Little Women
Read the following extract from 'Little Women', paying close attention to Amy's 'Last Will and Testiment' and the discussion surrounding it:
“Now I’m ready,” said Amy, shutting the wardrobe and taking a piece of paper out of her pocket. “I want you to read that, please, and tell me if it is legal and right. I felt I ought to do it, for life is uncertain and I don’t want any ill feeling over my tomb.”
Laurie bit his lips, and turning a little from the pensive speaker, read the following document, with praiseworthy gravity, considering the spelling:
MY LAST WILL AND TESTIMENT
I, Amy Curtis March, being in my sane mind, go give and bequeethe all my earthly property—viz. to wit:—namely
To my father, my best pictures, sketches, maps, and works of art, including frames. Also my $100, to do what he likes with.
To my mother, all my clothes, except the blue apron with pockets—also my likeness, and my medal, with much love.
To my dear sister Margaret, I give my turkquoise ring (if I get it), also my green box with the doves on it, also my piece of real lace for her neck, and my sketch of her as a memorial of her ‘little girl’.
To Jo I leave my breastpin, the one mended with sealing wax, also my bronze inkstand—she lost the cover—and my most precious plaster rabbit, because I am sorry I burned up her story.
To Beth (if she lives after me) I give my dolls and the little bureau, my fan, my linen collars and my new slippers if she can wear them being thin when she gets well. And I herewith also leave her my regret that I ever made fun of old Joanna.
To my friend and neighbor Theodore Laurence I bequeethe my paper mashay portfolio, my clay model of a horse though he did say it hadn’t any neck. Also in return for his great kindness in the hour of affliction any one of my artistic works he likes, Noter Dame is the best.
To our venerable benefactor Mr. Laurence I leave my purple box with a looking glass in the cover which will be nice for his pens and remind him of the departed girl who thanks him for his favors to her family, especially Beth.
I wish my favorite playmate Kitty Bryant to have the blue silk apron and my gold-bead ring with a kiss.
To Hannah I give the bandbox she wanted and all the patchwork I leave hoping she ‘will remember me, when it you see’.
And now having disposed of my most valuable property I hope all will be satisfied and not blame the dead. I forgive everyone, and trust we may all meet when the trump shall sound. Amen.
To this will and testiment I set my hand and seal on this 20th day of Nov. Anni Domino 1861.
Amy Curtis March
Witnesses:
Estelle Valnor, Theodore Laurence.
The last name was written in pencil, and Amy explained that he was to rewrite it in ink and seal it up for her properly.
“What put it into your head? Did anyone tell you about Beth’s giving away her things?” asked Laurie soberly, as Amy laid a bit of red tape, with sealing wax, a taper, and a standish before him.
She explained and then asked anxiously, “What about Beth?”
“I’m sorry I spoke, but as I did, I’ll tell you. She felt so ill one day that she told Jo she wanted to give her piano to Meg, her cats to you, and the poor old doll to Jo, who would love it for her sake. She was sorry she had so little to give, and left locks of hair to the rest of us, and her best love to Grandpa. She never thought of a will.”
Laurie was signing and sealing as he spoke, and did not look up till a great tear dropped on the paper. Amy’s face was full of trouble, but she only said, “Don’t people put sort of postscripts to their wills, sometimes?”
“Yes, ‘codicils’, they call them.”
“Put one in mine then, that I wish all my curls cut off, and given round to my friends. I forgot it, but I want it done though it will spoil my looks.”
Laurie added it, smiling at Amy’s last and greatest sacrifice. Then he amused her for an hour, and was much interested in all her trials. But when he came to go, Amy held him back to whisper with trembling lips, “Is there really any danger about Beth?”
“I’m afraid there is, but we must hope for the best, so don’t cry, dear.” And Laurie put his arm about her with a brotherly gesture which was very comforting.
At the beginning of the passage, Amy is primarily concerned with making her will 'legal and right' and how it will be perceived. After Laurie reveals details about Beth’s own arrangements, Amy decides to add a codicil: 'that I wish all my curls cut off, and given round to my friends.'
Task: Analyse how Amy's priorities and emotional state evolve throughout this excerpt, particularly regarding her changing understanding of love, selflessness, and the value of 'spoiling her looks.'
💡 Writing Tips
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Identify Amy’s initial motivations for writing the will. What matters to her at first? Then, notice the moment Laurie speaks about Beth. What specific information does he provide? How does this information impact Amy’s thoughts and actions? Focus on the detail of her adding the codicil about her hair – what does hair symbolise for many young women in this era, and what does cutting it off represent in terms of sacrifice? Contrast her initial vanity with this final act to understand her emotional journey.
📝 Sample Answer
At the beginning of the passage, Amy's primary concerns are external and somewhat self-focused, though not entirely without merit. She wants her will to be 'legal and right' and expresses a desire 'not to have any ill feeling over my tomb.' Her bequests, while thoughtful, include items that reflect her artistic pride ('best pictures'), a bit of vanity (clothes, her 'likeness'), and a desire to resolve past conflicts (the plaster rabbit for Jo). Even her potential legacy for Beth focuses on items 'if she lives after me,' suggesting a practical, if a little distant, approach to the gravity of the situation, still tethered to her worldly possessions and reputation.
However, Amy's priorities and emotional state undergo a significant evolution after Laurie reveals Beth’s own quiet preparations. When Laurie describes Beth's selfless intentions—giving her beloved piano to Meg, her cats to Amy, and the 'poor old doll to Jo, who would love it for her sake'—it becomes clear that Beth was focusing on sentimental value and the love she left behind, rather than material possessions. Beth's willingness to give away the few things she possessed, coupled with the heartbreaking detail that she 'never thought of a will' but merely whispered her wishes due to her illness, profoundly impacts Amy.
Amy’s immediate response, a 'great tear dropped on the paper,' shows a raw emotional shift. Her subsequent request for a codicil, where she wishes 'all my curls cut off, and given round to my friends,' signifies a profound change. For a young girl of this era, curls were a symbol of beauty, youth, and personal adornment. Amy's initial thought of how this act 'will spoil my looks' indicates her awareness of this, but her determination to do it anyway highlights her 'last and greatest sacrifice.' This action symbolises a complete inversion of her earlier priorities. She moves from a concern for external appearances and formalities to a profound understanding of true affection and remembrance, choosing an act of deep selflessness and personal sacrifice to honour her love for Beth and her friends. It shows her maturing, grasping that true legacies are built on love and memory, not just material goods or outward beauty. Laurie’s 'brotherly gesture' and comforting words at the end validate this shift, reinforcing Amy's growth in empathy and understanding the deeper meaning of human connection during sorrow.
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