Question 7: What would you do?

[Julie]

Which character did you relate to most and why? If you were in Louisa's place, what choice would you have made?

[Lauren]

I didn't quite buy Louisa's attraction to Joseph, so I understood the choice she made. I never saw it as some all-consuming love. It struck me as more of a crush. When Joseph's engagement was announced, Louisa's reaction reminded me of a teenage girl who finds out the boy she likes (but barely knows) has a girlfriend. I didn't feel like there was the basis for anything beyond garden-variety disappointment. If anything, I thought her subsequent interest in Joseph partially stemmed from the sudden creation of obstacles in the way of their being together. Subconsciously, he was now perfect to want because his engagement allowed a perfect excuse to prevent a relationship and marriage between Louisa and Joseph.

Julie, I'd also like to say that I think it's only fair to turn your questions back to you and hear what you think.

[Julie]

I agree with you Lauren- I didn't buy into her attraction either. As much as I'd like to think I could be spontaneous and impulsive and run off with a boy I love, ultimately I am the (somewhat) level-headed older sister. The whole "engaged to someone else" thing would bother me too much :) Life is not a Matthew McConaughey movie, am I right??

So I guess that would make me most like Anna, though sometimes I act like naive, spoiled May, and often I wish I was more generous, like Lizzie. And while Louisa is our heroine, I can't say I wish I was more wildly tempered.

[Ashley]

I think I most identified with Louisa in that, from a young age, I didn’t want to get tied down and be dependent on anyone else (says the now wife and mother). Of course, my era allows me to be (quasi) “have it all,” unlike Louisa’s. If forced to choose, I think I’d let Joseph go and instead write.

[Carol]

I guess I have a different take than you all did. I did like Joseph. As I've stated before, I've a lot of my life been attracted to the slightly bad boy, I liked him, and liked the fun they had, and with him I enjoyed the genuine like he had for Louisa. I too liked Anna. Like Julie said, I was the responsible older sister too, yet it was my younger siblings that had all the fun. I started having fun when I was much older. Louisa never really got that. She did get her wish to go to Boston and all that went with that.