By Faith Zochowski
Louisa May Alcott’s story “Little Women” has carried on for generations since the novel was first published in 1868. Since then, it has been adapted into several films, one of the first airing in 1933 starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo March. The 1994 film stars beloved Winona Ryder as Jo, and the newest film directed by Greta Gerwig stars Saorise Ronan as the lead, along with Hollywood heartthrob Timothée Chalamet. There have been 14 different on-screen adaptations of the story, but I will be focusing on Gerwig’s 2019 film in comparison with the 1868 novel. Let’s see how they compare.
1. Jo’s Writing a Book
In the film, Jo is a big writer. In one of the first scenes of the film, she is shown to go to the newspaper editor in town to sell her “friend’s” story. She returns to this magazine editor multiple times throughout the movie. He continues giving her feedback and pushes her to end her short story with the heroine getting married. She refuses, but finally comes to an agreement as she is able to keep the copyright. This refusal tells a lot about Jo as a person. The film shows her as rebellious to the normal life of a woman, which is to be married and run a household, but more on that later. Jo soon devotes all of her time to her story. There is a scene in the movie where Jo lays all of the pages of her book out in the attic and writes frivolously, only stopping to wipe her brow. The ending scene of the film shows Jo’s book being printed, and the title is Little Women. This story is supposed to resemble Alcott’s Little Women. Certain chapter titles conveyed in the film are the exact same as the novel. Gerwig takes a unique approach in conveying Jo as the author and believed narrator of the beloved story.
2. Florence Pugh as Amy
The most notable difference between Gerwig’s adaptation and other on-screen adaptations is that Amy March is not played by two different actresses. The book follows a chronological order, detailing the childhood of each child in the beginning and leading to each sister living their different path. This is another notable difference between the 2019 film and the novel – the film begins with adult Jo selling her book and continues to go back and forth between the women as young girls to being on their own as adults. There is a notable age difference between the girls at the beginning of the book and the young adults in the later half of the book. Because of this, directors of the past chose to cast Amy, the youngest daughter, as two different actresses to distinguish the two. Florence Pugh, who plays Amy, dawns a pair of bangs to establish her “innocence” in her younger years and distinguish between the two time frames, but she plays both roles.
Over the past few years, Florence Pugh has been making a big name for herself in Hollywood in films such as Midsommer. Myself being a fan of the book, I was skeptical to see Pugh playing the youngest daughter. In my opinion, she plays the role perfectly. As a child, she demonstrates a bratty, pouty persona when she doesn’t get her way or is unable to do something her older sisters can. We see her maturity develop over time as she forms her own beliefs and opinions on the way women are to be treated in society. This brings me to my next comparison of Pugh’s remarkable speech to Chalamet in the art room where she states that marriage is nothing more than “an economic proposition.” This compares to Alcott’s text in Chapter 39 where Amy tells Laurie that she will become an “ornament to society” when he asks her what she will do with her talents as an artist. Their discussion back and forth clearly has to do with women’s rights during this time period, but Pugh takes a much greater stand in addressing the issues with the patriarchy in the 2019 adaptation, and rightfully so. Gerwig’s decision to have Amy voice her opinions about these issues to Laurie is very effective.
3. Jo and Laurie
Oh, Jo and Laurie. What a beloved trope. If you know the story as well as I do, Jo and Laurie are best friends for a long duration of the novel until the beautiful yet heart wrenching chapter in which Laurie professes his love to her. Chapter 35 of the book titled “Heartache” quotes Laurie saying, “I’ve loved you ever since I’ve known you, Jo… I’ve tried to show it and you wouldn’t let me” in which Jo replies, “You’re a great deal too good for me.” If you haven’t seen the movie and I haven’t succeeded in making you watch it yet, at least watch this scene between Ronan and Chalamet. It is stunning, emotional, raw, and all of the above. Some of the dialogue is exactly the same, and both actors deliver them exquisitely. Gerwig captured the essence of the scene perfectly and made this reader proud. Jo’s refusal to be with Laurie is because she knows she doesn’t feel the same way that Laurie feels towards her, as well as that she believes she will never marry. Jo has an ongoing struggle in both the novel and film of conforming to the “married life” and falling in love, even though she cares a great deal for her “Teddy.” This scene is the climax of that struggle.
4. The End
As every great fairytale ends, all the little women and company live happily ever after. Both the movie and the novel end with the same scene at Jo’s school she has just opened, which was the former house of Aunt March. All of the March family gathers for apple picking in October where fall festivities are in high gear, including an outdoor spread of food and treats. This event is not spelled out in the movie, but both events occur at Plumfield (Jo and the Professor’s new estate). The chapter is filled with reminiscing and pure joy with confessions of love and thankfulness from each member of the March family. Such dialogue includes Jo saying, “There’s no need for me to say it, for everyone can see that I’m far happier than I deserve.” There is a practical reason why not as much dialogue is shared in the movie versus the book as the movie would be hours long, but Gerwig chooses to have no dialogue in the end scene. Instead, the camera follows Jo throughout the school, picking up a sister along the way until she reaches the food table with her family. The background music, colors, camera angles, and energy in the scene are the perfect visual to resemble Alcott’s novel. Bravo, Gretta.
If you are looking for a great classic with lots of plot and character development, you will not be disappointed with Little Women. Click the link here to buy the copy that I have. If you’re more of a movie person or want to see for yourself all my comparisons I’ve pointed out, stream the movie on Amazon.
Happy reading!
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