Why Does Jo Not Marry Laurie?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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In the books, Jo

never likes Laurie romantically

and his romantic interest only makes Jo feel uncomfortable. Not only does their dynamics change because Jo doesn ́t want to fit into the traditional female role of the time but because Laurie fits into the traditional 19th-century male role almost too well.

Why did Jo March not marry Laurie?



I won't marry Jo to Laurie to please anyone

” … Alcott originally intended for her story to end with Jo as a “literary spinster,” much like Alcott herself. But Alcott's publishers insisted that Jo had to marry someone, that the book would be unsaleable otherwise.

Did Jo regret not marrying Laurie?

In Little Women,

Jo does not regret not marrying Laurie

.

Did Jo actually love Laurie?

Although tomboyish writer Jo March had had a strong bond with the boy next door Laurie Laurence, she rejected his proposal and declaration of love, vowing to

never marry

. But lo and behold, she later fell for and wed the much older and gruffer German professor, Friedrich Bhaer.

Does Laurie love Amy or Jo?

The author's intention seems to be to show that, while Laurie does not stop loving Jo,

he really does love Amy

, and that after she becomes his wife, his love for her continues to grow stronger.

Why did Amy marry Laurie?

Laurie ended up with Amy

because Alcott decided to make Amy Laurie's romantic partner

. It could've been the way that Alcott, often a writer of more scandalous stories, wanted to bring in a little scandal to this otherwise moral story.

How much older is Laurie than Amy?

Although Amy is

only three years younger than Laurie

, she is treated as much more the little kid in the novel by Jo. Jo is fifteen when Laurie is almost sixteen, making them very close in age. She sees her sister as a little child and an unwelcome tag-along on adventures with Laurie.

How much older is Friedrich than Jo?

The age difference between Josephine “Jo” March and Professor Friedrich “Fritz” Bhaer is

approximately 15–20 years

.

Why did Amy burn Jo's book?

In the novel, Amy burns a manuscript by Jo—“the loving work of several years,” as Alcott put it—in

retaliation for Jo's dismissive behavior toward her earlier that night

. … Rather, “Amy felt that no one would love her till she had asked pardon for the act which she now regretted more than any of them.”

Why did Jo wanted to make friends with Laurie?

Answer: Jo liked Laurie when they first met

because they shared a similar sense of independence and non- conformity

.

Did Laurie and Amy have a baby?

He later falls in love with Amy and they marry; they have

one child

, a little girl named after Beth: Elizabeth “Bess” Laurence. … Elizabeth Laurence (“Bess”) – The only daughter of Laurie and Amy, named for Beth.

Who is older Beth or Amy?

The girls in Little Women are between 16 and 12 years old when the novel begins. Meg is 16, Jo is 15, Beth is 13, and

Amy is 12

.

Did Jo actually marry Frederick?

At the end of Little Women, Jo doesn't marry Laurie, her childhood friend. Instead,

she marries Friedrich Bhaer

, an older German professor she meets while living in New York.

Who does Jo end up with?

In Alcott's book, Jo March spends much of the pages talking about how she never wants to marry or have children. At the end of the story, however, Jo eventually marries her

boarding housemate Professor Bhaer

and has children.

How old is Amy when she burns Jo's book?

Amy kicks off the Little Women story as a

12-year-old

and ends as a young adult who has seen more of the world and fallen in love and gotten married and had a child. Meg and Jo both age and mature, but they start already on the brink of womanhood.

Does Jo ever forgive Amy?

Realizing only after it has been destroyed that she has wounded Jo far more deeply than she intended, she desperately tries to make amends, but it is only when she literally risks her life and safety in this pursuit (she chases Jo out onto the thin ice of a frozen lake and falls through) that

Jo is able to put aside

Maria LaPaige
Author
Maria LaPaige
Maria is a parenting expert and mother of three. She has written several books on parenting and child development, and has been featured in various parenting magazines. Maria's practical approach to family life has helped many parents navigate the ups and downs of raising children.