Handsome John Brooke proved that even impoverished tutors could get lucky in Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women
Back in the days when all little women had Marmees and fathers who were away a-fighting that beastly Civil War, John Brooke was tutor to Teddy Lawrence and almost a gentleman apart for the fact he is so dreadfully poor and that he steals Miss Meg’s glove, of course.
He does what?
Steals it and hides it in his waistcoat pocket.
Either Meg March has very small hands or Brookie’s got the most enormous waistcoat.
All ladies had small hands in those days and young Meg March has aspirations to be wealthy, well-respected and possessed of the smallest digits in the entire county.
Do her parents know of this awful theft?
Brooke confesses all when Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy arrange for him to drive Marmee to the hospital where Colonel March is recuperating from a surfeit of daughters. Here he is forgiven and told that in three years he may hope for Meg’s hand.
So he can put that glove to some use?
The March parents thought that marriage to a humble schoolteacher might be a good way to cure Meg’s sinful pride.
Nice to know the profession was considered useful And John Brooke really loves to teach. He even offers to teach Meg to love him. “Please learn, dearest. It is so much easier than German.”
But is Brookie willing to wait three years?
It was nothing in those days. Besides, it’s better than his proposed alternative, to enlist in the Army. “I have neither family nor friends who care whether I live or die,” says Brooke, as he tries to wheedle his way round 17-year-old Meg.
What do the rest of the family think about this marriage?
Mad Aunt March is furious, demanding of her niece: “Do you mean to marry this teacher? If you do, not one penny of my money ever goes to you. It is your duty to make a rich marriage.” Even Jo, Meg’s tomboy sister, wants Brooke banished for his presumption. She actually throws herself on her bed in tears and tells Marmee that she wants to marry Meg herself (presumably to stop any man getting his hands on her gloves). “Oh why couldn’t we all have been boys, Marmee?!”
Sounds to me like Meg is well off out of that family.
Adrian Mourby
