A Very, Very Necessary Amy March Appreciation Post

    I finished Little Women today, and I love it so much!

    Every character is amazing. The March sisters are all such wonderful characters!

    Unfortunately, one of these sisters is widely disliked, and rather unfairly, too! It's not really a secret which of the March sisters is most hated. So, so many spoilers ahead, so be careful if you haven't read/seen an adaptation of this!

    It's not Jo. Jo is the girl everyone hopes to see themselves in! She's smart, witty, protective, and independent. She has big dreams of becoming an author. Everybody loves Jo, and rightfully so (don't mind the rhyme ;))

    It's not Meg. Meg is kind and honest. She is loving and generous, with hopes of having a family! No one can really hate the selfless maternal sister who tries her best to take care of her younger sisters. (No one should hate her, by the way :D)

    And it's not Beth! Beth is known to be the sweetest and gentlest of the March sisters. She is so polite and caring. It's impossible to dislike the sister who, SPOILER (but it's so widely-known you probably already know), dies because of her own good deed (taking care of a poor and ill family).

    Well, there's only one left, and that's Amy.

    Oh, poor Amy! Far and wide, she is everyone's least favorite March sister. She is often remembered to be selfish, and, oh, everyone remembers SPOILER (again, really widely-known) when she burned Jo's precious manuscript, often counting it against her character overall.

    But here's the thing: Amy is actually not as bad as people think! *gasp!*

    Yes, I am here to tell you that Amy March is, in fact, a great character! In fact, she is one of my favorites of the Little Women!

    If you don't love Amy March, hopefully this post will sway you to reconsider. If you already love her, number one, you are right ;), and number two, this post will just remind you how amazing she is!

    I love this character so much, and here are the reasons why you should, too!

    As I previously mentioned, one of the most memorable things about Amy is the fact that she burned Jo's manuscript when she was angry with Jo. And, truthfully, that was an awful thing to do to poor Jo! 

    Additionally, in the opening chapter, the March sisters have decided to spend their money on their mother for Christmas. The oldest three decide to use all of their money for their mother unselfishly, while Amy tries to maneuver her gift to where she can still buy something for herself by getting her mother a less-nice gift.

    But here's the thing: these things occurred when Amy was eleven/twelve years old. She made this selfish decisions at the same time most people would have: childhood! And although this is no excuse for her bad choices, it's definitely important to remember that she was a child when she did these things! (It's also important to note that Amy ended up renouncing her selfishness and did spend all her money on her mother, and also felt terrible for what she did to Jo and tried to make up for it.)

    Moving on from explaining her childish selfishness, let's talk about her awesomeness as she grows up!

    Amy has big goals of becoming a great fixture in society. She loves art, and because of her politeness at Aunt March's house, gets the privilege to go to Europe.

    Amy, although she went to Europe as a child--still selfish and rude sometimes--she matured in her trip. And, while she was there, she was reunited with Laurie.

    If you've read the book or seen an adaptation, you know that Laurie went to Europe after Jo told him she didn't love him. Jo broke Laurie's heart, so Laurie began acting...well, not the best version of himself. He was lazy and sad. Not the Laurie everyone knows and loves.

    When Laurie reunited with Amy in Europe, Amy noticed his change--and she called him out. She pushed him to be better. She told him to stop wallowing. (And then she married him. ❤️)

    Amy has such wonderful qualities, and such an amazing character arc! She begins young, foolish, stubborn, but throughout the book, she grows to be strong, loving, and an overall more mature version of herself.

    There's a character in Little Women that is all too often hated, or just not favored.

    Amy deserves more love!

    Amy is a strong-willed, smart, and talented sister. She loves her family and calls them out when need be; her personality complements Laurie's; she's overall an amazing character. She definitely does not deserve the hate she gets. She deserves more appreciation!

    Do you agree? Did I sway you at all? What do you think about Amy March? Which is your favorite of the Little Women? Let me know in the comments here or on Instagram @witandlitblog !