In 2019, the remake of “Little Women” was released in theaters. Directed by Greta Gerwig with an all-star cast including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, and Laura Dern, this film was set up for success. While generally I’m not a fan of remakes, I approve of this one. There’s one moment in particular that gave me chills when I first saw it, but I never really connected with it until now. As someone who’s never read the entirety of the original novel by Louisa May Alcott, I’m looking at this purely as a film standing on its own feet. My thoughts are not based on the novel whatsoever (though I really should get around to reading it).
While there are many moments in this film that are beautiful, there’s one scene that really stands out. After Jo’s (Saoirse Ronan) younger sister, Beth (Eliza Scanlon), dies from Scarlet Fever, Jo is talking with her mother, Marmee (Laura Dern), about her life in New York. Eventually, the conversation shifts to her friend Laurie (Timothee Chalamet). He had proposed to her some time before, but Jo turned him down because she wanted to remain independent. She then reveals to Marmee that if he asked her again, she would say yes. This is when Jo delivers arguably the most famous monologue in the film.
“Women have minds and souls as well as hearts, ambition and talent as well as beauty, and I’m sick of being told that love is all a woman is fit for. But… I’m so lonely.”
Greta Gerwig has said that she pulled the monologue directly from the book, but added the line “I’m so lonely.” In my opinion, this is the line that really hits home. Jo is struggling to reconcile two parts of herself: The part that’s independent, ambitious, and believes that she doesn’t need to get married to feel fulfilled, and the part that wants to find love. This line really shows this struggle, which, I think, is a struggle a lot of people can relate to. While a lot of people may use the first part of this line to fuel a feminist agenda, there’s way more to it. Sometimes in today’s society it feels like being an ambitious woman means you’re supposed to reject the notion of falling in love — like I have to have my brain solely focused on school or work, and that if anyone should find out that I want to get married one day it would mean that I don’t care as much about achieving my other dreams.
This monologue sparked a realization. I’ve always been ambitious and I’ve always believed that women should be able to do whatever they desire. Whether that’s having a career, having a family, both, or something in between. For most of my life, I’ve chosen to be independent. I was a firm believer that I didn’t need a man to be happy. And while to some extent I do believe that this is true and that people can be truly happy without being in a relationship, that doesn’t diminish the idea that it’s something I want. I’ve always been so focused on reaching my goals as a musician, writer, and filmmaker; and I’ve tried to convince myself that once I achieve those dreams I’ll be happy. But as I get closer to that goal, I’ve realized that those things will not fulfill me. Like Jo, I can be independent. I can write and play my guitar all I want, but I’m still lonely. I saw this quote from author Kate Bowler that I feel goes along with this: “I don’t know why, but it took me so long to admit that I have had my own struggles with loneliness. It felt a little bit like admitting to being unpopular… If we say we’re lonely, it means that we’re not likable, and God-forbid, that we’re not lovable…” When we’re blessed with so much, sometimes admitting that we’re lonely feels like being ungrateful or like we’re idolizing relationships. But we’re humans who were created out of love to be loved. It’s human nature to want love, so why should we deny it simply because we’re also capable of other things? It’s not wrong to feel lonely, even when you’re lucky, and it’s not wrong to long for more.
The moments where I feel the most fulfilled are when I’m surrounded by the people that make me happy. While that doesn’t always have to be romantic love, that’s still a part of it. So yes, as Jo March said, women are fit for more than just love — we have the capability to do anything — but that doesn’t mean that love isn’t something worth striving for.
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