NovelGuide: Little Women: Novel Summary: Chapter 41- Chapter 43

Chapter 41- Chapter 43

Chapter 41: To ease his pain and sorrow, Laurie tried composing music and then an opera. The main character in his Opera was Jo, but he could not seem to make her as wonderful as he remembered her. After a time, it was hard for him to remember her at all, and Laurie was angry with himself for that. One day he made a revelation however, and decided that if he could not have the one sister, he would take the other. He began writing Amy regularly, and after they both received the news of Beth's death, he went to her. Fred Vaughn came back and asked Amy to marry him, but she refused. When Laurie arrived in her time of grief, she was exceptionally grateful to see him. They passed many days in each other's company, and when they were out on the lake rowing one day, Laurie asked Amy to marry him. She accepted.

Chapter 42: At home, Jo was desolate. She missed Beth more than anything and started to feel a large void in her life. She was growing up and with that came a desire to do more. Her mother suggested that she start writing again, but she said that she did not have it in her. She tried however, and wrote a beautiful story for her family. Her father sent it to a magazine and they published and praised it. The family received news of Amy and Laurie's engagement, and Jo was happy for them. However, she began aching for love of her own. While going through some of her childhood things, she found a book that Professor Bhaer gave her, and began missing him. She wished he would come and visit her.

Chapter 43: Jo is sitting by the fire feeling sorry for herself when she falls asleep. In her dreams, she sees Teddy and feels even more lonely. She wakes up with a start to realize that she is not dreaming of Teddy's presence, but standing in front of her. Ecstatic, Jo asks him when he came and he explains that he and his wife, Amy, just arrived and that Amy was with their mother at Meg's. Jo was happy to see him, and Laurie told her that he would always love her, but now his love was more like a sister. She and Amy changed places for him. Jo was happy for him, and lonely for herself. Everyone came home including Meg and her family, and Jo went downstairs to answer the door when someone knocked. Standing there was Professor Bhaer and Jo made him come inside, although the Professor protested because he heard there was a party upstairs. Jo introduced him to her family, and everyone immediately loved him. The house settled down, and both Jo and the Professor continued to look at each other although they did not speak much. Laurie and Amy went home, as did Meg's family, and Professor Bhaer went back to his room in town, asking Jo if it would be alright if he came back another time. She agreed and was excited at the prospect.