Little Women Novel: (Chapter 4) – The Marches Share Their Experiences: The Notes here include explanations with vocabulary and a summary. Questions and answers are also provided. For all parts of the novel and notes, click here.
After the week-long holiday, the March sisters are unhappy as they return to their daily responsibilities. Meg, working as a governess, envies other girls who live in luxury without having to work. Jo, though more mature, accepts the need to work and takes care of Aunt March, despite the challenges. Beth, too shy to attend school, helps with household chores but longs for music lessons that her family cannot afford. Amy, self-conscious about her appearance, wears hand-me-down clothes but is admired for her artistic talent.
During breakfast, the girls share their grievances about their lives. Mrs. March listens patiently and later shares the story of a poor old man she met. He had sent four sons to fight in the war, two of whom had died. His selflessness impresses Mrs. March and makes her realize how fortunate they are.
The section emphasizes the girls’ individual struggles and the importance of gratitude, despite hardships. It also highlights the family’s strong bond and their willingness to support one another.
In this part of the story, the week-long holiday comes to an end, and the girls are feeling unhappy as they must return to their daily work. Each of the March sisters has her own frustrations, and they share their grievances with one another.
- Meg’s Complaint: Meg envies other girls who live a luxurious life without needing to work. She has to work as a nursery governess and is tired of looking after spoiled children. She feels frustrated seeing other girls who only enjoy life, and this makes her bitter at times.
- Jo’s Attitude: Jo seems to have a more mature perspective. She accepts that work is a part of life and tries to deal with it positively. She works as a companion to Aunt March, who is strict and demanding. Although Jo doesn’t enjoy the job, she takes it because it’s the best option for her at the moment.
- Beth’s Shyness: Beth is too shy to attend school, and eventually, her parents decide that school is not suitable for her. She helps out at home with Hannah and dreams of learning music, but her family cannot afford a piano or music lessons.
- Amy’s Challenges: Amy feels insecure about her appearance and has to wear hand-me-down clothes from her cousin. However, she is well-liked by her friends and is admired for her talent in drawing.
As the girls share their experiences, Mrs. March reminds them to be grateful for what they have. She narrates the story of an old man who had sent all four of his sons to fight in the war, two of whom had died. The old man’s selflessness teaches Mrs. March and the girls to appreciate their own blessings.
Key Points:
- The girls are unhappy about returning to work but realize they need to support the family.
- Each sister has her own struggles: Meg envies rich girls, Jo is restless but mature, Beth is shy, and Amy deals with insecurities.
- The part highlights the family’s bond and their sense of responsibility, despite their hardships.
- Mrs. March’s story emphasizes the importance of gratitude and humility.
This part of the story shows how the March sisters, despite their complaints and frustrations, remain strong and support one another through their challenges.
Vocabulary:
| Word/Phrase | Contextual Meaning in English | Meaning in Hindi |
|---|---|---|
| Grievance | A complaint or feeling of unfairness | शिकायत, तकलीफ, व्यथा |
| Envy | The feeling of jealousy towards someone | ईर्ष्या, जलन |
| Drink at leisure | To relax and enjoy without any hurry | आराम से अपनी मन मर्जी से बैठकर पीना |
| Sounded more mature | Appeared to be more grown-up and responsible | अधिक परिपक्व और समझदार लगना |
| Spoilt children | Children who are given too much and misbehave | बिगड़े हुए बच्चे |
| Drove her crazy | Made her feel extremely irritated or frustrated | उसे पागल कर दिया कर दिया करते थे |
| Sulk | To be silently angry or upset | रूठना, खिन्न हो जाना |
| Scowl | To make an angry or displeased facial expression | तिरस्कार से देखना, नाक-भौं चढ़ा के घूरना |
| Ungrateful wretches | People who do not appreciate what they have | अभागा[अभागी/अभागन]बदक़िस्मत, घटिया |
| Miserable | Feeling extremely unhappy or uncomfortable | दुखी, लाचार, असहाय, बुरे हालत |
| Nursery governess | A woman employed to teach and care for young children | बच्चों की देखभाल करने वाली शिक्षिका |
| Concerts | Music performances | संगीत कार्यक्रम |
| Frivolous | Something that lacks seriousness or importance | तुच्छ, व्यर्थ, बेमतलब और फिजूल का |
| A sense of justice | A feeling of fairness | न्याय की भावना (ईश्वर का न्याय) |
| Bitter | Feeling angry or resentful due to unfair treatment | कड़वा, नाराज़, खिन्न, |
| Depressed | Feeling very sad and low in spirit | उदास ओर हताश |
| For the sake of fortune | To do something for the purpose of gaining wealth | धन ओर किस्मत सँवारने के लिए |
| Blunt | Straightforward and direct in speech | बेबाक, बिना परवाह किए बिना बोलना |
| Took fancy to Jo | Liked Jo or became fond of Jo | जो को पसंद करना |
| Got remarkably well with querulous ladies | Managed to get along well with complaining or irritable women | शिकायत करने वाली महिलाओं के साथ अच्छी तरह निभाना |
| Poodle | A breed of dog | पालतू कुत्ते की एक नस्ल (पूडल) |
| Restless | Unable to stay still, always needing to be active | बेचैन, अशांत मन |
| Pined | Longed deeply for something | लालसा करना |
| Elegantly | In a graceful and stylish manner | सुरुचिपूर्ण ढंग से, बहुत ही अच्छे तरीके ओर सलीके से |
Questions and Answers:
1. How did the girls feel the morning after the party?
Ans. The girls were unhappy and grumbling as they had to return to their work after the week-long holiday.
2. What work did Meg and Jo do?
Ans. Meg worked as a nursery governess taking care of four spoiled children. Jo worked as a companion for Aunt March, who was elderly and needed help.
3. Why did Jo make a harsh comment for themselves?
Ans. Jo called them “ungrateful wretches” because she felt they were complaining unnecessarily about their situation instead of being grateful for what they had.
4. Why did the two girls take up work?
Ans. They took up work because their father lost his property, and they wanted to support their family.
5. Why did Meg feel envious of other girls?
Ans. Meg felt envious of other girls because they led comfortable lives, wore beautiful dresses, and enjoyed luxuries like concerts and parties, while she had to work.
6. Why had the Marches refused Aunt March’s offer?
Ans. The Marches refused Aunt March’s offer to adopt one of the girls for the sake of fortune because they valued their family bond and preferred to stay together.
7. How did Aunt March and Jo get along? Give examples.
Ans. Aunt March and Jo often quarrelled, but they quickly patched up. Despite their differences, they liked each other. Jo enjoyed Aunt March’s large library, but her duties often interrupted her reading.
8. Apart from the earning, what attracted Jo to Aunt March’s house?
Ans. Jo was attracted to Aunt March’s large library where she loved to read during her free time.
9. What were Beth’s problems?
Ans. Beth was too shy to go to school and could not adjust to its discipline. She also longed for music lessons and a piano, but her family couldn’t afford them.
10. Write a character sketch of Amy.
Ans. Amy was friendly, elegant, and admired by her friends. Although she had insecurities about her flat nose and wearing hand-me-down clothes, she was good at drawing and was well-petted by everyone.
11. Narrate the funny incident that happened with Jo.
Ans. Jo was secretly reading her favourite book, “The Vicar of Wakefield,” while Aunt March was asleep. She laughed out loud at a funny part, waking Aunt March, who surprisingly enjoyed the book and asked Jo to read more.
12. Which experience at school did Amy narrate?
Ans. Amy narrated how Susie Perkins drew a cartoon of their class teacher on a slate. Mr. Davis, the teacher, caught her and punished her by making her stand on the platform with the drawing.
13. What did Beth see at the fish shop? Narrate briefly.
Ans. Beth saw Mr. Laurence giving a large fish to a poor woman who had begged for food. The woman was very grateful and thanked him repeatedly.
15. How did the poor, old man impress Mrs. March?
Ans. The old man impressed Mrs. March by telling her that he had sent four sons to fight in the war, two of whom had died. He accepted his loss with great dignity, which made Mrs. March realize how fortunate she was.
16. What did the old man’s story teach Mrs. March?
Ans. The old man’s story taught Mrs. March to be grateful for the blessings in her life and not to complain about her own troubles.
Language Practice:
Study the given sentence:
Beth was too shy to go to school. This can also be written like this: Beth was so shy that she could not go to school.
Now change the following sentences in the second way :
A. My younger brother is too short to reach the shelf.
B. The old woman is too frail to walk a long distance.
C. Our course material is too difficult for me to understand.
D. Our class teacher is too strict for us to approach her casually.
E. The T V serial is too interesting for my mother to miss.
Answers:
A. My younger brother is so short that he cannot reach the shelf.
B. The old woman is so frail that she cannot walk a long distance.
C. Our course material is so difficult that I cannot understand it.
D. Our class teacher is so strict that we cannot approach her casually.
E. The TV serial is so interesting that my mother cannot miss it.
