One of Alcott’s many childhood homes, Hillside, (renamed The Wayside by the Nathaniel Hawthorne Family, who lived there after the Alcotts), was the setting for Mr. & Mrs. Bhaer’s school, Plumfield, in Little Men.
These were the boys and they lived together as happy as twelve lads could, studying and playing, working and squabbling, fighting faults and cultivating virtues in the good old-fashioned way. Boys at other schools probably learned more from books, but less of that better wisdom which makes good men. Latin, Greek, and mathematics were all very well, but in Professor Bhaer’s opinion, self knowledge, self-help, and self-control were more important, and he tried to teach them carefully. People shook their heads sometimes at his ideas, even while they owned that the boys improved wonderfully in manners and morals. But then, as Mrs. Jo said to Nat, “it was an odd school.”
Tonight, my husband & I led our Book Club made up of 3 other families who we meet with on a regular basis — once a week for class, and once a month or so for a discussion on a book. We took 2 months to read Little Men, as it was busy over the holidays and New Year’s Eve was a fun way to get together.
We have a meal together and then meet in the host’s living room to talk about that month’s book. I LOVE Louisa May Alcott and have started reading again on her since we chose this book. I shared a little about her life and why she wrote the book (her brother-in-law did suddenly pass away and although he left some savings, she didn’t want her sister, Anna, and their 2 sons to be in any need). Then I passed out peices of paper which each had a description about one the children from the book; we went around the room and read from our paper and everyone else had to guess who it was. (A great way to review.) I also encouraged them with this question to take home, ponder, and share with their families:
Both Louisa Alcott and her father, Bronson, were teachers. From her father, Louisa had the idea that education could be different than what it was in the 1800’s, and wrote her father’s ideas in Little Men. If you could create your own school/education, tell us what it would look like.
Then my husband led the group in a discussion and some of the best questions that we talked about were:
1) How do you see Christ, Christian living etc. throughout this book (briefly touched on Alcott’s family being Transcendentalists, but we all agreed we saw godly living and morals in this book) [Mr. Bhaer taking Nat's punishment; what Christ did for us, Demi sharing about Christ to Nat, etc}
2) This is almost like a parenting book. What did you learn from Mrs. Jo & Mr. Bhaer?
Here are his notes:
Chapter 1. Nat p. 25 Odd school. Not too many rules & study. 15 min. pillow fight; rules agreed to by all. If don’t settle down, lose privledge. Discuss honor the boys had in this. (also Ch. 10, p. 176 “Make bargains”)
Ch. 2 Boys p. 30 I was Demi. Who are you? + and -
Ch. 3 Sunday p. 40 Conscience Book. p. 54 Story about seeds, gardens. What crop do you want to grow? p. 55 Challenged Demi on reading choice. p. 56 Demi telling Nat about Christ
Ch. 4 Stepping Stones p. 61 Ohter boys encouraged to help Nat up the learning ladder. p. 63-64 Business: would have to make their own way p. 70 Lies. Nat has to strike Mr. Bhaer
Ch. 5 Patty Pans p. 82 “I’d rather study with the kitchen than do anything else” What do you want to learn? (Like Daisy keeping house; Dan as a naturalist; etc.)
Ch. 6 Fire Brand p. 97-99 Dan’s trial stay. Why did Mr Bhaer have to let Dan go?
Ch. 7 Naughty Nan p. 119-120 Girls helping boys with manners. How much children do for one another and when to mix them.
Ch. 8 p. 131 “Sackryfice: p. 145 Club/Cosy Club co-exist
Ch. 9 Girls invite boys – mischief. Boys invite girls – best behavior
Ch. 10 p. 176 Children’s treasures should be treated respectfully. Make a bargain with you… expect honor. p. 179 Do what you dislike: 2 rewards. p. 181 Teddy/Dan’s prayer
Ch. 11 p. 195 Museum: Not just for show. Learn, read, present about things. p. 212 No blame to lost kids, just a way to learn a valuable lesson. Mrs. Jo’s faith in Nan — Nan over-hears when about to sneak out and ties self up again. p. 221 Sharpen your conscience. p. 225 Mrs. Jo liked to have her penalties do their own work. Not too much moralizing
Ch. 13 p. 231 Nan sewed for Bess… like to sew for others and not myself. Assignment without makeing a “task” of it.
Ch. 14 Dan’s integrity vs. Jack’s cowardice. Who was Damon/Pythias
Ch. 15 p. 263 “Fritz… I see…” Fault drawer. Trust Dan with Demi, Rob, Teddy. p. 278 Dan teach Demi nature; Demi teach Dan goodness. p. 280-281 Jack back. Gave away property to buy integrity (can you do that?)
Ch. 16 Saw Dan’s restlessness; Didn’t hold him back, but made him expressman/gave responsibility. p. 287 Taming the colt… expressman, log splitting, taming horse “…see, he won’t run away. I am taming a colt, too.”
Ch. 18 Crops of a different sort
Ch. 19 John Brooke: Business principles.. “I will never try to get on w/o them.” When one boy said he never did anything, Mr. B replied, “No. He was only good. That’s all.” (May we all strive for that.) Demi put away childish things. Set about to prepare himself for responsiblity. New name: John Brooke
Ch. 21 What is the magic? –> Loved them and let them see it.
proverbs31