Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Little Women




Wait! Don't run away at the sight of the picture! The classic has a lot to offer!
Many people may be under the impression that the book is about goody-two shoes. However, that is not the case. I , myself, picked up the book after many internal struggles fearing it to be too sugary and girly to enjoy. But, I was shocked to find it so captivating that I finished the ‘unabridged’ book in two days! Now, I can't wait to see the movie!

Little women is a beautiful classic written by the American authoress Lousia M. Alcott. Based on her own siblings May, Elizabeth, Anna and herself, the story is about four girls (they would rather I call them ‘Pilgrims’) and their journey through life.

Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are four sisters, each with their own talents, ambitions and shortcomings. Meg, the eldest, is ambitious and aspires for high-society while Jo is completely the opposite. She is tomboyish, short-tempered and fond of writing, scribbling away in her attic. The third one, Beth, is sweet, scarificing devotes her time to household chores. The youngest, Amy, is a little selfish, loves art and has girlish dreams.

The family is quite poor and the girls struggle to make ends meet. With constant motherly support ‘Marmee’, they learn to understand the true meaning of happiness and shed off their shortcomings. Meg realizes the folly of dressing up like a ‘doll’ and Jo learns to tame her wild habits. However, she cannot help but make friends with the boy, Laurie, next-door. Their adventures and simple activities are delightful while their struggle against trials is inspiring.

Although they did not have a televison and hi-fi gadgets they made their lives much much livelier and pleasant than we could ever imagine. They amused themselves with playacting, clubs and going on camping trips. Reading about their simple plesaures makes me feel like chucking the television and computer out the window because most of the time they provide superficial joy. I think, comedy programmes, movies and cartoons leave you with an empty feeling. You might have been laughing just a second ago but as soon as the list of casts starts rolling down you feel at a loss. You feel guilty for having wasted so much time on a box! We could monitor our televison time but is that the solution? Afterall, don't we humans need entertainment from activities which involve humans rather than machines? I think I'll try throwing the television out. Hang on, what if my family decides to throw me instead? *thinking* Hhmmm... that won't be very good considering I have to give my practical exams in a few days.

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