ENGL 270 American Literature: Comparing Editions of Little Women

ENGL 270 American Literature | Gregory Eiselein | Fall 2002

Comparing Editions of Little Women

The following are some examples of changes [in bold] made in the 1880 "Regular" edition. Examine them carefully. Then use your knowledge of the first edition to determine whether the revision is an improvement or not. In some cases, try to determine the motivation for the changes made in the 1880 edition.

1. "I can't help it; I never saw any one faint, and I don't choose to make myself all black and blue, tumbling flat as you do. If I can go down easily, I'll drop; if I can't, I shall fall into a chair and be graceful; I don't care if Hugo does come at me with a pistol," returned Amy, who was not gifted with dramatic power, but was chosen because she was small enough to be borne out shrieking by the hero [villain] of the piece. (Pt. 1, Chap. 1, page 49)

2. There was a simultaneous sigh, which created quite a little gust as the last hope fled, and the treat was ravished from their longing lips. Scarlet with shame and anger, Amy went to and fro twelve mortal [six dreadful] times; and as each doomed couple, looking, oh, so plump and juicy! fell from her reluctant hands, a shout from the street completed the anguish of the girls, for it told them that their feast was being exulted over by the little Irish children, who were their sworn foes. (Pt. 1, Chap. 7, page 104)

3. Turning to Meg, who never refused her anything very long, she said, coaxingly, "Do tell me! I should think you might let me go, too; for Beth is fussing over her dolls [piano], and I haven't got anything to do, and am so lonely." (Pt. 1, Chap. 8, page 108)

4. Meg went daily to her kingdom [pupils], and sewed, or thought she did, at home, but much time was spent in writing long letters to her mother, or reading the Washington despatches over and over. (Pt. 1, Chap. 17, page 200)

5. "She felt so ill one day, that she told Jo she wanted to give her piano to Meg, her bird [cats] to you, and the poor old doll to Jo, who would love it for her sake." (Pt. 1, Chap. 19, page 220)

6. Amy's nose still afflicted her, for it never would grow Grecian; so did her mouth, being too wide, and having a decided underlip [chin]. (Pt. 2, Chap. 2, page 275)

7. While Amy dressed, she issued her orders, and Jo obeyed them; not without entering her protest, . . . and when she had squeezed her hands into tight gloves with two [three] buttons and a tassel, as the last touch of elegance, she turned to Amy with an imbecile expression of countenance, saying meekly,--
"I'm perfectly miserable; but if you consider me presentable, I die happy." (Pt. 2, Chap. 6, page 311)

8. "The flights are very long in this tall house, and as I stood waiting at the head of the third one for a little servant girl to lumber up, I saw a queer-looking man [a gentleman] come along behind her, take the heavy hod of coal out of her hand, carry it all the way up, put it down at a door near by, and walk away, saying, with a kind nod and a foreign
accent,--
'It goes better so. The little back is too young to haf such heaviness.'" (Pt. 2, Chap. 10, page 351-52)

9. "Marriage is an excellent thing after all. I wonder if I should blossom out, half as well as you have, if I tried it, always 'perwisin'' I could," said Jo, as she constructed a kite for Demi, in the topsy-turvy nursery. (Pt. 2, Chap. 19, page 443)

"Marriage is an excellent thing after all. I wonder if I should blossom out, half as well as you have, if I tried it?" said Jo, as she constructed a kite for Demi, in the topsy-turvy nursery.

10. "Don't fear poverty; I've known it long enough to lose my dread, and be happy working for those I love; and don't call yourself old,--I never think of it,--I couldn't help loving you if you were seventy!" (Pt. 2, Chap. 23, page 480)

"Don't fear poverty; I've known it long enough to lose my dread, and be happy working for those I love; and don't call yourself old,--forty is the prime of life. I couldn't help loving you if you were seventy!"