My Acquired Love for Beth March

I have spent a large portion of my life reading books, which has familiarized me with innumerable literary characters; princesses, peasants, and everything in between. You might assume that it would be difficult for me to deem any particular character my “favorite,” and that was the case for much of my life. As I have gotten older, however, the answer has become clear as day: my favorite character is Beth March.

In 1868, Louisa May Alcott sat down at her desk, inscribing the very first pages of Little Women. The narrative would follow the lives of the March girls—four sisters living in Concord, Massachusetts in the Civil War Era. Originally, Alcott intended to give each sister her own respective happily-ever-after. However, at some point in the writing process, Alcott had a change of plans: the third sister, Beth, would not get a happy ending, but instead die of scarlet fever at the age of twenty-three. The other sisters would fall in love, get married, and live out their dreams, but poor Beth would lie alone in a coffin. Alcott had characterized Beth as the kindest and purest of the sisters; she never raised her voice or tried to cause pain, but instead empathized with those around her; she spent her days raising kittens and entertaining her siblings with piano music. Her admirable innocence made her death seem all the more tragic.

When I first read Little Women at the age of twelve, I was bothered by the fate of Beth; it seemed so unjust that she was never rewarded for her compassion, but instead met with a painful and premature death. However, I have grown to love her character, and the message embedded in her story: you cannot and should not expect external rewards for good deeds. There was one winter, a few years ago, when I did not have many friends and I was frequently harassed by classmates. Valentine’s Day grew nearer, but the holiday seemed void to me, given that I was so disconnected from my peers. The week before Valentine’s Day, however, it occurred to me: there was nothing stopping me from celebrating the holiday by giving others love, regardless of whether or not it was reciprocated. So I opened up my crafting shelf and retrieved several sheets of patterned paper, along with ribbons and glue. I went through a list of people in my grade, crafting Valentines for each one of them.

When February 14th rolled around, I had a full bag of heart-shaped cards and was diligently set on distributing each and every one of them. To put it plainly, people were not impressed; in fact, one classmate threw her card on the ground and repeatedly stomped on it, while another ripped her card to shreds. The harassment from peers did not, by any means, subside. However, there were just a couple of classmates who seemed happy to receive a card, and that was enough. This is when I began to understand that Beth March had it right: be kind, help those around you, and have empathy; this doesn’t guarantee good fortune or external rewards—nor should you expect it to—but it does leave a legacy of compassion. Beth March might not have lived long, but she left a lasting impact on those around, making their lives just a bit better; my Valentines were not well received, but they made a small impact on just a few of my classmates.

Beth March might not have gotten the same type of happily-ever-after as her sisters, but she did succeed in life: she brought joy to her friends and family. She left a legacy of kindness that remained after death. I have grown to love her for this, and I try to emulate her every single day. If a neighbor is struggling, I help them; if a classmate looks lonely, I give them company; if there’s a bunny in my yard, I stay quiet so I don’t scare it; if I hurt someone’s feelings—which, admittedly, I have done—I make an apologetic gesture of some sort, usually involving baked goods. Out of all the characters I have read about in my sixteen years of life, Beth March is by far my favorite. Her fate might seem unfortunate, but it wasn’t; she got to make the people around her happier, leaving a valuable legacy. For this reason, I will always try to emulate her.