DESCRIPTION:

Four teenaged sisters and their mother, whom they call Marmee, live in a new neighborhood (loosely based on Concord) in Massachusetts in genteel poverty. Having lost all his money, their father is acting as a pastor in the American Civil War, far from home. The women face their first Christmas without him.

TRANSCRIPT: 

Jo: I'm working on a novel. It is a story of my life and my sisters. Mr. Dashwood: Make it short and spicy, and if the main character is a girl make sure she's married by the end. Laurie: Aw! Jo! Amy: I want to be an artist in Rome and be the best painter in the world. Beth: That’s what you want too, isn’t it, Jo, to be a famous writer? Jo: Yes. But it sounds so crass when she says it. Marmee: My girls have a way of getting into mischief. Laurie: So do I! This is Meg, Amy, Beth, and Jo. Jo: AHH! All Girls: AHH! Jo: I intend to make my own way in the world. Aunt March: No one makes their way, least of all a woman. You’ll need to marry well. Jo: But you’re not married, Aunt March. Aunt March: Well, that's because I'm rich! Laurie: Jo, would you like to dance with me? Jo: I can’t because I scorched my dress. And Meg told me to keep still so no one would see it. Laurie: I have an idea of how we can manage. Aunt March: Jo is a lost cause. So you are your family’s hope now. Amy: I believe we have some power over who we love it isn't something that just happens to a person. Laurie: I think the poets might disagree. Jo: We can leave, right now. I'll sell stories. Meg: Jo. Jo: And, you! You should be an actress and you should have a life on the stage Meg: Just because my dreams are different than yours, doesn't mean they're unimportant Laurie: I loved you ever since I've known you, Jo. I couldn't help it. Jo: It could be a disaster. Laurie: It won't be a disaster. Jo: We'll be misserable. Laurie: We will be in a perfect state. Jo: I can't. I can't. [Music] Woman: A new play written by Miss Jo March Jo: Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. Amy: I want to be great or nothing. Jo: 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! Marmee: There are some nature's - laughing Tibet Mr. Dashwood: So, who does she marry? 

QUESTIONS: 

1. Name the four teenage sisters and discuss their different personalities. 

2. Who are the greatest women in your country’s history? 

3. How will women be different 100 years from now?