ARTS
LITTLE WOMEN IN THE 21ST CENTURY WRITTEN BY
Samra Karamustafic
Greta Gerwig’s adaptation strays slightly from the beloved tale, but for the better.
M
any of us recall the days of reading “Little Women,” a story that follows the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Amy, Beth and Jo – as they navigate the ups
dards of the 1860s – and molds it into an empowering depiction of what it truly means to be a woman, but without the bodices and draping skirts. For this article, I’ve decided to focus on the reimaginings of Meg, Amy, and Jo’s character arcs, because Gerwig didn’t stray too far from Beth’s storyline in the novel.
and downs of growing up and finding their place in the world. Many agree that Louisa May Alcott’s best-selling novel has become a staple of many of our childhoods, as well as a withstanding emblem for love, family, and what it means to be a woman of any time period. And with Greta Gerwig’s recent remake of the age-old classic, it’s got us reminiscing on the good old days (except now we’re taking Buzzfeed quizzes to see which March sister we are while fangirling over Timothée Chalamet). If you were expecting Gerwig’s “Little Women” to be an identical rehashing of the novel, think again. With a few slight differences, she takes a story – which once conformed to the outdated societal roles and stan-
9 | VINDICATOR
MEG Let’s be honest: many of us probably thought Meg was the boring sister when we first read this book. She was the oldest, she was the most mature, she didn’t want to go on to become an actress, and she decided to get married first …. yawn. When are we getting back to Jo’s storyline, again? Well, Greta introduces Meg as the “leader,” but she’s far from boring; we’re given a glimpse into the love she has for dances, spending time with her family and friends and having fun. We also learn of her love and talent for acting while producing plays with her sisters. Unlike Jo, Meg isn’t interested in seeking the lime-
