Sharon Toji answers “Was Jo ever in love with Laurie?”

Padmini Sukumaran asked this question about Little Women (Little Women, #1):

Was Jo ever in love with Laurie?

Sharon Toji When I first read Little Women in the third grade, back in 1944, I would not have known there were lesbians, and certainly not known that Louisa May A…moreWhen I first read Little Women in the third grade, back in 1944, I would not have known there were lesbians, and certainly not known that Louisa May Alcott was one, but of course it's quite easy to understand now, especially when you read it clearly in her own diary. I didn't know then that her husband in the series was written in because of a demand from her publisher. So it's clear that Jo loved Laurie as a brother and a person, but struggled with her sexual identity, as Alcott did.

I read and re-read Little Women, and for years of my adulthood, read it yearly every Christmas. As with many women today who grew up as "tomboys" who liked to climb trees and have career aspirations, Jo strongly influenced my life. I even based my wish to have children and to teach children with problems on "Jo's Boys" and her school. I have never wanted to be a boy for sexual reasons, but always wanted to be able to have whatever career I wished, and to live a life without barriers. Luckily, my parents agreed on that and never quashed any idea of what I could do. I think Alcott was lucky in that as well.(less)

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