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In the 2019 film Little Women, directed by Greta Gerwig, the main character is Josephine "Jo" March, portrayed by Saoirse Ronan.
While the story follows all four March sisters, Jo serves as the primary protagonist and the film's "authorial surrogate." Gerwig’s adaptation places a specific emphasis on Jo’s journey as a writer and her struggle to reconcile her desire for independence with her deep need for connection.
The following lines are considered the most iconic from the 2019 adaptation, often noted for how they modernized the classic characters while staying true to the spirit of Louisa May Alcott’s original work:
Perhaps the most famous scene in the movie occurs when Jo is speaking to her mother (Marmee) in the attic of their home. This speech was written by Greta Gerwig specifically for the film, though it was inspired by Alcott's letters and other writings.
"Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is just all a woman is fit for. I’m so sick of it! ... But I’m so lonely."
At the end of the film, Jo negotiates the publication of her novel, Little Women. This meta-fictional moment blurs the lines between Jo and the real-life author, Louisa May Alcott.
"If I’m going to sell my heroine into marriage for money, I might as well get some of it."
Throughout the film, Jo expresses a desire to remain unmarried and self-sufficient, famously using a nautical metaphor:
"I’d rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe."
In a scene where Jo is discussing the value of her work with Amy, she expresses doubt about whether a story of domestic life matters.
"Writing doesn't confer importance, it reflects it."
In one of the most heartbreaking scenes of the film, Jo rejects her best friend Laurie's marriage proposal on the hillside.
"I can't say 'yes' truly, so I won't say it at all."
The summary attributes the speech to Gerwig and Alcott's letters, missing that it is a direct adaptation of text from Alcott's novel 'Rose in Bloom'.
The summary incorrectly claims this line is from the novel 'Little Women'. It is actually from Alcott's personal writings.
The summary attributes the film's thematic validation of domestic stories to Jo's line. In the scene, Jo is cynical, and it is Amy who delivers the validating counter-argument.
The main character is Jo March (Saoirse Ronan). Her most memorable lines include the "Women have minds" monologue (adapted by Gerwig from Alcott's novel Rose in Bloom), her negotiation with Mr. Dashwood ("If I'm going to sell my heroine into marriage..."), and her rejection of Laurie ("I can't say 'yes' truly"). The line "I'd rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe" is also iconic in the film, though it originates from Alcott's journals rather than the novel. Additionally, while Jo says "Writing doesn't confer importance, it reflects it," the film uses this line to set up Amy's pivotal counter-argument: "I think writing them will make them more important."