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Situational Irony
Part 1, Chapter 3: The Laurence Boy
Explanation and Analysis:
The style of Little Women is straightforward and realistic. One strikingly realistic aspect is the way that Alcott sketches each character in great detail. For instance, in Part I Chapter 3, readers get a very clear picture of the girls after they get ready for Mrs. Gardiner's New Year's Eve party:
They looked very well in their simple suits, Meg's in silvery drab, with a blue velvet snood, lace frills, and the pearl pin. Jo in maroon, with a stiff, gentlemanly linen collar, and a white chrysanthemum or two for her only ornament. Each put on one nice light glove, and carried one soiled one, and all pronounced the effect "quite easy and fine". Meg's high-heeled slippers were very tight and hurt her, though she would not own it, and Jo's nineteen hairpins all seemed stuck straight into her head, which was not exactly comfortable, but, dear me, let us be elegant or die.
In contrast to the story's cozy and domestic atmosphere, Alcott employs her impressive command of language and uses a sophisticated vocabulary. However, the story never becomes too difficult to read, because her sentences are of a manageable length. The story also contains lots of dialogue, which breaks up the text into manageable sections and lets readers get to know the March sisters.
The plot exemplifies the realistic style as it moves forward based on the girls' development through everyday trials and tribulations.
Related Themes:
