rue meaning of kindness and self-sacrifice, but they are also rewarded for their good deed by a sympathetic neighbor next door. This is the beginning of a lasting relationship with the stern but kindly benefactor Mr. Lawrence, and his grandson Teddy, or otherwise known as Laurie. Teddy first comes into the March circle by a chance meeting with Jo at a dance party. After this fateful event, Laurie becomes like a sixth sister to the March girls, but exceptionally to Jo. Later on in the book, a major event is when Teddy professes his love for Jo, but with Jo turns him down for she loved him only as a friend. At the end of the book, readers find Laurie finally finding his mate in Amy when they happen to meet in Europe. Meg also finds romance in Teddy's tutor John Brooke. Excluded from the relationship scene is Beth who, from the beginning, is portrayed as being too good for this world. Her sickness from scarlet fever, and her early death is the turning point in Little Women. As Meg leaves in marriage, so does Amy in her trip to Europe, and Jo in her job to New York; Beth embarks on the ultimate journey from which there is no return. Beth's sickness and inevitable death is the main tragedy of the novel, but it is also one of the best things that could have happened to the remaining girls. When the sisters reflect back on their lives amid this sad situation, each one starts to grow and mature from this experience. Especially in Jo's case, when she travels to New York City to work as a governess. While there, she becomes acquainted with Professor Frederich Bhaer who teaches her to peel away the childish layers of the past, and blossom into the woman she has the potential to be. Little Women slowly winds down to a finish with the fruitful finishing of Jo's first novel. Always the author of the family, paralleling Alcott's real-life situation, Jo finally finds the inspiration and idea for the right kind of book. Instead of creating fantastical f...
