#JO MARCH LITTLE WOMEN FULL#

вЂњI donвЂ™t see how you can write and act such splendid things, Jo. Macbeth by William Shakespeare (first performed in 1606) вЂњUnless I could obtain the righteousness of a Man that never had sinned, neither mine own nor all the righteousness of the world could save me.вЂќ I cannot help but think of Jo when I read this, her struggles with her tempestuous temper and quick tongue (I can relateвЂ¦), feelings of doubt and inadequacy, and yet her resolve to have the virtue for which she longs. вЂњI do these things that I may be rich in good works, laying up in store for myself a good foundation, against the time to come, that I may lay hold of eternal life.вЂќ Oh, who else would come to mind here but Beth! She who tirelessly gave herself to the service of others, who had in mind another home вЂњthat could neither by length of days nor decays of nature be destroyed.вЂќ Mr March seems to have kept his faith throughout plenty and want. вЂњYou must own Religion in his rags, as well as when in his silver slippers and stand by him too, when bound in irons, as well as when he walketh the streets with applause.вЂќ I am reminded of Mr March upon reading this вЂ“ weвЂ™re told that at some point in the past, the Marches had been wealthy. вЂњBetter, though difficult, the right way to go than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe.вЂќ This is in essence what Mrs March consistently teaches her girls вЂ“ that there is sweetness in doing right, though it might seem unnoticed and unrewarded. They have a great many adventures that do not neatly correspond to the Little Women narrative, but certainly help illuminate the worldview of the March family. Mercy, as referred to in the preface to Little Women, appears in the second part as a companion to ChristianвЂ™s family.

In the first, a man called Christian goes alone on pilgrimage in the second, his wife and children, after his passing, attempt to undertake the same journey.

There are two parts to the PilgrimвЂ™s Progress. Even perusing a brief overview of the Bible would help to make sense of seemingly cryptic passages such as, вЂњGod be merciful to me a sinner, and make me to know and believe in Jesus Christ, for I see that if His righteousness had not been, or if I have not faith in that righteousness, I am utterly cast awayвЂ¦Show Thy grace in the salvation of my soul, through Thy Son Jesus Christ.вЂќ) (I would thus recommend reading at least the Gospels вЂ“ the first four books of the New Testament of the Bible вЂ“ before attempting the unabridged version, as PilgrimвЂ™s ProgressВ would be rather baffling otherwise. It wasnвЂ™t meant for children, but for an adult audience familiar with the Bible and thus the context of the references throughout. It was written by Bunyan while he was in prison for preaching and leading a church separate to that of the Church of England. ItвЂ™s an incredibly confronting allegory of what is seen and unseen of life вЂ“ enjoyable in parts, distressing in others, but always intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually challenging. Now having read the unabridged text, I see this is not a moralistic childrenвЂ™s fairy tale. I first read PilgrimвЂ™s Progress about twenty years ago and donвЂ™t remember it being so long and in parts quite violent. One can easily read Little Women without reading PilgrimвЂ™s Progress, but one canвЂ™t make sense of PilgrimвЂ™s Progress without reading the Bible вЂ“ or at least, not the вЂadult version.вЂ™ Sometimes books demand the reading of another book first, and the PilgrimвЂ™s Progress is one of these. The word which is to come, and so be wise ДЄlong the ways which saintly feet have trod.вЂќ Yea, let young damsels learn of her to prize The PilgrimвЂ™s Progress by John Bunyan (1678) Note: Titles are listed in order of their appearance in Little Women.

These are the books the March sisters read.

#JO MARCH LITTLE WOMEN FULL#

They are like a code, a shorthand, a glimpse into separate yet connected worlds within the world of the novel вЂ“ full of their own histories and personalities, brimming with obstacles to be surmounted and triumphs to be relished.ДЇrom the centuries-old Christian classic PilgrimвЂ™s Progress, the romantic nineteenth century novels of Maria Edgeworth, Sir Walter Scott & Elizabeth Wetherell, to the calls of conscience in Uncle TomвЂ™s Cabin and the winsome humor of The Pickwick PapersвЂ¦ Little Women is replete with passing mentions of the books that came before, those that lent ballast to its pages. A hint of mystery surrounds references to books within books.

Jo march little women