Little Women Study Guide
Book 1 (Chapters 1-23)
1. What is the idea that the girls come up with of how to use their dollars?
2. What surprise does Marmee have for the girls when she comes home?
3. How is Father?
4. What game did the girls play when they were little?
5. What did they do as they played this?
6. How did this game teach them something?
7. What did the girls find under their pillows on Christmas morning?
8. What did Amy do that showed she wasn’t 100% selfish?
9. What do the girls do with their breakfast even though it is a great treat for them?
10. What great production did the girls put on that night?
11. Who creates these great stories?
12. Who sent the girls the “splendid supper”? Why?
13. What does Jo say about “that Laurence boy”?
1. Where was Jo’s favorite spot?
2. Who is Scrabble?
3. Where are the two older girls invited to go?
4. What did Jo do to Meg that made Meg very upset?
5. Who does Jo meet at the party?
6. What does Jo talk about with her new friend? Do they get along well?
7. What happens to Meg? Why doesn’t she want anyone to know?
8. How do they get home?
9. Who is the new friend that “takes a fancy” to Meg and invites her to visit later on?
10. What did Jo bring the younger sisters that showed she was thinking about them? What did Meg think of this?
1. Why is Meg so grumpy this morning when she gets up?
2. What’s the deal with the turnovers or “muffs”?
3. Where does Jo go to work every day? What about Meg?
4. Why did Meg and Jo decide to get jobs in the first place?
5. Why wouldn’t the March parents let Aunt March adopt one of the girls when times got tough?
6. How did being with Aunt March help Jo in a way?
7. Why didn’t Beth go to school?
8. What do you think this passage means about Beth?
“There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”
9. What does Amy think her greatest trial in the world is?
10. Which sisters kind of paired up and looked out for each other even more than usual?
11. What does Jo’s story tell us about Aunt March?
12. What does Beth’s story tell us about Mr. Laurence?
13. What was the moral of both of Marmee’s stories?
1. Why does Jo shovel out a path around the garden?
2. Who are Beth’s invalids?
3. How does Jo finally get Laurie’s attention?
4. What gifts does Jo bring to Laurie from each of the girls?
5. How does Laurie know the girls’ names?
6. What does Jo say that makes Laurie laugh so hard he cries?
7. What does Jo do that embarrasses her in front of old Mr. Laurence?
8. What is a conservatory?
9. What does Jo see in the house that she feels she must tell Beth about?
10. What happened to Laurie’s parents?
11. Why does old Mr. Laurence get upset when he hears Laurie play the piano?
12. Do you think the girls will continue their friendship with Laurie?
1. What was the saying “The Palace Beautiful” from?
2. What were the “lions” they had to get past?
3. How did Laurie get along with the girls? Did Old Mr. Laurence approve?
4. What did Old Mr. Laurence do to scare Beth? Did he do it intentionally?
5. How did he get her to come back over and play piano?
6. What little things did the people in the Laurence house do for Beth while she played piano that she didn’t even know about?
7. What did Beth decide to make for Mr. Laurence? Why? Describe them.
8. Why does Marmee like to grant Beth’s requests?
9. What does Old Mr. Laurence send in return for the gift?
10. How does Beth react? What does she do that shocks everyone?
11. Why does this shock everyone so much?
12. How does Old Mr. Laurence react to what Beth does? How does this change their relationship?
13. Why do you think Old Mr. Laurence thinks so much of Beth?
14. By the way, what exactly is a nunnery (when Mr. Laurence say that Laurie cannot get in trouble in “that little nunnery over there”)? Look it up!
1. What is Amy trying to say when she says that Laurie was “a perfect Cyclops”?
2. What is the deal with the girls at Amy’s school and pickled limes?
3. How does Amy get her limes?
4. How many does she get?
5. What happens to her precious limes—specifically? Why is this so terrible for the girls to witness?
6. How did Mr. Davis find out about Amy’s stash of limes? Why?
7. What was Amy’s punishment after the limes were disposed of?
8. How did Amy react to this punishment?
9. How did the whole March family react? Why?
10. What happened because of this incident? What is Amy going to do now?
11. Is Mrs. March angry because Mr. Davis wasted Amy’s limes? If not, what is the other reason she is angry?
12. Do you think Amy learns anything from this experience, or does it at least make her stop and think? SUPPORT your answer with a passage from the chapter.
1. What do Jo and Meg get to do with Laurie that Amy is upset about?
2. What is Amy’s revenge for not getting to go along?
3. Did Jo forgive Amy when she asked for forgiveness?
4. What happened to Amy when she went after Jo and Laurie?
5. Why was this partially Jo’s fault?
6. Where did Meg get to go at the beginning of chapter 9?
7. Tell specifically what Meg was wearing at the second party.
8. What did Laurie send Meg before the first party?
9. What happened at the party that upset Meg besides Laurie telling her that he didn’t like the way she looked?
10. Did Marmee have a master plan to marry off one of her daughters to Laurie because he was rich?
1. In chapter 10, what does the P.C. and the P.O. stand for?
2. Describe what the P.C. meetings are like?
3. What are the pretend names that each of the girls takes on in the P.C.?
Meg—
Jo—
Beth—
Amy—
Laurie—
4. List three examples of specific articles that are included in the Pickwick Portfolio.
5. What does Jo ask the girls at the meeting?
6. What is the surprise that happens after they decide on this motion?
7. Does the motion get passed?
8. How does the P.O. work? Who uses it?
9. Find an example of foreshadowing at the very end of the chapter 10.
10. What is the “experiment” that the girls undertake in chapter 11?
11. Does the “experiment” go as well as the girls had planned? Explain why or why not.
12. What happens to Pip? What do they do with him?
13. How does Jo’s lunch go? How does the lunch end?
14. What was Marmee’s plan throughout the whole chapter?
15. Does Marmee’s plan succeed? How or how not?
1. Why was Beth designated as the postmistress?
2. Why did the note that Jo received mean so much to her?
3. What does the note from Laurie invite the girls to do?
4. Why does Amy have a clothespin on her nose?
5. What does Beth think of the boys in the company?
6. Who were Laurie’s friends and what was each of them like?
7. How does Jo practice holding her temper on the picnic?
8. How is Mr. Brooke acting weird around Meg? Why do you think he is?
9. Explain some of the games the party played.
10. What could you till from the story that each person told in Rig-marole about their own personalities?
11. Howe are Laurie and Jo acting towards each other?
12. What does Miss Kate think of “the Americans”?
13. What does Beth do that is very difficult for her, but very nice?
14. What does Ned think of Meg?
1. Why is Laurie in such a bad mood today?
2. What are the girls doing in the woods?
3. Why didn’t they invite Laurie?
4. What is the “Busy Bee Society”?
5. How does it tie in with their Pilgrim’s Progress books?
6. There is foreshadowing in the middle of page 133 – “It seems so long…” – What do you think this means?
7. What is everybody’s castle like?
Meg—
Jo—
Beth—
Amy—
Laurie—
8. How do Jo, Meg, and Laurie feel about whether or not Laurie should go to college?
9. What does Laurie decide at the end of the chapter?
1. Why did Jo sneak out of the house?
2. Why were Jo’s actions so funny?
3. Where did Laurie think Jo had been?
4. Where does Jo think Laurie was and why doesn’t Jo like the idea?
5. What “secrets” do Jo and Laurie trade?
6. How does Laurie react to Jo’s secret?
7. How does Jo react to Laurie’s secret?
8. Why do you think Jo is so upset by this?
9. What happens that makes Jo very happy at the end of the chapter?
10. What do the others think of this?
1. Why do you think November seems like such a disagreeable month?
2. What is the bad news?
3. How do the girls handle this? What helps them to not think about it as much?
4. What is the kind thing that Mr. Laurence and Mr. Brooke offer to Mrs. March?
5. How does Meg react when Mr. Brooke tells her this?
6. What foreshadowing do we have from Meg later on that she night be developing some sort of feelings for someone?
7. What selfless act does Jo do for her father?
8. Why did she do this? Would you sell your most prized possession for your family?
9. Does Jo seem bothered by her sacrifice at all? Would she do it again if given the chance?
10. What symbol is Mrs. March given at the end to show hope?
1. What did the sisters do first thing when they woke up in the morning?
2. What is mother’s advice for the girls before she leaves?
3. What sign did Beth see that showed that even in her own sorrow, Marmee was thinking of the girls?
4. What kind of news did they receive of their father?
5. What did the girls write about in the letters they sent? How was each one’s different?
1. How did the girls do for the first week that Marmee was away? How about the week after that?
2. What is the errand that Beth wants one of the older sisters to run? Why do they say they can’t go?
3. Who goes on the errand then? What happens at the Hummels’ house?
4. What is wrong with Beth? Is it serious?
5. Why does Amy have to leave? Where is she going and why does she think it si so bad?
6. What does Laurie promise her to get her to leave?
1. Why didn’t they tell Marmee about Beth being sick?
2. What happened to father to make matters worse?
3. How has the seriousness of Beth’s illness affected each of the other sisters, Mr. Laurence, Laurie, and even the milkman?
4. What does the doctor finally tell them to do? Why?
5. How does Jo react? How does Laurie console her?
6. What surprise does Laurie have for Jo? How does Jo react to this?
7. How did everyone change when they learned that Marmee was coming?
8. What do Jo and Meg think has happened at midnight? Why? What has really happened?
9. What does Meg want the first two things B eth sees when she wakes up to be?
1. What did Amy not like about being at Aunt March’s place?
2. What/Who were the two things that got Amy through this ordeal?
3. What was Amy’s “chief delight”? Why do you think she was most interested in this?
4. What does Esther do for Amy to help her find more “comfort in her prayers”?
5. What does it look like? Does it work?
6. What does Amy find out about Aunt March’s will?
7. What does Amy decide to do as her “first effort at being very, very good”?
8. Who does she have look at it and what does she add later?
9. What does Laurie catch Amy doing? What is his reaction?
1. What did Laurie do to get Aunt March to actually “sniff”? How did Amy handle herself during this?
2. Who else came to visit Amy at Aunt March’s? What does she think of Amy’s little room?
3. What does Amy get from Aunt March? Why do you think she gets this?
4. What does Amy say it reminds her of?
5. What does Jo tell Marmee? What does Jo find out? Explain the whole Meg situation.
6. Who did Jo want Meg to marry? Why does Mramee think this would never work?
7. What does Jo mean by “But buds will be roses, and kittens, cats—more’s the pity”? How is this fitting?
1. Did Jo tell Laurie the secret? Did he find out anything about it?
2. What did Laurie do to get back at Jo for not telling him the secret and at Mr. Brooke for not telling him more? How does this affect Meg?
3. What does Jo want to do when she finds out what happened? How does Mramee handle the situation? What do you think she said?
4. Jo is trying hard to act mad, but it is difficult. Why? How does she feel after Laurie Leaves?
5. What happens between Laurie and his grandfather?
6. How are both being stubborn? Who gives in? How does Jo “make peace” like the title of the chapter says?
7. How is Jo tempted earlier? Why is this tempting to her?
8. What does Jo discover at the end of the chapter, and what “damage is done” by Laurie’s little trick?
1. What did Jo and Laurie want to do to celebrate Christmas?
2. Who were the “Unquenchables” and why did they earn their name?
3. What gifts did Beth receive along with the Snowmaiden? Who was each from?
4. Everyone says they are so full of happiness that they couldn’t hold a drop more, then what happens?
5. What happens as the surprise walks in?
6. What were they doing last year at this time?
7. What does father say he has learned about each girl since he has been back?
8. How is Beth’s song at the end of the chapter like her?
1. How did the girls react to their father being home?
2. How were Jo and Meg acting weird, specifically?
3. What does Meg say she would say to John if he came and talked to her?
4. Who shows up after Meg practices her speech? What does he come for? Why is this kind f a fishy excuse?
5. How can you tell Jo is a little rattled by this person showing up at the March home? How does Meg react initially, and why does she change?
6. How does Meg’s “speech” go?
7. Why does Meg change her mind all of a sudden, and how does John react to the change?
8. Who walks in on Meg and John and what does she say to Meg?
9. Why do you think Meg says what she says to Aunt March?
10. What threat did Aunt March make to Meg before she left?
11. How much did John overhear? What happened when John came back in to talk to Meg after Aunt March left?
12. Do you think Meg would have eventually decided she felt this way about John if Aunt March hadn’t talked to her? Why or why not?
13. What does Jo find when she comes into the room? What has taken place?
14. What do Mr. And Mrs. March do? What is decided?
15. Is everyone happy with the news? Upset? Apathetic (look it up if you don’t know what it means)?