Discussion Topic
Jo's decision on a cold day in Little Women
Summary:
On a cold day in Little Women, Jo decides to sell her hair to help support her family financially. This act of selflessness demonstrates her deep love and commitment to her family, showcasing her willingness to sacrifice her own comfort and appearance for their well-being.
What decision does Jo make on a cold day in Little Women?
On a cold day, Meg advises Jo to stay curled up warm and dry by the fire like her. However, the high-spirited Jo has other ideas. She dresses in her rubber boots, an old sack, and a hood. She heads outside to sweep paths in the newly fallen snow.
Jo, who loves to be active and adventuresome, clears a path around the garden so that Beth will be able to take her invalid dolls out for air. The garden where Jo is working is by the stone mansion next door, a cold, forbidding structure.
Jo likes to think of it as an enchanted palace. How own little brown house, in summer covered in vines, is much humbler. However, she also sees that the mansion is "lonely" and "lifeless," and her own home is lively and full of love.
As she shovels, Jo sees a pale face at the window, watching....
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It's Laurie, and Jo thinks he is looking lonely and sick. She had previously decided, seeing him shut away, that it's wrong for his grandfather to keep him isolated and alone and has planned to do something about it. Since the party where they met, she has wanted to find a way to make friends. She decides to throw a snowball at his window. This catches Laurie's attention, and he invites her over. With Marmee's permission, Jo accepts the offer, and a friendship is formed that spans much of the book.
What does Jo decide to do on a cold day in Little Women?
In chapter 5 of the novel the sisters are enduring a snowy afternoon and have been shoveling snow. Meg suggests that the best use of a day like this would be to stay indoors and keep warm by the fire, especially as the girls have already gone for two long walks. However, Jo disagrees—she says that she prefers "adventures" to sitting around next to the fire, and she leaves Meg to her book and goes out to dig paths around the garden. She takes a broom with her and is eventually able to clear a path around the whole area, thinking that it will be good for Beth to have somewhere to walk without stepping in snow.
Jo, however, has an additional motive for going outside—she has been intrigued by the boy next door, Laurie, and chooses this afternoon to throw a snowball at his window and speak to him. This is how Jo and Laurie first begin their acquaintance.