Chapter 34

Little Women

Trailblazers · 4th–6th

Copywork

Being a little shortsighted, Mr. Bhaer sometimes used eyeglasses, and Jo had tried them once, smiling to see how they magnified the fine print of her book; now she seemed to have got on the Professor’s mental or moral spectacles also; for the faults of these poor stories glared at her dreadfully, and filled her with dismay. “They are trash, and will soon be worse than trash if I go on; for each is more sensational than the last.

Read your copy aloud. What does the narrator say Jo seems to have put on, and what do her stories look like through it? Then find the words Jo uses for the stories now.

Discussion

Narration Tell back how Jo came to write sensation stories, what Professor Bhaer showed her, and how her winter ended.

1. Jo tells Mr. Dashwood the story is for “a friend of mine.” What does that little fiction tell us about how she feels about what she is doing?Inference

2. Jo says that if there is a demand for sensation stories, she sees no harm in supplying it. Bhaer answers, “There is a demand for whiskey.” Whose reasoning is stronger?Moral reasoning

3. At the symposium Bhaer, who is “slow to offer his own opinions,” blazes up with “honest indignation.” What does that show us about him?Character

4. After Jo burns her stories, the narrator breaks in with “Ah, Jo, instead of wishing that, thank God.” Why might the narrator speak to her directly?Author's choice

5. Jo leaves thinking, “I’ve written no books, earned no fortune; but I’ve made a friend worth having.” Did she gain or lose this winter?Theme

Make a Connection Tell about a time you kept something you were doing from someone you respected.

Vocabulary

Crossword

1

				2
	3		4




5

					6


		7

Across

Across 1. Written to shock and thrill.
Across 5. Tearing at; deeply distressing.
Across 6. Meant to teach a lesson, often heavily.
Across 7. A correction; a mild rebuke.

Down

Down 1. Unable to see clearly at a distance.
Down 2. A gathering for talk among learned people.
Down 3. To treat something sacred with disrespect.
Down 4. Active good will toward others.
Down 6. Modest and hesitant to speak.

The words in the chapter

sensational “They are trash, and will soon be worse than trash if I go on; for each is more sensational than the last.
shortsighted Being a little shortsighted, Mr. Bhaer sometimes used eyeglasses, and Jo had tried them once,
harrowing and, as thrills could not be produced except by harrowing up the souls of the readers, history and romance, land and sea,
desecrate but, unconsciously, she was beginning to desecrate some of the womanliest attributes of a woman’s character.
benevolence Jo often watched him, trying to discover the charm, and, at last, decided that it was benevolence which worked the miracle.

symposium She took them with her, one night, to a select symposium, held in honor of several celebrities.
diffident Now, Mr. Bhaer was a diffident man, and slow to offer his own opinions, not because they were unsettled,
didactic She sent this didactic gem to several markets, but it found no purchaser; and she was inclined to agree with Mr. Dashwood,
reproof He did it so quietly that Jo never knew he was watching to see if she would accept and profit by his reproof; but she stood the test,

Critical thinking

1. At the second visit Mr. Dashwood takes Jo's story and names a price. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what he wants from her stories.

2. Jo sets out to learn why everyone likes Professor Bhaer. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what she decides draws people to him.

3. Jo writes a sermon and then will not write a story for young readers to order. Using two pieces of evidence, explain what she finds out about her own writing.