Little Women: Chap.5-Jo Gets to Know Laurie Closely – This chapter highlights Jo’s warm personality and how her friendship begins to brighten Laurie’s lonely life. Here get summary, key points, vocabulary and answers to questions and language practice. Also see the 4th part and the 6th part.
Notes: Chap.5 ‘Jo Gets to Know Laurie Closely’
Summary of ‘Jo Gets to Know Laurie Closely’:
On a snowy afternoon, Jo was shovelling snow in the garden when she noticed Laurie, the boy who lived next door, looking lonely from his window. She threw a snowball to catch his attention, and they struck up a conversation. Laurie explained that he had been sick and bored. Jo offered to visit him and soon returned with some food and her sister Beth’s kittens to cheer him up. Laurie enjoyed Jo’s company, and they quickly became friends.
Jo tidied up Laurie’s room, and they talked about their families and interests. Laurie, who had been watching Jo and her family from afar, knew a lot about them and admitted feeling lonely despite living in a large mansion with his grandfather, Mr. Laurence. Jo invited him to join her family, and Laurie expressed that his grandfather might allow him to visit if Jo’s mother asked.
Jo and Laurie bonded over their shared love for books. Laurie offered to show Jo the Laurence family library, which she found amazing. They spent some time together until Mr. Laurence returned. Jo, though nervous at first, charmed the stern-looking old man, and they had tea together. Laurie’s grandfather saw how much happier Laurie was with Jo’s company and decided to let Laurie spend time with the March sisters.
As Laurie showed Jo the conservatory and played music for her, she praised his talent. However, Mr. Laurence, though polite, seemed uncomfortable with Laurie playing music. Later, Jo learned from her mother that Laurie’s mother was a musician, and Mr. Laurence had never approved of her marriage to Laurie’s father. Mr. Laurence’s fear was that Laurie might also want to become a musician, which he did not support. Jo, however, felt that Laurie should be free to choose his own path.
Vocabulary Notes:
| Word/Phrase | Meaning (English) | Meaning (Hindi) |
|---|---|---|
| Shovel | A tool used for lifting and moving snow or dirt | फावड़ा, बर्फ या मिट्टी उठाने और ले जाने का उपकरण |
| Stately | Grand and impressive in size or appearance | भव्य और आकर्षक |
| Mansion | A large, impressive house | महलनुमा बड़ा घर |
| Yearn | To strongly desire something | तड़पना या गहरी इच्छा रखना |
| Splendours | Impressive and beautiful things | शोभा, अद्भुत चीजें |
| Befriend | To make friends with someone | दोस्ती करना |
| Lately | Recently, in the near past | हाल ही में |
| Leaning through window | Bending forward and looking through the window | खिड़की से झांकना |
| Vanish | To disappear quickly | गायब हो जाना |
| Amuse | To entertain or make someone smile | मनोरंजन करना, किसी को हंसाना |
| Bag and baggage | With all belongings | अपना सब सामान लेकर |
| Tarts | Small, open pies filled with fruit or custard | मीठे पेस्ट्री, फलों या कस्टर्ड से भरी हुई |
| Loan | Something temporarily given to someone | उधार दी हुई वस्तु |
| Acquainted | To be familiar with someone or something | परिचित होना |
| Get on | To manage or do well in a situation | संभालना या अच्छा करना |
| Ill-tempered | Easily annoyed or angry | चिड़चिड़ा, गुस्सैल |
| Poodle | A type of small, curly-haired dog | पूडल, घुंघराले बालों वाला एक कुत्ता |
| Woo | To try to win someone’s affection, often for marriage | मनाना, शादी के लिए प्रपोज करना |
| Not quite | Not exactly; almost | बिल्कुल नहीं, पर लगभग |
| Astounded | Shocked or greatly surprised | हैरान या अचंभित |
| Animatedly | In a lively or energetic manner | उत्साह से |
| Insist | To demand or request something forcefully | जोर देना या आग्रह करना |
| Conservatory | A room with glass walls and a roof, used to grow plants | कांच का कमरा, पौधे उगाने के लिए |
| Why ever not | Why not; an expression of surprise at refusal | क्यों नहीं, अस्वीकार पर आश्चर्य जताने के लिए |
Key Points from Jo Gets to Know Laurie Closely:
- Jo notices Laurie feeling lonely:
- While shovelling snow, Jo sees Laurie looking bored and sick from his window and strikes up a conversation with him.
- Jo visits Laurie:
- Jo brings food and kittens to cheer Laurie up. They quickly become friends, and Laurie enjoys Jo’s company.
- Jo tidies Laurie’s room:
- Jo cleans up Laurie’s untidy room, impressing him with her kindness and energy.
- Laurie shares his loneliness:
- Laurie admits feeling lonely despite living in a grand mansion. He watches Jo and her sisters from afar and wishes he could join their lively family life.
- Bonding over books:
- Jo and Laurie discover a shared love for books. Laurie offers to show Jo the Laurence family library, which she finds remarkable.
- Jo meets Mr. Laurence:
- Jo meets Laurie’s grandfather, Mr. Laurence. Despite feeling nervous, Jo charms him, and they have tea together. Mr. Laurence notices how happy Laurie is with Jo’s company.
- Laurie plays music for Jo:
- Laurie plays the piano for Jo, who praises his talent. However, Mr. Laurence does not seem comfortable with Laurie playing music.
- The backstory of Laurie’s family:
- Jo’s mother explains that Mr. Laurence never approved of Laurie’s mother, who was a musician. Mr. Laurence fears Laurie may follow in her footsteps, which worries him.
- Jo believes in Laurie’s freedom:
- Jo feels that Laurie should be free to choose his own path in life, whether it’s becoming a musician or anything else.
- Friendship blossoms:
- Laurie and Jo’s friendship begins to grow, and Laurie is invited to spend more time with Jo and her family.
These points capture the development of Jo and Laurie’s friendship, as well as some underlying tensions in Laurie’s relationship with his grandfather.
Question and Answers
Questions and their answers:
1. How did the house of Mr. Laurence appear?
Answer: The house of Mr. Laurence looked large, grand, and beautiful, but it seemed very quiet and empty.
2. Why was Laurie not seen recently?
Answer: Laurie was not seen recently because he had been sick with a bad cold for a week.
3. How did Laurie’s mood change?
Answer: Laurie’s mood changed from being bored and lonely to happy and cheerful when he saw Jo and they started talking.
4. What did Jo bring with her?
Answer: Jo brought some delicious tarts made by Meg and Beth’s kittens to cheer Laurie up.
5. How did Laurie respond to the gifts?
Answer: Laurie was very happy and excited about the gifts. He played with the kittens and admired the tarts.
6. Which action of Jo’s made Laurie admire her?
Answer: Laurie admired Jo when she quickly cleaned and tidied up his room without any fuss.
7. How did Laurie explain that he knew all the girls?
Answer: Laurie explained that he knew all the girls because he often heard them calling each other’s names from their house, and he would watch them from his window.
8. What made Jo realize that Laurie was very lonely?
Answer: Jo realized Laurie was very lonely when he told her that he spent most of his time alone, looking out at their house because he had no friends or family around.
9. How did Laurie express his loneliness?
Answer: Laurie expressed his loneliness by saying that he had no one to talk to and felt shy about going out and meeting new people.
10. Which incident made Laurie laugh whole-heartedly?
Answer: Laurie laughed heartily when Jo told him a funny story about how her aunt’s parrot pulled off a gentleman’s wig.
11. What made Jo remark that Laurie was the happiest boy in the world?
Answer: Jo said Laurie was the happiest boy in the world because his house was filled with so many books, pictures, and beautiful things.
12. Which remark did Mr. Laurence overhear?
Answer: Mr. Laurence overheard Jo saying that although he looked stern, she still liked him.
13. How did Mr. Laurence get impressed with Jo?
Answer: Mr. Laurence was impressed by Jo’s honesty, kindness, and how much she cared for Laurie.
14. What happened after the tea? Give two examples.
Answer: After tea, Laurie took Jo to see the conservatory filled with beautiful plants. He also gave her a bunch of flowers to give to her mother.
15. Why did Mr. Laurence dislike Jo’s praise of Laurie?
Answer: Mr. Laurence didn’t like Jo praising Laurie too much because he thought too much praise wasn’t good for him.
16. What did Mrs. March reveal about Laurie’s parents?
Answer: Mrs. March revealed that Laurie’s mother was a musician from Italy, and Laurie’s grandfather never approved of the marriage. Laurie’s parents died when he was young, and that’s why Mr. Laurence raised him.
Language Practice:
Changing the complex sentences into simple ones:
A.
- Complex sentence: As I opened the door, I found mother standing outside.
- Simple sentence: Opening the door, I found mother standing outside.
B.
- Complex sentence: As the cricketer hit the ball, he found himself being run out.
- Simple sentence: Hitting the ball, the cricketer found himself being run out.
C.
- Complex sentence: As the doctor checked the patient, he found out that she had a heart ailment.
- Simple sentence: Checking the patient, the doctor found out that she had a heart ailment.
