Little Women Short Summary

Little women by Louisa May Alcott, is a novel about the different lives of four sisters by the names Beth, Amy, Jo, and Meg. It is seen to be from the life of Mary Alcott and her sisters. The book was published in two volumes between 1868 and 1869.

The Plot in Brief

Meg, Beth, Jo, and Amy reside in New England. Their dad is away on war, and hence they stay with their mum. The family becomes victim to a great loss of wealth, and they encounter challenges while trying to cope. These sisters befriend Laurie, their rich boy who lives near them.

As they keep growing, each of these girls has their own set of problems. For example, Jo is a tomboy, and she intends to start acting more like a lady to achieve her writing dreams. Meg, who is eldest, loves riches, and she needs to trust her heart instead. Beth struggles with shyness, and finally, Amy is too proud. Their mother raises them in religion.

Meg gets involved with a man named John Brooke, who is tutors Laurie, and this strains some of the relationships in the family. John and Meg get married and have children. Laurie also shares to Jo that he loves her, but the feelings are not mutual. Jo relocates to NewYork to pursue her dreams with the help of a friend of their family, Mrs. Kirke. As a governess, she has a chance to explore the place. Amy is traveling all over with her rich Aunt named Carroll, and she develops as an artist. Laurie leaves for Europe to pursue music. He tries to get Jo out of his mind while there.

Jo meets Professor Bhaer, and she becomes interested in his intellect and his strong sense of morality. Amy and Laurie soon realize they do not have what it takes to make it as artists and become a great couple. Beth, unfortunately, dies too early for her age, and this strengthens the bonds between Laurie and Amy. Jo goes back to look after her folks, and she embraces her domestic nature.

Later on, Jo gets married to Professor Bhaer, and they decide to run a school together. Laurie and Amy also get married and spend some of the riches from Laurie’s side to support the struggling artists. The families thrive. The book comes to an end when they reunite to celebrate Marmee’s birthday.