Beth is one of those children in a novel who is so good and sweet and perfect that you just know she's going to die, because nothing interesting could ever happen to her, and anyone that angelic belongs in Heaven – like Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop or Li'l Eva in Uncle Tom's Cabin. OK, sorry if we spoiled that one for you, but seriously: Beth is happy and content at home, too shy to go to school or go out in the world, and spends her time doing sweet little things around the house to make her family, her pet cats, and even her dolls happy and comfortable. She's doomed. She has no ambitions, no desires, doesn't dream about getting married, and thinks about God and Heaven a lot. These are all the signs that a nineteenth-century author uses to tell you that a kid is not long for this world. The only thing that really surprises us is that she survives her first bout of scarlet fever and doesn't die until the second half of the novel.
Beth's only earthly love is music. She adores playing the piano and singing, and the only material thing that she wants is a nicer piano, since her family's is old and out of tune. The piano that she longs for is provided by her wealthy neighbor, old Mr. Laurence, who gives her his dead granddaughter's old piano. If you were still missing out on the signs that Beth is going to die, then you should get suspicious when you find out that Beth reminds Mr. Laurence of the little granddaughter he had who died young. Beth shares this anonymous girl's musical talent – and, by the logic of the sentimental novel, she's also going to share her early demise. Of course, Beth's love of music isn't that earthly, either. She mostly sings hymns, and her connection to such an ethereal art form also reinforces the idea that she belongs in Heaven, not in the parlor.
What we're trying to say is that Beth is the little-girl version of a nineteenth-century stock figure called the "angel in the house." The phrase "angel in the house" is the title of an 1854 poem by an author called Coventry Patmore. (If you're keeping score, that means the poem came out fourteen years before the first part of Little Women, so it was definitely circulating in popular culture when Alcott's novel appeared.) The poem itself is one of the few pieces of literature that we actually don't recommend – although you can read it here if you really want to – but basically it's about housewives, and how they should be these perfect, patient, personality-less, submissive domestic goddesses who make little safe nests for their hard-working hubbies and never, ever have opinions or needs of their own. The "angel in the house" figure defines everything that women were supposed to be in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and Beth, despite her youth and the fact that she doesn't get married, is definitely a sample of this tradition.
Just to be clear: we don't want to rag on housewives and other men and women who stay at home to take care of the family. The stay-at-home people we know work really hard and play a crucial role for their families and society. But, you know, we think they should be allowed to have opinions, and vote, and stuff, not just toss their curls and say "whatever you think, honey."
Anyway, back to Beth. Although she dies just as she reaches adulthood, Beth has a significant effect on the people around her, especially her sister, Jo. As Jo nurses Beth through her final illness, she realizes how important domestic duties really are. Jo resolves to take over Beth's role as the glue that holds her family together, caring for her parents and cherishing the everyday tasks that Beth did so lovingly. In this way, Beth's example lives on, although perhaps with a little more spice and a little less sugar.
FAQs
The third March sister, Beth is very shy and quiet. Like Meg, she always tries to please other people, and like Jo, she is concerned with keeping the family together. Beth struggles with minor faults, such as her resentment for the housework she must do.
How is Beth March described as a character? ›
At the beginning of the novel Beth is described as kind, sweet, gentle, shy, quiet, peaceful and musical. She is known for her pleasant ways and generous nature. Beth is unbelieveably kind and virtuous. She will never let the bad things that happens make her pessimistic.
What personality type is Beth from Little Women? ›
Beth March - INFP
She may be the most reserved of the March family, but Beth is often the one who cares the most about the people around her. She's selfless in a way that many people overlook, and she'd rather quietly advise her sisters on how to deal with their troubles than get involved in a debate.
What condition does Beth have in Little Women? ›
But the only diagnosis that author Louisa May Alcott gives us is the medical history: the case of scarlet fever that Beth contracts in the course of her faithful care of a family of poor German immigrants whom she and her sisters have taken on as objects of charity. Beth gets very sick indeed.
What are the struggles of Beth March? ›
Beth's crippling shyness is actively portrayed as her “burden,” just like Jo's temper or Meg and Amy's vanity and materialism. She struggles with it. Her parents have homeschooled her because her anxiety made the classroom unbearable for her – no conduct book has ever encouraged that!
What are the character traits of Beth? ›
The third March sister, Beth is very shy and quiet. Like Meg, she always tries to please other people, and like Jo, she is concerned with keeping the family together. Beth struggles with minor faults, such as her resentment for the housework she must do.
What qualities does Beth March have? ›
sweet, sensitive, and incredibly kind. While her sisters are prone to complaining, Beth always tries to see the silver lining. She's grateful for what she has and doesn't ask for more. In many ways, she's the glue that holds her family together and she always takes Marmee's moral lessons to heart.
What is the personality of the March sisters in Little Women? ›
Meg is beautiful and traditional, Jo is a tomboy who writes, Beth is a peacemaker and a pianist, and Amy is an artist who longs for elegance and fine society. The sisters strive to help their family and improve their characters as Meg is vain, Jo is hotheaded, Beth is cripplingly shy, and Amy is materialistic.
Did Beth love Laurie in Little Women? ›
There's a scene in the book where Jo sees Beth admiring Laurie. Beth is actually just envying Laurie's vitality because she's sick, but Jo thinks Beth is in love.
Who does Beth kiss in Little Women? ›
First, Beth must overcome her shyness in order to pursue her musical hobby. She is rewarded for her efforts with a piano, and she proves that her gratitude trumps her shyness when she marches across to Mr. Laurence's house and gives him a kiss in thanks.
The standard theory among Alcott experts is that death resulted from congestive heart failure, brought on by rheumatic fever, a complication of scarlet fever from which Lizzie suffered in May 1856. Scholar Anne Boyd Rioux contends that neither Beth nor Lizzie showed any symptoms of heart trouble.
How old is Beth March when she dies? ›
Beth was twenty-three years old at the time of her death.
Why did Beth get her uterus out? ›
During the series, the earliest experience in Beth's life that the audience is privy to includes the confiscation of her uterus. Her older brother's botched attempt to help her access an abortion leads to him consenting to a complete hysterectomy.
How is Beth March characterized? ›
Beth is a sweet, loving and gentle girl whose traits keep her family close. She never complains about not having everything and is grateful for what she has: her sisters, her kittens, her dolls and her music.
Why does Beth play with dolls? ›
There is also the extended sequence in which we learn that Beth cares for a group of invalid dolls abandoned by her more discerning siblings. She cares for them the way she will be cared for one day. Not one whole or handsome one among them, all were outcasts till Beth took them in …
What does Beth March want? ›
Beth's only earthly love is music. She adores playing the piano and singing, and the only material thing that she wants is a nicer piano, since her family's is old and out of tune. The piano that she longs for is provided by her wealthy neighbor, old Mr. Laurence, who gives her his dead granddaughter's old piano.
What are the character traits of Beth Boland? ›
tense, organized, and commanding. Beth is used to running her household, and now she's taking the role as the leader of their mom gang.
What are the character traits of Beth Pearson? ›
intelligent, empathetic, and open-minded. Beth is calm and grounded, which complements her more neurotic husband. She takes things in stride, whether it's her new houseguest or the possibility of an unexpected pregnancy. She has a slightly sardonic sense of humor, but above all she's warm and caring.
What is the character description of Jo March? ›
Jo March is a dazzling and original invention: bold, outspoken, brave, daring, loyal, cranky, principled, and real. She is a dreamer and a scribbler, happiest at her woodsy hideout by an old cartwheel or holed up in the attic, absorbed in reading or writing, filling page after page with stories or plays.
What is the character description of Meg March? ›
Meg March. The oldest March sister. Responsible and kind, Meg mothers her younger sisters. She has a small weakness for luxury and leisure, but the greater part of her is gentle, loving, and morally vigorous.
