opportunity that would not have been available at
home. As time passes, she heeds the advice of Mr.
Bhaer and writes a successful novel based on her life
experiences. The opportunity that America symbol-
izes for so many, as well as the idea that hard work
pays off, is illustrated here.
Instead of restoring wealth to the March family,
Louis May Alcott’s girls learn that true wealth can-
not be purchased, but other blessings enhance life.
Especially when Beth succumbs to heart damage
caused by scarlet fever, the family comes together in
the realization that love and family are more impor-
tant than material objects. By the end of the novel,
the surviving March girls are all happily placed with
caring husbands, and while Meg and Jo cannot be
considered wealthy, they lead rich and fulfilling lives.
Through their hard work and devotion to family,
the girls do realize their own form of the American
dream: a good husband, a close family, and a com-
fortable, if not extravagant, lifestyle.
Cheryl Blake Price
illness in Little Women
Before antibiotics and immunization, health and
illness were daily concerns for many people. Little
Women reflects the preoccupation with wellness that
was present in the Victorian age and illuminates
the ways in which illness was perceived during this
time. The threat of disease hovers over the March
family, and the tragic illness and subsequent death
of beloved Beth serves many purposes in the novel.
It mirrors Louisa May Alcott’s own experience with
death, sheds light on Victorian beliefs about health,
and imparts a moral lesson on the nature of sacrifice
and the importance of Christian faith. Even though
Beth’s death is heart-wrenching, Alcott instills the
misfortune with hope, providing an optimistic
vision of the strength of family bonds.
In the Victorian period, death from infectious
diseases and other illnesses that are easily treatable
today were frequent. Little Women reflects Victorian
beliefs about illness and shows how disease was
viewed and treated in this time. These concerns were
real for Alcott, who saw injury and disease daily as
a Civil War nurse and experienced loss through the
sickness and death of her sister Elizabeth. In Amer-
ica, ill health was especially prevalent for immi-
grants, who often lived in poor conditions and had
inadequate nutrition. In the novel, the plight of the
immigrant family is represented by the Hummels; it
is through tending the sick Hummel children that
Beth contracts scarlet fever. However, even prior to
her illness, Beth is represented as having a weak con-
stitution, something the Victorians believed made
people more susceptible to disease.
Beth’s illness is doubly troubling for the March
family because Mr. March has also become unwell
during his service for the Union Army. Mrs. March
is away nursing her husband in Washington, D.C.,
when Beth gets sick, leaving her caretaking to Jo and
the servant Hannah. While Mr. March goes on to
recover fully, Beth’s constitution is further weakened
by the scarlet fever and the development of rheu-
matic fever. Jo’s earnings from writing allow Beth
and Mrs. March to travel to the seaside; the Victo-
rians commonly believed that ocean air had curative
powers. Despite these attempts, Beth never regains
her health and comes to the realization that she will
die. She retires to a sickroom, and, leaning upon her
parents for support and guidance, Beth looks to her
Christian faith to die at peace.
Naturally, Beth’s death has a profound impact
on the family, but in the sadness there comes an
emphasis on the joys of life along with the misfor-
tune. Jo, who has always struggled with her temper,
finds that nursing Beth provides “lessons in patience
[that] were so sweetly taught her that she could not
fail to learn them.” Beth’s own struggles with her
impending death also provide lessons in faith. At
first overcome with sorrow, Beth becomes serene in
her final illness, giving herself over to God. Beth’s
illness highlights the important place Christianity
holds in the text; much of Little Women is devoted
to imparting Christian beliefs and improving moral
character.
Beth’s passing is hard for the family, but it
teaches them life lessons and brings new apprecia-
tion for the blessings that they do have. Beth’s reli-
ance on her faith is another important feature in the
novel, as it allows her to die peacefully and promises
a relief from her worldly suffering; it reaffirms the
Christian ideology that is present throughout the
text. Beth’s illness, modeled on Alcott’s own sister’s
death, also highlights the fragility of life and givesLittle Women 139