Description

In this episode of Hot Takes on the Classics, Emily and Tim dive into Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, a quintessential American novel exploring the power of familial affection, or storge. Through the domestic world of the March sisters, the novel celebrates love that is rooted in everyday acts of care, sacrifice, and support. Tim and Emily discuss the enduring impact of the book—especially its deep appeal for young women—and the formation of character through simple joys, sibling tensions, and motherly wisdom. Along the way, they debate adaptations, Austen echoes, and whether Louisa May Alcott made the right romantic choices for Jo. Emily’s Hot Take: Joe should’ve married Laurie. No matter how much we try to appreciate Professor Bhaer, Laurie was the one. Period.

Episode Outline

• Opening Reflections
• Literary Value and Canon Status
• Portrait of a Family
• Character Spotlights
• Historical and Cultural Context
• Movie Adaptations

Key Topics & Takeaways

• Little Women offers an idealized but powerful vision of affection (storge) within a family.
• Joe March serves as a formative figure for generations of readers, particularly girls.
• The March family embodies the American ideal of virtue over wealth, simple joys over splendor.
• Literature with female protagonists often receives less exposure among boys—why?
• Canon-worthiness isn’t only about literary perfection but also about emotional and cultural resonance.
• Movie adaptations shape popular memory of books—sometimes more than the books themselves.

Questions & Discussion

• Does Little Women belong in the Western canon? Why or why not? Consider the book’s artistic merits alongside its cultural impact. Define a classic in your view.
• Why do young readers form such strong attachments to characters like Jo March? Identify a fictional character who shaped your own identity or dreams. Name the qualities that made them powerful to you.
• What do we gain—and lose—by reading books with protagonists who differ from us in gender, time, or culture? Consider how engaging with characters unlike ourselves can deepen empathy and expand our perspective.
• Was Louisa May Alcott right to have Jo marry Professor Bhaer instead of Laurie? Share your take. 
• How does Little Women shape our understanding of affection (storge)? Explore what this novel teaches about family, sacrifice, and the ordinary beauty of home life.

Suggested Reading

• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott  
• Little Men by Louisa May Alcott
• Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
• Emily of New Moon by L. M. Montgomery
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis
• Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis
• Little Britches by Ralph Moody
• The Odyssey by Homer translated by Emily Wilson
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë