Growth and Sanctification in Little Women 

What words come to mind when we think of growth—plant life, people, emotions, intelligence, discipline? Many critical elements of human life relate to growth and its stages. Growth is not only necessary; it is unavoidable. This concept of unavoidable growth appears intentionally in Little Women. Just as we experience moral growth in our own lives, Little Women presents moral growth as lifelong sanctification; imperfect, painful, and dependent on grace.

The novel frames moral development through the language of sanctification and through the journey motif of Pilgrim’s Progress, particularly its heavy use of allegory to portray growth as lifelong, difficult, and grace-dependent.

In the first chapter, Marmee, the girls’ mother, encourages them to resume the “pilgrim game” they once played as children, but now as a more serious exercise. Instead of imagining the cellar as the City of Destruction or the top of the house as the Celestial City, she invites the girls to reflect on their own pilgrimage and moral progress. As Marmee explains, “Our burdens are here, our road is before us, and the longing for goodness and happiness is the guide that leads us through many troubles.”

We see the girls take up this new assignment in various ways. One of the most striking examples is Jo’s response to the consequences of her anger, which she describes as a “little demon in her ear.” In a moment of resentment, Jo allows Amy to skate alone on thin ice, leading to Amy falling into the freezing river and nearly losing her life, saved only by Laurie’s intervention. Faced with the gravity of her actions, Jo commits to fighting against this “bosom enemy” that was almost responsible for her sister’s death.

She confesses, “Laurie did it all; I only let her go. Mother, if she should die, it would be my fault,” before collapsing beside Amy’s bed in penitent tears, bitterly condemning her own hardness of heart and expressing gratitude for being spared the punishment that might have followed.

Jo’s moral growth is shown not through punishment, but through repentance and self-knowledge. In desperation to become better and not allow her anger to cause such harm again, she begs Marmee for guidance. In response, her mother says, “Watch and pray, dear; never get tired of trying; and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault.”

This moment reveals that Jo’s greatest growth comes not from external discipline, but from an internal moral awakening. Her grief does not erase her fault, but transforms it into resolve, aligning with the novel’s portrayal of growth as a form of sanctification that is painful but formative.

There are other examples as well. Beth overcomes her shyness by visiting the old Mr. Laurence, an act that requires immense courage. Meg struggles against materialism and learns contentment with what she has already been given. Amy’s battle with selfish ambition further demonstrates that sanctification takes different forms while following the same inward trajectory: a lifelong progression without the instantaneous perfection many hope for.

The novel emphasizes the importance of moral effort while recognizing that moral effort itself is not salvation. Overall, the girls are sincere in their moral growth, even when it is uneven or messy.

While the first book of Little Women focuses on moral formation in childhood, the novel moves into the insistence that growth does not end when one leaves youth behind. Book Two extends the pilgrimage into adulthood.

Some of these mid-life lessons include Amy’s decision to become a lady in both character and conduct, aspiring to be “a true gentle-woman in mind and manners.” Jo learns that her speech has consequences when she loses the opportunity to travel to Europe, and during a period of near solitude comes to realize that she wants to be a good person. Meg continues to grow as she continues to struggles with contentment, recognizing that there are things far more precious than material wealth or social standing, while also navigating a difficult situation involving her son and his father.

Growth continues throughout life. There is never a stage at which we are not learning. Even if we are not in a learning environment like school, we are still learning life lessons simply by living, as pilgrims who ideally continue to make progress.

One of the most significant later developments in Jo’s life occurs when she returns from New York and commits herself to caring for her dying sister, Beth. After Beth’s death, Jo writes a poem born out of grief and love:

“And while learning this hard lesson,
My great loss becomes a gain.
For the touch of grief will render
My wild nature more serene,
Give life to new aspirations,
A new trust in the unseen.” (p. 473)

Just as Jo’s grief brings about internal change, her poem reflects the pilgrimage of all human lives. Great losses can become gains, as each loss has the potential to teach and redirect the heart toward a higher way. Through Jo’s grief, the novel presents sorrow as a moral teacher.

Overall, the girls’ experiences show growth as painful, grief-ridden, and sometimes awkward, but at its core, it is an ongoing effort that requires persistence and a renewed desire to do better.

The Limits of Little Women

That being said, Little Women only goes so far. There is a point at which it becomes lacking, particularly when Jo suggests that she herself will barely make it into heaven while Beth will easily go there because she can do good so effortlessly. This misconception stands to be corrected by the gospel of Christ.

Dane Ortlund writes in Gentle and Lowly, “The sins of those who belong to God open the floodgates of his heart of compassion for us. The dam breaks. It is not our loveliness that wins his love. It is our unloveliness.”

Marmee invites her daughters to take up the game again, and so we too are invited through our walk with Christ in sanctification. Remaining in the tension and awkwardness of a new identity is part of this process, and we are not alone in it.

If there were such a thing as a dedication for an essay, I would dedicate this to anyone who looks at their past and cringes in embarrassment or grief. Just as Little Women shows growth as a necessary and messy part of sanctification, so too are our lives. If we can take joy in watching the characters grow, perhaps we can learn to look at our own lives with the same grace and say, “Look how far we have come.”

That's all folks! If you've read Little Women, feel free to comment what you thought of it below!❤❤❤

📬 Stay Updated!

Please consider looking into my blog's subscription option on its main page so you can get email notifications whenever I post! 😊