“I’ve had lots of troubles, so I write jolly tales.”— Louisa May Alcott
Indeed she did write jolly tales, ones such as “Little Women.” This story depicts the lives of four sisters (Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March) during the Civil War as they also navigate finding themselves, the weight of societal expectations and living in poverty.
There have been many adaptations made of this iconic story, with the two most recent being Gillian Armstrong’s (1994) and Greta Gerwig’s (2019). After watching both, it’s not hard to point out the aspects and elements of the two films that make them great on their own.
One of the things that I — and probably every other fan of this story — paid the closest attention to was the growth of each character physically and internally. While each March sisters’ life was highlighted throughout the story, one of the sisters has made her great impact on the characters around her as well as those who simply read or watched this story unfold.
That sister is Jo (Josephine) March, the second oldest of the four daughters. She is a sister who fiercely loves her family and friends, as well as fiercely loving her writing and finding her strength in being independent. It was her willingness to do things outside of the societal norms with her chest puffed that has struck a chord with audiences then and now.
Throughout the films, we were able to see for ourselves how that fierceness in everything she did never wavered. That was, not until her best friend, Theodore Laurence (better known as Laurie) challenged that midway through the story by confessing his feelings of more than friendship. The question is: Which version executed this memorable scene best?
This scene changed the trajectory of the story. In Gerwig’s remake, we’re met with a scene of warm tones and soft music while the pair walk together on a hill, after Meg’s wedding, as Jo expresses her distaste with the changes that everyone around her is experiencing while she remains (unwillingly) steady in her spot. After she finishes stating her restlessness, Laurie begins to lay himself bare by telling her she does not have to stay where she is. Without having to say anything else, Jo knew from his words and exchanged glances exactly what it was he was indirectly telling her. Laurie continues to confess his love, or more so, demand his love to her in the iconic line, “I have loved you ever since I have known you Jo, I couldn’t help it! And — and I tried to show you and you wouldn’t let me, which is fine, but I must make you hear now, and give me an answer because I cannot go on like this any longer!”
Laurie, in a desperate and disheveled state, declares what he’s held in his chest for years at that point. While spewing his confession to her, the camera never falls away from intently remaining on his face to capture the raw feelings he’s experiencing. While he confesses, Jo is quick to reject him while in her shocked state, telling him that she can not love him the same way he loves her, and insisting that they would drive each other to madness. The intensity of Laurie’s confession not only changed the dynamic of their friendship but also altered Jo’s mindset and triggered her move to New York City. It awakened her drive to make a life for herself and further pursue her writing career. It was, more than anything, the nudge she needed.
While it is worth acknowledging the impact of the interaction between Laurie and Jo, it’s crucial to note what specific elements support the delivery of the lines. In the 2019 version, we see during this confession how Jo physically stands on the high ground, as well as letting the proximity between her and Laurie grow the more she rejects him. This placement of her character on a higher ground is an indirect showcase to her stance of refusing to submit to the societal expectations of marriage, as well as fiercely holding her independence. Her pulling away as the conversation progresses between them also plays as a reflection of her rejection to him, despite how much she loves him. Jo’s consistency to remaining on a higher ground above Laurie, as well as physically pulling herself away from him, is a testament to her need for keeping the tightest of grips on her life, and of how she controls it rather than letting others tell her how it should be.
When comparing this version of the confession to Armstrong’s version, there are noticeable contrasts. In this version, Laurie and Jo are walking together after Meg’s wedding, but through a forest instead of on a hill. Rather than Jo expressing her distaste for the change that was taking place around her, it was Laurie who expressed his feelings about it. This led into Laurie confessing tenderly (rather than demandingly) what he held in his heart for her, and this is emphasized as well through the intentional close up shots, truly laying himself bare to her, even to the point of kissing her.
One thing that can easily compare is the rejection Jo gives Laurie. While still insisting that she cannot love him the same way and also insisting that they would drive each other to insanity, there is a noticeable guilt and longing still present.
The forest that Jo and Laurie have this interaction in could be seen as a place of uncertainty and the unknown, leaving it to be a place of vulnerability. This confession to Jo was everything vulnerable and out of her comfort of remaining in blissful independence. It became known to those watching, and eventually Jo whenever Laurie takes her hand, as to what his intentions were with his words when saying, “When I imagine myself in — in that life, I could think of only one thing … that would make me happy.”
When the realization of the fact that Laurie was asking her to marry him, even in her rejection, Jo can never bring herself to pull away from him. While in Gerwig’s version, we see Jo put a distance between her and Laurie, Armstrong had the two remain close to each other. The lack of pulling away from Laurie is a testament to still having the need to keep control of her own life by keeping a hold of her best friend, despite the fact that the words laid before her changed the trajectory of her and Laurie’s relationship. In the midst of different blocking choices for the characters, there is still a true representation of both characters.
Despite the differences found in each version of that scene, it’s easy to understand that this confession played a role in Jo’s motivation to pursue what she loves and begins the journey to her self-growth.
The moment worth finding great comparison in is the acknowledgment Laurie gives to Jo and her character in both adaptations. While she attempts to convince him that she cannot love him, because she cannot love anyone at all, he corrects her by prophesying to her that she will love someone — and love him fiercely. Laurie’s reminder to Jo of her own character is so crucial to the story because it not only displays his genuine notice and love for her, but also stays as a supplement to her mindset and her motivation to go and make a life for herself.
