Little Women
Chapter 26 — Teaching Companion
Louisa May Alcott · Trailblazers 4th–6th
Coaching, not a script — and not an answer key: every question here has more than one defensible answer.
This chapter's big question
Amy stakes her claim to be a genuine lady on an elegant lunch and a hired carriage, and Jo calls that truckling, so what does the failed fête actually show about where being a lady comes from, and is Jo's charge fair?
The tension The narrator says at the start that Amy is a lady at heart and has yet to learn that money cannot buy refinement; the chapter then lets her try to buy it with cold tongue, French chocolate, and a cherry-bounce, against Marmee's plea for a plan in keeping with their circumstances. Jo sees only truckling to French boots; Amy answers that elbows out and nose in the air is not independence but rudeness, and the narrator gives her common sense. The girls do not come. Amy's refinement then shows in places she did not plan: a quick joke over a lobster, a cordial afternoon for one guest in a buggy, a quiver in the voice, and a request not to be teased for a month.
Today's focus
Watch what Amy does when her plan goes wrong, and what her choices show about her.
Two core ideas
- Amy plans an elegant afternoon and leans on money and show: cold tongue, French chocolate, a hired carriage, a borrowed cherry-bounce.
- The plan falls apart, and the chapter then shows Amy's manners in small moments: a joke on the omnibus, a cordial drive with one guest, a shaky request not to be teased.
The shape at a glance
The chapter opens with Amy's failed art attempts, then her plan to entertain her drawing class. Mrs. March doubts it, Jo scoffs, and Monday's rain keeps everyone away. On Tuesday, after the lobster mishap, only one guest comes, and the family hides its laughter until she has gone.
A way in
Start with Amy's "Oh dear, no!" to cake and sandwiches. Ask what she thinks a lunch should say about her.
Lesson plan
Retell The student tells the chapter back in order: the art attempts, the plan, the quarrel with Jo, Monday, Tuesday, and the evening.
Imitate the author After copying the passage, the student writes one sentence with semicolons: someone greets a guest calmly while others struggle not to laugh.
Debate Take sides: did the fête fail, or did it show Amy at her best? Each side must use at least one quote from the chapter.
Purpose Close by asking why the author ends with a joke the family keeps for months.
Easier Read the lobster scene aloud together and talk through discussion questions 1 and 3 only.
On level Talk through all five discussion questions, then have the student write one critical-thinking answer with two pieces of evidence from the chapter.
Harder Ask the student to compare Amy's tact on the omnibus with Mrs. March's tact at the door, and to add it to a critical-thinking answer.
Discussion
- Amy wants her lunch "proper and elegant, though I do work for my living." What might that "though" tell us about what she is after?Inference
What it asks It asks what one small word reveals about Amy's wish for the lunch, and whether she wants to impress the girls, hide something, or thank them.
One reading
She wants the girls to overlook that she is poor, so the lunch has to look like theirs.
they are all rich, and know I am poor
The girls are used to such things
Another reading
She wants to thank girls who were kind to her, and she will pay for it herself.
They have been very kind to me in many ways, and I am grateful
I’ve calculated the cost, and I’ll pay for it myself.
Listen for
- Says what the word "though" is pushing against.
- Uses Amy's own words about the girls, not only her plan.
If stuck
- What does Mrs. March suggest for lunch, and what does Amy say?
- What does Amy say about the girls and money?
- What does "though" do to the sentence: add to it, or push against it?
A strong answer "Though" sets two things against each other: a lunch that is proper and elegant, and a girl who works for her living. Amy seems to think the first has to cover the second. She also says the girls have been kind and she is grateful, and she will pay for it herself, so thanks may be part of it. A strong answer says what Amy thinks the lunch must say about her, and uses her words from the conversation with her mother.
- Amy says, "I hate being patronized as much as you do!" How are Amy's way and Jo's way of dealing with fashionable girls alike, and how do they differ?Character
What it asks It asks the student to compare two sisters who share a dislike of being looked down on and act on it in opposite ways.
One reading
They are more alike than they say: both are proud and both want to be treated as equals.
I don’t truckle, and I hate being patronized as much as you do!
I thought you had too much pride and sense to truckle to any mortal woman
Another reading
They are more different than alike: Jo keeps away, Amy moves toward the people she admires.
You don’t care to make people like you, to go into good society, and cultivate your manners and tastes. I do
You can go through the world with your elbows out and your nose in the air, and call it independence, if you like.
Listen for
- Names one thing both sisters want.
- Says what each sister does about it, using her words.
If stuck
- What does Jo think the girls feel about Amy?
- What does Amy say she does that Jo does not?
- How does the quarrel between Amy and Jo end?
A strong answer Both sisters hate being patronized; Amy says so outright, and Jo's scorn for girls in French boots rests on pride too, since she says she thought Amy had too much pride and sense to "truckle." They part on what to do about it. Jo says the girls "don't care a sixpence for you" and frowns on the whole plan; Amy says she wants to cultivate good society and make the most of every chance. A strong answer finds the shared pride first, then uses one line from each sister to show where they split.
- On the omnibus, Amy's face goes "nearly as red as her fish," and then she laughs and makes a joke. What changes in those few seconds?Character
What it asks It asks what happens inside Amy between the blush and the joke, and whether the change is real or an act.
One reading
She truly rallies: she picks herself up and turns the embarrassment into something light.
Amy recovered herself in a breath, set her basket boldly on the seat, and said, laughing
Now that was tact
Another reading
Only her manner changes: underneath she is still embarrassed and expects him to joke about it with Laurie.
I suppose he’ll laugh and joke over it with Laurie, but I shan’t see them; that’s a comfort
She did not mention this meeting at home
Listen for
- Names what Amy does with her body and her words, before and after.
- Notices that Amy's private thoughts come after the joke.
If stuck
- What does Amy say when the young man pokes the lobster back with his cane?
- What does she do with the basket?
- What does she think after he leaves, and does she tell anyone at home?
A strong answer First her face goes red and she murmurs, "Please don't," and then in a breath she sets the basket on the seat and jokes about the salad and the charming young ladies. The narrator says that was tact, because the young man's attention moves from the mishap to the lobster and the girls. But afterward she expects he will laugh and joke over it with Laurie, and tells herself it is a comfort that she will not see them, and she says nothing at home. A strong answer can say the change is real, or that it is a mask, as long as it uses what Amy does and thinks.
- Before the lunch, the narrator spends pages on Amy's poker-sketching, oil paintings and plaster casts. Why might the author begin the chapter with them?Author's choice
What it asks It asks what the long list of Amy's art attempts prepares the reader for, and what tone the author wants for the fête.
One reading
It shows a girl who keeps trying, so the fête reads as one more attempt she will survive.
she persevered in spite of all obstacles, failures, and discouragements
and left a lasting memorial of one artistic attempt, at least
Another reading
It sets a gently comic tone, so the failed lunch reads as a joke and not a disaster.
producing pastoral and marine views such as were never seen on land or sea
mistaking enthusiasm for inspiration, she attempted every branch of art with youthful audacity
Listen for
- Links the opening to something that happens in the lunch plot.
- Talks about how the narrator's voice sounds, not only what Amy does.
If stuck
- Name two art attempts and what went wrong with each.
- Does the narrator sound angry at Amy, or amused?
- What does Amy do after each failure?
A strong answer The opening shows Amy trying one art after another, fire, oil, plaster, and never quitting, and the narrator jokes at her expense without being unkind. That sets up the fête: another big attempt made with enthusiasm, another failure, and another Amy who gets up again. A strong answer names the narrator's tone and says how the opening changes the way we take the fête's failure.
- Amy calls herself "a fool," and a moment later says, "I am satisfied; I've done what I undertook." Can both be true of her?Moral reasoning
What it asks It asks whether Amy can judge her plan foolish and herself satisfied, or whether one of her statements is an excuse.
One reading
Both are true: the plan was foolish, but she carried it through gracefully and kindly.
there’s no reason you should all die of a surfeit because I’ve been a fool
delightfully cordial to the one guest who had kept her promise
Another reading
She is excusing herself: she was warned, and "it's not my fault" is too easy.
some simpler plan would be pleasanter to them, as a change, if nothing more
it’s not my fault that it failed; I comfort myself with that
Listen for
- Separates the plan from how Amy carried it out.
- Uses Mrs. March's warning or Amy's quiver as evidence.
If stuck
- What did Mrs. March advise before the fête?
- What did Amy do for Miss Eliott that afternoon?
- How does Amy's voice sound as she says she is satisfied?
A strong answer Both statements can be true of different parts of the day. The plan was a mistake she names herself; carrying it through was a different matter, since she was cordial to Miss Eliott and drove her about till sunset. But she was warned, and "it's not my fault" sounds like a comfort she needs, with a little quiver in her voice. A strong answer keeps the plan and the performance apart and decides whether her satisfaction is earned or borrowed.
Critical thinking
- On Monday morning Amy hides the shabby places in the parlor. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what that shows about how she deals with being poor.
What it asks It asks the student to read Amy's parlor fixes as a clue to how she handles having little: with resource, with cover-up, or both.
One reading
She makes the best of what she has and does not complain.
without stopping to sigh for what she had not, she skilfully made the best of what she had
filling up empty corners with homemade statuary, which gave an artistic air to the room
Another reading
She covers up what is shabby so the girls will not see it.
arranging chairs over the worn places in the carpet
covering stains on the walls with pictures framed in ivy
Listen for
- Two different actions, not one told twice.
- An idea about the difference between making do and hiding.
If stuck
- What does Amy put over the worn carpet, and over the stains?
- Does the narrator say she sighs about what she lacks?
- Who is the parlor being made ready for?
A strong answer Amy hides the worn carpet with chairs and the stains with ivy-framed pictures, so some of what she does is cover-up. But the narrator says she does it without stopping to sigh for what she had not, fills the empty corners with homemade statuary, and has Jo's vases of flowers to add to the artistic air, which is making do with spirit. A strong answer can favor one, and it gives two different pieces of evidence and says what they show together.
- After Amy and one guest arrive, each of her family helps in a different way. Using two pieces of evidence, explain how they treat Amy that afternoon.
What it asks It asks the student to read the family's kindness and their laughter together and decide how they treat Amy.
One reading
They protect her pride and treat the afternoon as a success.
said her mother, as respectfully as if the whole twelve had come
observed Beth, with unusual warmth
Another reading
They can hardly hold back laughing at the muddle, and the laughter breaks out once Amy is ready for it.
it was impossible to entirely control the merriment which possessed them
a general explosion of laughter cut short the “history of sallets,”
Listen for
- Evidence from at least two family members.
- An idea about why they wait to laugh.
If stuck
- What does Mrs. March say when Amy walks in?
- What does Jo's mouth give away?
- What checks Jo before she can say more about Laurie?
A strong answer The family protects Amy in the open and laughs only in the gaps. Her mother speaks as respectfully as if the whole twelve had come, Beth speaks with unusual warmth, and a warning look from Mrs. March stops Jo. Yet the laughter is so strong that Jo's mouth puckers and the whole table explodes at Mr. March's history of sallets. A strong answer names two members and what each does, and decides whether the laughing is at Amy or with her.
- On Tuesday morning Amy's "temper was beginning to fail." Using two pieces of evidence, explain what is wearing on her.
What it asks It asks the student to sort what is wearing on Amy: the money and work, the waiting, or the family's mishaps.
One reading
The cost and the work are wearing on her, and the lunch has grown past what she planned.
the cake and ice cost more than Amy expected, so did the wagon
various other expenses, which seemed trifling at the outset, counted up rather alarmingly afterward
Another reading
The waiting and the small disasters are wearing on her, and her hope is fading.
in her secret soul she wished she had said nothing about Tuesday, for her interest, like her cake, was getting a little stale
Hannah left it on the kitchen-table a minute, and the kittens got at it.
Listen for
- Two separate pressures, not one told twice.
- Notices what Amy says aloud and what she keeps to herself.
If stuck
- What was wrong with the Monday cooking?
- What does Amy wish in her secret soul on Tuesday?
- What happens to the chicken, and what does Amy say she must have?
A strong answer Two pressures pile up. The money: the cake, ice and wagon cost more than she expected and other expenses count up alarmingly. The waiting: nobody came Monday, and by Tuesday she wishes in her secret soul she had said nothing, because her interest is getting as stale as her cake. The kittens and the missing lobster are the small last straws. A strong answer picks two different pressures and says which one seems heavier.