When you think of Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, the first thing you think about is the women, right? I mean it is right in the title. Women. However, part of what made the book exciting, and at times infuriating (I’m looking at you Jo), is the men in the books and wondering which man each girl was going to end up with. Since I’ve already done a marry, date or dump for the March sisters, I thought it would be fun to see who you’d choose between Laurie, Mr. Brooke, and Frederich Bhaer. Let me know in the comments!
You also might be interested in reading: 12 Life Lessons from Little Women
Alison Doherty 
OK – tough call because while Louisa May Alcott explains things better in Little Men and Jo’s Boys, in reading (and rereading) Little Women I never and will never understand why Jo didn’t marry Laurie. But it all worked out in the end.
You’ve also put me in a tough position, because I always try to play the game – and neither Bhaer nor Brooke are very exciting date material — again Laurie would be the most fun to date.
But while Jo made her decision, I’ll make mine. I would marry Laurie in a heart beat. Who wouldn’t want to marry someone who is kind, thoughtful, indulgent, considerate, fun and rich.
That being said – I’d date Bhaer (symphony?, book readings?) and dump Brooke – for all his love and devotion to Meg.
I’m with you 100%. I feel like Alcott just didn’t put Jo and Laurie together so she could be contrary. When your handsome, charming, rich best friend asks you to marry him and go galavant around London, you say yes. Especially if you are a woman in the 1800s.
This is exactly what I would do to. Bhaer wouldn’t be the most exciting person to date, but he did plan good activities! Brooke never made much sense to me plus *spoiler alert* we know from the sequels he doesn’t live that long.
Yeah, this is obviously marry Laurie! Marry him! Date the professor-a taste of class and some free career advice, both of which you can revisit in a more fun day with husband Laurie. Dump the boring one.
I like that you don’t even have to name Mr. Brooke. We all know who you mean when you say the boring one.
Well, I have thought about this all day and I think you have to take both Jo and Alcott at their words. That Jo and Teddy/Laurie would have fought and eventually make each other unhappy and that in the long run she needed the kind settling influence of Prof. Bhaer.
However, this isn’t who Jo should marry, date or dump but who I should marry date or dump — so then I have to decide am I more like Jo, Amy or Meg — well I am nothing like Meg so Brooke is a dump. I think I have a lot of both Jo and Amy in me I just don’t know but to be contrary. I will say Marry – Bhaer, Date – Laurie, Dump Brooke.
Although I am having second thoughts too!
Yeah. Welcome to a lifetime of regret. You should have picked Laurie. You should always pick Laurie.
I’m boring. I would totally love marrying Mr. Brooke and life in Dovecote (though he should be cuter than the guy in the movie still you included). I would date Laurie, before we ended up realizing that even though we’re attracted to each other, it’d be bad to like each other. Mr. Baher’s always sort of creeped me out, and he doesn’t provide ENOUGH challenge to Jo.
You are probably just so fun and exciting that you can balance out Mr. Brooke. He is definitely the stable one, and I think a better looking actor would make it more believable. I’m with you on Mr. Baher. Instead of challenging her, he kind of seems to tame her. If that makes sense?
Just discovered your ‘Marry, date, dump’ posts – love them!
Marry Laurie, date Brooke (because he was sweet until Meg married him and then he got annoying – why can’t she buy herself some nice things! What happened to what’s mine is yours?) and dump Bhaer. But I did think Bhaer was the right choice for Jo – I always thought she liked him because he was like her Dad 🙂
Lol!! Brilliant question.
Is it cheating to say what about a guy with John Brooke’s patience and faithfulness, Theodore Laurence’s spirit of adventure and mischief, and Professor Bhaer’s education and rapport with kids? (I am blessed, to have a husband with that particular combination… But back to the question at hand)
Or to say date Laurie before he went to college, dump him while he’s at college for flirting with all the pretty ladies there, and accept his hand in marriage after he comes back to apologise for the error of his ways declares he’ll love none other and courts with a vengeance with an invitation to honeymoon in Europe? (Darling husband has awesome best friend traits but sadly not Laurie’s money. Still waiting for Europe :p)
Both not answering the question. But that was fun 🙂
OK: Dump – Professor Bhaer: because I suspect LMA wrote him into existence so Jo could run a school with him, for her father’s sake, who at the time was attempting to promote his particular brand of education.
Date – Laurie, before he went to college (yeah, I can’t deal with all the flirting and owning a million coats or whether dandy phase he went through. That would’ve put me off).
Marry – John Brooke from the book not the 1994 movie (sorry that actor will always in my head be the creepy abusive father from Butterfly Effect), because he works so hard for Meg, waits for three years to marry her and works even harder for her even after she reproaches him for his poverty, and is awesome with the kids.
Oops just realised last comment forgot to add caveat – would only have married Laurie were husband not around or if I were Jo March in a fictional world were my husband not around. No way would I trade my husband for all the money or trips to Europe in the world!