Of Blood & Ink
By Jo Douglas
“Do not consider me now as an elegant female intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from her heart.”
- Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Almost every woman I know has either watched the 2005 “Pride & Prejudice” film far too many times or can describe their personality through a March sister from “Little Women.” In some instances, it’s both. As recently as 2019, “Little Women” was adapted into a film by director Greta Gerwig. The March sisters resurrected to inspire a new generation of girls. But why are people so attached to these stories?
The appeal lies in sisterhood, romance and being a woman. We want a man like Darcy or Laurie and see ourselves in the stories of Jane and Elizabeth and Jo and Amy. These novels allow women to embrace their quirks, learn to grow and appreciate the sisterhoods they have – found, blood or otherwise. “Little Women” and “Pride & Prejudice” weave tales of sisters maturing through heartwarming and everyday encounters. For this to matter, we must understand each sister as a character.
The Sisters
The Marchs
Margaret “Meg” March – Sensible, superficial at times and determined, Meg March was the stand-in for her mother when she was absent.
Josephine “Jo” March – The opinionated, temperamental, tender-hearted writer and principal character of “Little Women.”
Elizabeth “Beth” March – Often seen at the piano, Beth was the soft, sweet and shy sister; her genuine good-heartedness kept her sisters strong.
Amy Curtis March –The youngest; artistic, vain and ambitious, Amy grows up the most throughout the series.
The Bennets
Jane Bennet – Referred to as ‘angelic’ by her sister and confidante Elizabeth, the eldest Jane is empathetic, cheerful and ladylike.
Elizabeth “Lizzy” Bennet – The main character of Pride & Prejudice; intelligent, playful and judgemental, though she learns to release her prejudices throughout the novel.
Mary Bennet – In order of age, Mary is where the sisters become silly; she is described as plain, conceited and overconfident, although there are many interpretations of her character.
Catherine “Kitty” Bennet – Originally just a shadow of her youngest sister, the sickly Kitty inevitably becomes “less irritable, less ignorant and less insipid.”
Lydia Bennet – The youngest of the Bennets and the most problematic, Lydia is quite simply a brat. She does not care to be polite; she is brash, bold and spoiled.
Similarities
Both novels tell the story of a stubborn-willed, second-oldest sister as they mature past their faults: Jo March for “Little Women” and Lizzy Bennet for “Pride & Prejudice.” The families are, similarly, of a similar class – comfortable but not wealthy. Lizzy and Jo are self-advocating, marriage-critical women who don’t seek matrimony above all. Their characters speak for themselves; they do not shrink or cower for the sake of men or high society. Despite this, they remain respectable women whose eventual union comes from a place of respect and love.
Even the dynamic of the sisters is similar. Meg and Jane, the oldest, are sensible and delicate women, delighted to be married to whom they choose. Beth and Mary, the ‘middle’ children, are quiet and artistically minded. Kitty, Lydia and Amy are the youngest, spoiled yet (in at least two cases) only need some maturity to grow. Relating the characters to one another helps to understand the dynamics more; it is easy to imagine the Bennets as more satirized versions of the Marches.
Differences
However, this is about where the similarities die. “Little Women” is an American coming-of-age novel and “Pride & Prejudice” is a British satire – countless elements put them at odds.
“Pride & Prejudice” only utilizes the three youngest Bennet sisters as foolish plot points. Jane and Lizzy may care for them, but most of what they feel is out of obligation, not love. When Lydia runs off to get eloped, Lizzy is most concerned about her family’s image and how this will affect them. Mary, Kitty and Lydia are nothing more than caricatures to taunt. The story focuses almost solely on marriage, and although it may be critical to the concept, at the end of the day, readers are drawn to the relationship between Lizzy and Mr. Darcy. It is about love, romance, matrimony – not family, sisterhood, or platonic feelings.
“Little Women” treats every sister with the respect they deserve. Even though Meg and Amy are vain, they learn to grow into their own women and are more than their superficial qualities. None of them are perfect, but none of them are all that flawed either. Throughout the story, the reader learns to love each March sister for who they are. The appeal of “Little Women” rests entirely on the relationship between the sisters. Romance is a side plot. These aspects do not make the novel better or worse than Pride & Prejudice; it is just different.
Sisterhood
Sisterhood in classic literature is a testament to its time. Despite hatred, annoyance, or frustration, blood is thicker than those emotions. Lydia spends a life in debt, yet Lizzy always follows to pay it off. Kitty begins spending more time with her older sisters and becomes a better woman. Even after burning all of her stories, Jo still cares for Amy. Meg helped to care for her siblings when her mother was absent.
Obligation and duty or love and care; both Little Women and Pride & Prejudice craft a sisterly dynamic. Lizzy may look down on her younger sisters, but Jane is her closest friend and someone she admires. Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy all genuinely love each other despite their squabbles and disagreements. Female friendships and relationships are rarely written well, but Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott inspire young girls and women alike.
Conclusion
For generations, women have found themselves in “Pride & Prejudice” and “Little Women.” In the former, they have romance; in the latter, sisterhood. Both stories allow readers to see the full faces of the characters: the good, the bad and the downright ugly. The female characters are temperamental, judgemental and vain – but can grow from their flaws and flourish into respectable women if they have the willpower to do so. These novels allow for room to breathe for girls and women to grow into their own. It shows them how to be a sister and a friend. Most importantly, it leaves them with a message: You do not have to be perfect to be loved.
“I think she is growing up, and so begins to dream dreams, and have hopes and fears and fidgets, without knowing why or being able to explain them.”
- Louisa May Alcott, Little Women