Contrary to the name, Little Women features four rambunctious, quick-witted sisters who live their lives out loud and in full color. Even Beth, the most gentle of them all, is firm in her personality and sure in her opinions. There is nothing "little" about these women, and Jo March least of all.
Jo, the androgynous beauty who spends her time lamenting the feminine conventions of her time and writing epic plays for her sisters to perform, is largely known to be the lead character of Little Women, from the original book to the first movie starring Winona Ryder in the role, and onto the modern-day representation with Saiorse Ronan. Jo has always been an intriguing beacon of gender exploration and free-thinking, and Greta Gerwig's writing offers a refreshing adaptation for viewers of today.
Updated on November 30th, 2021 by Amanda Bruce: Some of the best Jo March quotes in Little Women are the result of Jo being a bit more progressive than her sisters. While they, specifically Amy and Meg tend to be focused on romance, Jo is focused on finding herself and pursuing her own creative interests. The audience can identify with Jo because of how much she longs for the freedom to follow her dreams.
Jo Is A Practical Person
"I Can't Afford To Starve On Praise."
When Jo first heads out on her own and begins to pursue a writing career, she finds that just having someone love her work isn't going to be enough. The reality of her situation is that her vision isn't always going to be the story ending up on the page as those stories won't always pay her bills.
As much as Jo longs to be understood and for others to value her work as much as she does, Jo is forced to do the work that others won't. It's a demonstration that, no matter how headstrong Jo is, she also understands being practical. All of the sisters of Little Women follow their own dreams, but like Jo, they all make sacrifices along the way as well.
Freedom Is A Big Part Of Jo's Philosophy
"I'd Rather Be A Free Spinster And Paddle My Own Canoe."
Though Jo is incredibly resistant to change within her own family and often seeks to tie her sisters to her own pursuits, she also focuses on her own need to be free of societal constraints. She doesn't care if other people call her a spinster before she even turns 20 years old.
Jo, despite seeing the loving relationships around her, has it in her head that if she marries someone, she loses that freedom. It takes a good chunk of the Little Women's story before Jo begins to understand that she might one day find a partner that will share in her freedom instead of stifling it.
Jo Values Creativity Over Romance
"You Will Be Bored Of Him In Two Years And We Will Be Interesting Forever."
In a desperate attempt to deter Meg from going forward with her wedding, Joe pleads with her to realize that the love she feels now will go away. She inquires that Meg instead looks to her relationship with Jo, and how much longevity there is there.
As usual, Jo is passionately focused on favoring a life of creative pursuits over romantic ones. While Jo does eventually find love, her emphasis on digging into one's own passions and how they are eternal is a refreshing and powerful outlook on life in a world where women are often valued for their romantic prospects. It's one of the ways modern audiences can still connect with Little Women.
Jo Sees A Greater Purpose
"I'm So Sick Of People Saying Love Is All A Woman Is Fit For. I'm So Sick Of It...But I'm So Lonely"
In one of the most powerful Jo March speeches in Little Women, she expresses her frustration with the world centering women's purpose around her ability to fulfill a romantic role.
She grows up defying conventional ideas of what women should be like, but as she gets older she also realizes that she doesn't just want one or the other, herself, or a partner -- she wants women to be able to have both. Jo's character arc isn't just the artist becoming successful, but in Jo coming to truly know herself.
Jo Is Stubborn
"God Hasn't Met My Will Yet."
Beth, nearing her dying hour, expresses to Jo that they cannot resist God's will if he is to choose for Beth to die. Jo's response is one that would be considered highly blasphemous for the day, and even now in certain parties.
Beth doesn't respond with shock, however, likely used to her sister's strong personality and insistence on her own strength to change what others would determine as destiny. Jo is determined to save her sister as she's incredibly resistant to the chances in her life, but reality eventually sets in for her.
No One Is As Good As Beth
"I'm Not Half So Good As Beth, But I Can Be A Shoulder To Lean On."
Everybody in the film highlights the "goodness" of Beth, a character who is always giving to others and thinking of herself last. Beth has never met someone she doesn't want to help.
Ironically, the emphasis on how good Beth is only serves to greater show how good the other girls are as well, each of them quick to put their sister above themselves, and to reach out a hand to help another person. They might all have moments of selfish wants, but they still embody the same goodness, even if they don't see it themselves.
Jo Understands The Reality Of Writing For Pay
"If I'm Going To Sell My Heroine Into Marriage For Money, I Might As Well Get Some Of It."
Jo's publisher convinces her that she must have her character be married by the end of her book if she wants it published. Finally agreeing, she then moves on to tackle the issues of copyright and payment.
Jo doesn't let herself be taken advantage of, standing up for herself and representing the worth of her work and her right to be adequately paid. Jo negotiating for more money as a woman in the 1800s is a bold move on her part. While she understands that she has to bow to the demands of a publisher to get paid, she doesn't have to like it.
Loneliness Is A Theme For Jo
"I Care More To Be Loved. I Want To Be Loved."
Jo begins to learn that while she doesn't feel any level of particular infatuation for anyone in her life, she does indeed feel the need to have somebody love her.
Always determined to be self-reliant, she is afraid of pairing up with somebody for fear it will hold her back -- despite this, Jo still yearns for some form of partner in life and tries to reconcile this with her individuality. Loneliness is a bit of a theme for her as she doesn't initially want her sisters to move on and grow up, and she doesn't want to rely on a husband to support her, but she desperately wants someone to want her.
Jo Doesn't Care About Conventional Beauty
"You Could Be Pretty, Jo."
"Won't Do It."
In the hilarious first scene of the movie wherein all of the March girls stand in the living room talking over one another, one of the girls remarks upon Jo's physical features, trying to, seemingly, relate a complement to her.
Jo's instant rejection of the notion of her being pretty establishes a key part of her personality. Jo sees physical appearance as frivolous. She only cares about looking presentable so far as she doesn't embarrass her sisters. Curling her hair or having fashionable clothes is never something that matters to her.
Jo Learns To Curb Her Temper
"Life Is Too Short To Be Angry At One's Sisters."
Of all of Jo's quotes in Little Women, this particular one stood out in the trailers for the movie, emphasizing the importance of the relationship with her siblings. The sisters don't always get along. Amy and Jo, in particular, have a history of fighting with one another. But when Beth passes away, both women return home and find themselves with a clearer perspective on life.
Jo could easily be angry with Amy for marrying Laurie without asking her feelings, but instead, she chooses to be positive about it. After all, despite Jo no wanting her sisters to leave her, they already have, just as she's gained independence from them. Being mad at Amy for living her life doesn't make Jo feel any better.
Jo's Reason For Writing
"Writing Doesn't Confer Importance; If Reflects It."
At this moment where Jo asserts that nobody will care about her book because it doesn't feature popular subject matter, an opportunity opens up for Amy's astute observation to be heard in contradicting Jo.
Both women make thought-provoking points, and in the bargain, the viewer is reminded not to always listen to the person who seems like the cleverest in the room, because things aren't so simple.
Jo Remains Fiercely Independent
"I Intend To Make My Own Way In This World."
Jo makes this remark to Aunt March early on in the film, and although the meaning shifts throughout the message overall remains true to who Jo becomes -- that is, depending on how the viewer chooses to interpret Gerwig's modern take on the movie's ending.
Jo indeed makes her own path in life, writing a book and opening a school, but viewers are left to speculate whether or not she ever really got married -- either way, marriage would not negate the fact that Jo made her own way.