerald was perfectly cast to play her; she displayed such grace, wisdom, compassion and raw emotion with such tenacity and poise. 

Amy March, played by Kathryn Newton (Pokemon: Detective Pikachu) is one of the characters that I did not like at all. I never did growing up. She was a spoiled child who often got her way. She did change a lot throughout the novel and Newton did a stellar job showcasing her changes throughout the years. For such a young actress, she played beyond her years as her character developed from a sassy, person with no remorse, no holds bar and unlikable character. 

Amy blossomed as the series continued and became a graceful and refined lady. I give Newton a lot of credit to balancing out such a character and not getting lost. It helped that her scenes with the late and fantastic Angela Lansbury who played Aunt March allowed her to play off their banter. Newton definitely held her own and I am sure she enjoyed every moment she was with Lansbury along with the other girls. 

Lansbury shined as the  eccentric, stern and dismissive aunt and this is not a role I was used to her playing. She did play a similar character in Nanny McPhee; but still seeing the famous Murder She Wrote and Mrs. Potts’ character to have a callous attitude in the film was something to see. She shall be greatly missed.  

Beth March played by Annes Elwy (The Light in the Hall) is such a quiet, timid but loveable character. You can not help but feel as she does through her introverted moments. She at least appears to me to have social anxiety or be possibly on the spectrum. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I feel for her character as she was forced really to try and socialize when she did not feel like it. I myself can be introverted at times, but also an extrovert. Putting myself out here writing is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone. Stepping out of one’s own comfort is something that Beth felt was an impossible task.  However, she did make a connection with the venerable, impatient, but delightful Mr. Laurence, played by the late great Michael Gambdon. He saw her as she truly was and did not push her past her comfortable social boundaries until she was ready. It is this bond that made her blossom in the series. She did take pride at least in helping others and that allowed her to socialize in some aspects. However, Beth did not truly like society, while her sisters loathed their chores and wanted to be out in the world. 

Of course, where would we be without a romantic interest in the story. In fact there were several romances, which involved a lot of unrequited love, but I won’t divulge that here. However, you will see how each character feels as they are surrounded by Theodore ‘Laurie’ Laurence played by Jonah-Hauer King (The World on Fire)  and their reaction to him. In the beginning, he is seen as a young man and a brother figure. His grandfather, Mr. Laurence expects him to be a great person and he has to abide by all his wishes. Laurie, I felt is the least changed character; granted it has been a long while since I last read the book and watched the 1994 version with Winona Ryder (also Stranger Things). However, he does change a bit but you will have to see how he does so. King allows whatever changes Laurie does exhibit, to seamlessly make the transition on screen. He does so whether through the time changes, or just by his facial expression which starts out as boy-like to an adult. King has such a broad range for someone his age. I look forward to more of his works such as The Tattooist of Auschwitz. 

John Brooke, played by Julian Morris (Pretty Little Liars) is a romantic interest for Meg. He is a quiet but steadfast individual who was the tutor for Laurie. His role may not be as noticeable on screen, but when he entered the room and says his lines, Morris demands Mr. Brooke to be heard. He exhibits the patient and ever loving Mr. Brooke as he transitions from tutor to soldier. Mr. Brooke learns what it means to have sacrifice also in the book; much like Alcott herself. I suspect an overall theme of the film and book is sacrifice, love, and learning how to change if it ever comes at all. 

Mark Stanley (Game of Thrones, Anne Boelyn) gives a riveting performance as Professor Friederich “Fritz” Bhaer even for one episode. His exuberant scenes with his children and Jo while she was living in New York makes up for less screen time. He is only in one episode, but he more than makes up for it. Stanley gives such zeal  as he delivers his disdain for Jo’s lurid tales, but at the same time is compassionate when they share intellectual moments. There is nothing more thrilling  than having a person to converse with on your level. Stanley excelled in acting fantastically alongside Hawke and their dynamic scenes are just as compelling as she is with King.  

The overall theme to Little Women seems to play along nicely with the music composed by Stuart Earl, Rebecca Dale and Andrew Bird. The cinematography was spot on as it displayed the time period of the 1860s in Concord, Massachusetts. You could feel each bit of the series as the characters enriched and drew vivid emotion to every scene. Screenwriter Heidi Thomas and director Vanessa Caswill, left no stone unturned as they created a delightful, emotional story on screen. 

This dynamic duo brought to life a timeless classic and made it an enjoyable experience to watch. In fact, watching this film inspired me to continue to write as of late. One of the lines from Mr. March to Jo after a tragic incident in the family hit me very hard. I had my own tragic experience recently and Mr. March said “you have to write Jo. You have to write. Sift down through your heart, through all the pain, the grief; there are words there. There’s a woman there and it’s you.” This hit me straight to my heart as it lifted and I found the courage once more to write again. I profoundly apologize if this is one of my longer posts. I used to love reading this book as a child and I need to buy another copy of it as I can’t find it amongst my childhood items. 

I, cannot leave this blog blank without recognizing Miss Louisa May Alcott herself and the history of how and why this woman created such a timeless piece. Why this woman’s work still transcends time and how her work as of late has resonated with me.

Lousia was born November 29, 1832 to Abigail May and Bronson Alcott. She grew up in a transcendentalist household with three other sisters. Her father was a professor whose eccentric ideals always put a strain on the family. Yet throughout that strain, pain and strife, the family always endured and Alcott eventually rose above it. 

The Alcotts for a time lived in Fruitland, which was a  commune in Harvard, Massachusetts. They did not use horses to farm the land because they found it to be impractical. They grew fruits and vegetables that grew out of the ground i.e. stalks and trees. They didn’t want anything like potatoes because they wanted vegetables that would aspire to higher things. She also learned not to eat meat as they were told it was bad for the humors. (A lot of things were bad for the humors for women during that time and afterwards, until modern medicine came along).

The Alcotts did not wear cotton because it was related to slave labor, they didn’t wear wool because it was made from sheep. If they were able to afford silk, they would have not worn it because they felt it was exploiting the silk worms; the family instead wore linen. However, Alcott’s father did not help with the farming and spent his days philosophizing with another farmer. Her mother did all the work and they ended up starving a lot because they didn’t have enough nutrition. Her mother was going to leave their father and pack up the kids because he didn’t want to leave the commune. They reconciled and Lousia wrote a satirical story called Wildland Oats about her experience. 

Alcott’s father invented recess in the Temple School. He created desks that were more comfortable for the children. Bronson let them speak and to let their ideas be heard. He was considered radical because he tried to introduce sex education. He was even so bold to allow a Black girl to have an education and this was in 1837! Mr. Alcott was fired and was basically blacklisted as an educator. The family had to rely on donations from the citizens of Boston or welfare as it were to survive. The Alcotts were then poor because of their father’s chosen role as an educator. He didn’t want to go to work for wages. 

Louisa vowed she was going to rescue her family from poverty. If you look at Little Women, the March family were of genteel poverty. Alcott became a writer which was hard to do as a male, but even as a female author. She excelled so much that she became a millionaire. Alcott was adamant about digging out from the bottom of society. She took every job that was available to a woman. She enjoyed work as a seamstress more than her sisters. Sewing allowed her time to expand her thoughts and develop her stories which made her so popular. 

Alcott was basically home schooled and her other mentors in her life were esteemed and famed authors Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The family, in fact, once stayed at Thoreau’s famous Walden home. Alcott learned about literature from Emerson and from Thoreau, nature. She grew up knowing famous abolitionists such as Harriet Tubman, John Brown and Frederick Douglass. Her family was part of the Underground Railroad and they even helped teach escaped slaves to read. Alcott’s education through pivotal members of society, and her father’s influence helped her become the esteemed writer we know today. 

To assist in raising her family out of debt, Alcott wrote furiously and her work began to slowly pay off. She wrote lurid stories that were popular at the time and became a big hit. She became a household name so she could sustain her family, much like Jo March did in Little Women. Alcott wrote over 252 stories and 41 novels which included, Little Women, Little Men and Jo’s Boys during her time at home. These pivotal works allowed her family to arise from poverty. But Alcott was still wanting something more. She may have had possible suitors, but Alcott wanted to serve her community. It was a burning passion to help others, much like Marmee did to instill in her girls. Alcott became a Civil War nurse and served in honor despite the conditions. 

This was the farthest she had ever been away from home. Of course war is horrible, but the American Civil War was the bloodiest war with the most casualties. At the Battle of Fredericksburg, Alcott could see the cannon fire and there were at least 10,000 wounded. She learned from her father that sanitation was the best way to help these wounded soldiers. Many of them had to be amputated by the time they reached the Georgetown hospital. She saw at least 300 patients a day. She kept the windows open to let air in which allowed for proper sanitation at least. During her time there, she wrote numerous journals and wrote a book called Hospital Sketches while a young, semi-experienced thirty-year old woman wanting more out of life. 

During her time at the hospital, Lousia still took it upon herself to continue to be an avid runner. She had a passion for running her entire life and no weather or horrible sanitation conditions was going to stop her. However, it did; and Louisa became deathly ill. What the physicians considered as a possible case of typhoid fever, they knew it was only a matter of time before her family was called to take her home. She was stubborn and refused to go home until her condition became so severe. Alcott was still determined to finish out her three months service to the nurses army. She knitted materials for the soldiers from her bed. Alcott thought she was dying of Mercury poisoning because of the calomel treatment used. This chemical was used constantly for various ailments. Of course, no one knew at the time that Mercury was actually poisonous to the human body. 

It was only until recently that doctors discovered what Louisa May Alcott died of. She had written several of her ailing conditions and the doctors began to rule them out one by one.  A team of British doctors actually discovered that she may have died of an autoimmune disease. They came to this conclusion after visiting the Orchard House where Little Women was written. They saw a painting of Miss Alcott and saw these bright red rash on her cheeks. This rash can appear after one with Lupus has been out in the sun. They dove back into her journals and discovered that she had in fact traveled to Northern Italy in the sun. The painting was created by realist George Healy who also painted the President and Nathaniel Hawthorne. He captured Alcott’s  image perfectly. Lousia hated that painting. Lupus is a serious autoimmune disorder and is very hard to diagnose even to this day. I personally have had a family who has had this terrible disease. I have seen firsthand how it can affect the body when there are flare-ups. . 

By the time of Lousia May Alcott’s death, she had written over 600 works which were written quickly and not revised so she could make immediate money for her poverty stricken family. However, there was one book that she did revise a lot called Moods. Alcott spent twenty years revising this book. I have immersed myself immensely into Alcotts world and discovered through various documentaries and other research material just how profound this woman was. 

If you wish to hear more about her life growing up, you should watch on YouTube: Louisa May Alcott-Nurse and Author presented by the National Museum of Civil War Medicine. Here you will find an Alcott reenactor who gave a vivid and detailed story of the life of this famous author. Amongst my research, I thoroughly enjoyed watching a C-Span documentary from 2009 whereas biographer Harriet Reisen meticulously wrote  “Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women.”  This led to Reisien helping to create a biopic of her own about Alcott. She felt at the time of making Louisa’s biopic, she didn’t have the credentials to produce such a film. But the story needed to be told. You can order an American Masters film of this amazing woman today on Bookshop.org.

Little Women has been translated into over 50 languages and has had numerous adaptations including anime. You will find a plethora of merchandise for such a novel as this to be found online. This timeless classic will always be on someone’s bookshelf or to be viewed with its various adaptations.  I found that there was a pioneering woman prior to Alcott who “blazed” the literary trail in 1666 and wrote the first ever Sci-Fi Novel. Read from Open Culture’s article about Margaret Cavendish. I have a feeling that Alcott may have learned about her as well. If you want to immerse yourself into more research about this driven woman, please visit the Fruitlands Museum where she grew up and the Orchard House. You can always dive right into the novel that has spanned numerous adaptations and inspired other female writers like myself and purchase Little Women at Bookshop.org. 

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