NovelGuide: Little Women: Novel Summary: Chapter 1- Chapter 3

Chapter 1- Chapter 3

Chapter 1: The story opens in the home of the March family. The four March daughters Meg (16), Jo (15), Beth (13), and the youngest Amy are complaining about not having money to buy Christmas presents. Their father is away fighting in the civil war and the family does not have much money. The girls each received a dollar to buy themselves something, but instead they decided to buy their mother, Marmee, presents. When she came home, Marmee read the girls a letter from their father as they gathered around the fire. The letter made them sad, and to cheer themselves up they began playing a game.

Chapter 2: They awoke Christmas morning excited. Under their pillows, they each found matching books from Marmee, and they went down stairs to wait for breakfast. Marmee came home and told them of the charity work she was doing with a food less family, and the girl decided to forgo their Christmas breakfast, and donate it to the family in need. They helped Marmee pack up the food and they all delivered it together. When they came home, they presented Marmee with a basket filled with things they had bought for her with their dollar. Even Amy, who had wanted to keep part of the dollar for herself used the whole thing to buy Marmee a large bottle of cologne. Marmee was exceptionally happy, and afterwards they performed a play that Jo had written. When the play was over, the girls came downstairs and found the Mr. Lawrence, the rich man next door, had heard of their morning escapade and sent them flowers and candy. The family celebrated the rest of Christmas night partaking in the banquet.

Chapter 3: Meg and Jo were invited to a dance and party at the Gardiner's house. They fussed over what they had to wear, and Meg went over rules of propriety with tomboy, Jo. The curling tongs burned Meg's hair, but the girls went to the party anyway. Meg proceeded to dance and to socialize, while Jo stood next to the wall. When she thought someone was going to ask her to dance, she slipped into a curtained alcove. Hiding already in the alcove was a young man who lived next store to the March's with his grandfather. He introduced himself to her as Laurie, though his given name was Theodore. He and Jo talked for a while, and eventually danced in the hall as to not display Jo's dress, which was not in the best shape Meg found them there. Meg had sprained her ankle dancing in her high heeled shoes, and they had to figure out a way to get home from the party since they had planned on walking. As Jo was thinking of a solution, she ran again into Laurie, and told him of their predicament. He offered the use of his own coach, which had just arrived, and Jo gratefully accepted. With their escort, Hannah, Jo and Meg left the party.