May 25, 2023 • 47 mins
Chapter Friend is one of the most misadapted chapters in Little Women. This is the chapter where Jo is in New York and she begins to write sensational stories to a magazine called Weekly Volcano. Jo gets anxiety and even a mental breakdown with this work. Friedrich helps her to get out of this dark place. Unfortunately, majority of Little Women adaptations play it in a way "Jo is a feminist when she writes and Friedrich is a terrible person" when in reality Jo calls these stories "trash" and Friedrich never critices Jo's writing. He encourages her to find her voice as a writer.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hello, everybody today's common Charlotte goesto lowly. Joe and Lawrie's relationship has
nothing sexual about it. They werebrother and sister even before he married Amy.
It never made sense for them tomarry, even before Fredick got into
the picture. Why are people soagainst Fredrick marrying Joe? He was exactly
(00:23):
what she needed. He was noconsolation prize. He was older, and
she was more matured than the othergirls her age. He loved children and
teaching, so did she. Hedidn't care about worthy possessions. Neither did
she. I could go on withthis list. People loved Joe, but
(00:43):
they don't understand her at all.Also, it is said that people don't
believe in friendship between a man anda woman, and quote you know,
guys, I wrote an earlier intrto this episode. I liked the writings
by hand and then typed them andrecord them, and I lost the draft
(01:03):
that I wrote, and I wasreally bumped because of that. So here
is another try. When I thinkwhy people have problems with Fredick, the
first thing that comes into my mindis the complete misadaptation and misinterpretation of the
chapter friend which we will tackle inthis episode. I invite Christina from the
(01:25):
Joe and Fredick block to talk withme about this. One of the main
problems in the films is that thefilmmakers often make it scene that Fredick somehow
criticizes Choe's writing in the book,it is not Joe's story that he is
criticizing, it is somebody else's.And Joe herself does not like the stories
(01:49):
that she has produced. Narrator evensays that writing those stories caused her mental
health problems, and she doesn't likesensationalism as a genre, and in the
end she burns those stories. Sowhen people like Fredda Gerick tell to millions
of people in her interviews that Joeis some kind of a victim and Fredrik
(02:13):
is a bully, it once againshows that she hasn't read the book,
or if she has, she islying to people about it, and she
essentially is trying to make money bytrying to frame Joe to be a martyr
or a victim. But in thebook that was never the case. For
me. This part in the chapterFriend, where Joe worked for this magazine
(02:36):
and she struggled working there, alwayshad a deeper meaning because, for one,
she did not believe to the agendaof this magazine. And second,
the narrator says that doing the researchfor these stories gave her anxiety. So
when Joe is working on this magazine, it has a very negative impact on
(02:59):
her hand or health. This wassomething that really resonated with me when I
was in my twenties, and Iwould reread Little Woman because I had worked
in jobs that I did not enjoyand I'm not very proud of this.
I was once in a school.This was during the time, and I
was studying to become an instructor.In the first year, there were three
(03:23):
people in my class who dropped outbecause they felt that some of the teachers
were rude to them, and therewere people in the class who did not
get along. And I had thislady in my class who was in her
fifties and she didn't know how touse a computer. Then we had a
computer class and she asked me tohelp her, and the teacher started to
(03:45):
shout at me, apparently I wasinterrupting her. And this lady who didn't
know how to use computers, shedropped out the school as well. So
there was constantly this very negative atmosphere, and I felt that some of the
teachers were pressuring me to stay there, and I did for a while,
but the way they treated us justbecame worse, and eventually I had the
(04:10):
mental breakdown and I dropped out aswell. It might have been a record
for that school, how many peopledropped out in one class. What happens
to Joe is very relatable, becauseso if you go to school, or
if you are working in an environmentwhere you are being treated very poorly,
it can have a really big impacton your well being and mental health and
(04:32):
everyday life. When I read thischapter, I guess you could say that
it was almost therapeutic for me.Because Joe wanted to leave that environment,
she didn't know how, and Freddykinda gave her the strength to do that.
And it is so sad that thereis not any Little Woman adaptation which
(04:56):
would actually tell the real story whathappened when Joe was working in the Weekly
Volcano. They just go with theroot. Fredrick didlike Joe's writing, which
was never the case. Fredick likesJoe's writing, her poems, her realistic
stories, and Joe doesn't even showhim the sensational stuff because Joe herself is
(05:17):
ashamed of them. I almost findit offensive that the movies and the TV
shows don't tell that story, thestory that actually happens in A Little Woman,
And now Christina and I will tellyou that story. A lot of
you have requested that we would tacklethis chapter, and I am very glad
(05:38):
that we did. This is LittleWoman Podcast. Joe at the Sensational Stories.
(05:58):
I asked you here today because Ithink you have some of the best
thoughts I have read about this chapter, the chapter friend, which is very
much misunderstood in my opinion, amonga lot of people who say they know
A Little Woman, especially filmmakers.I was just thinking that, oh,
(06:23):
yeah, yeah, I was justlike, there it is to the daily
volcano that wantational story, and mostof the time films were he's the hero.
Really she does, yes, Andwe will get into that why she
(06:46):
doesn't like him. I think it'sgoing to be a good discussion. So
very happy in the social atmosphere abouther, and very busy with the daily
work that burned her breath and madeit sweeter for the effort, jo still
found time for literary labors. Thepurpose which now took possession of her was
a natural one to a poor andambitious girl, but the means she to
(07:12):
gain her and were not the best. She gained her end who were not
the best. She saw that moneyconferred power, money and power. Therefore
she resolved to have not to beused for herself alone, but for those
who she loved more than herself.The dream of failing home with comforts,
giving bed everything she wanted, fromstrawberries in winter to an organ in her
(07:36):
bedroom, going abroad herself, andalways having more than enough so that she
might indulge in the luxury of charityhad been for years. Chose most cherished
castle in the air. Right hereI see apparrel between Joe and Amy,
because Joe takes sort of a wrongway to achieve her castle in the air,
(08:00):
and then we have Amy who thinksabout marrying wealthy man just so she
could support her family, and showthat's the same but with writing sensationalism,
I guess one of those things wherepeople forget that she's not writing sensational stories
because she firmly believes in it,but rather because she knows it's what's the
(08:22):
end thing now, and that's what'sgoing to help give money to her family,
which is what they're struggling with.I mean, even if it is
something that you're just kind of likeHays in your mind, it doesn't hurt
anyone, then why not do itthis chapter? I actually think it's almost
like an inner dialogue but losing myAlcot had because we know that she wrote
(08:46):
sensational stories and I think she wasquite ashamed of them at some point,
especially because she did not like thereal life mister Dad Food Frank Leslie.
And it's interesting because I feel likea lot of people have this experience when
they are younger, especially in theart fields. You work in a place
(09:09):
that you are not serve, butbecause you need some experience, you easily
get exploited by these kind of magazinesor a bus feed or any kind of
big company. Right, yes,Like when you said all, I think
that is the unpaid internship. Theydo all this work and running around and
(09:33):
get Buster buds and take all theharsh criticisms and they don't even get paid.
But it's all for the quote unquoteexperience. But pretty much we all
know that the experience that because youactually get paid and you know, have
a position, people will treat youas poorly as that. It's just really
(09:54):
one of those things that. Ifeel like this is one of the most
relatable chapters because we all done whatwe could to help. When you're for
your working mills pass, you know, when you do what you can,
you know, you're a team.You babysit and you put some of that
money towards the grocery bills, orgo to school and then you go work
(10:16):
at you know, the movie theaterafterwards in order to help get some money
into the family. But I didn'tpersonally I have to do that because my
mom was like, you're going toschool, but like pretty much as students
we were high school was like,all right, you gotta get a job
and help support and you know,or even before you just have to do
(10:39):
whatever you can to help around thehouse to take it a little less.
I'm a burden, you know,to families who are working the double shifts.
A lot of what Joe goes through, it's just like, again,
just so relatable because it's her commitmentto her family is so commendable and wanting
(11:01):
to use what you can, andthey kind of do personally what she loved
when is writing, you know,that's a plus until like it's I think
it's a little sad that so manyfilmmakers entirely ignotice this part of the story
because they just make it this bigargument between joy for it's which is not
(11:24):
in the book. I think itwould make such a good social commentary into
a Little Woman's Adaptation to show thatthis kind of things happen still today.
Young people go and work in thesebig companies and free internships, and they
are like in the bottom of theyeah, it's hard. It's hard because
(11:50):
one, it's not so volcanoes workthat you show them. They always make
it seem like, oh, thatthem criticism. No, it's she actually
shows the work that she's been workingon, because they never talk about how
she's got two extremes of editors tryingto make her write something. You have
(12:13):
one which is dash with pretty muchsaying these very loose moral stories, these
sensational stories. And then you hadthis other editor I don't know if it's
mentioned like their name, because veryreligious person. It's like, I want
(12:33):
you to write it's so strict thatat the kitchen, like steals a cookie,
they get eaten my bear and it'slike, what, like she like
my writing should be more of thelittle brown And then the other thing is
that Friedrich knows, without Joe saying, that she works for those between volcano
and he actually doesn't mind, likebut yeah, as he absolutely does not
(12:56):
agree with them weekly volcano stuff andway. But even he knows she's doing
this because she's for He's like,I know what you're going through. Let
me see if I can find it. Now it occurred to him that she
was doing what she was ashamed toown, and it troubled him. He
did not say to himself, itis none of my business. I am
(13:18):
I've no right to say anything,as many people would have done. He
only remembered that she was young andfor a girl, far away from mother's
mother and father's care, and hewas moved to help her with an impulse
as quick and as natural as thatwhich would have prompted him to put out
of his hand to stay the babyfrom a puddle. All of this flushed
(13:39):
through his mind in a minute,and now the trace of it appeared in
his face, and by the timethe paper had turned and Joe Speedles threaded,
he was ready to quite say,naturally, so very greatly, you
are right to put it from you. He knows very well that she writes
this but he's for himself. Imean, this guy's a professor. He
should be in a university, butinstead he works helping people to learn languages
(14:05):
in a boarding house. Then heknows that one he doesn't have exactly the
right to judge what she does tomake a living, but he knows that
he's got to say something too,and that is so important. I feel
that nobody, and really any ofthe films I think properly shows that.
(14:26):
You know, it's always like Ilove writing these sensations stories. I love
doing this, but like she doesn't. Really she goes to trash. Yeah,
and they never discussed that. Theynever show that. Really, I
feel it's quite offensive towards to characterto say that he loved writing, to
(14:46):
say some stories, many of thebooks he doesn't. Right. And again,
like I said earlier, you know, when she's based with these two
different editors, one who wants veryloose world and one who wants very straight
worlds, she's trying to find thatbalance of how I make it interesting but
not preaching. Some writers definitely trytheir best too, like you wanted to
(15:13):
be interesting enough about it being likeslam in your face. Here's the moral
of the story. Or you don'twant it to be too who said there's
not even elegable person in the storyeither, But yeah, that's like said,
it takes away from her character,and considering that her father is like
a preacher, you don't think thatshe would have been raised with some rules
(15:37):
religious inclination, especially since she doesbelieve in the words of her father and
listens to him and genuinely believes.Yeah, it's it's very strange. I
don't know why they make it.I really wish I knew why film makes
themselves. There was a need workconflict at all. I have a theory.
(16:03):
I was actually thinking about this.You know how in the nineteen ninety
four film Laurie when he proposes,he says that Joe doesn't need to write
one's they get married. And it'salso in the book when Joe says that,
oh, he would not like herscribblings. But then I was thinking
in the twenty seventeen series and thenin the twenteen nineteen film, I don't
(16:26):
think they included the part, butLaurie says the show that she doesn't need
to write when they marry and whenI have read interviews from Greta Garrick and
Harry Thomas, who wrote those versions. They both wanted Joe and Laurie to
get there, did both of theseversions. There's this big argument between Joe
and Frederick about her writing. Socould it be just Joe and Laurie shippers
(16:49):
being biased. I think it mightbe. Yeah, I don't know,
and I looking down the movies,I think part part of it too,
could just be that some filmmakers,I won't say for all of them,
kind of relied on the other movies. Because I'm just thinking about the Chatter
(17:12):
Tapper and One where he shows herher work from the Weekly Volcano, and
they don't either that that and theJunounce and One. There's not necessarily this
fight, which I think is comparatively, I guess a little bit better than
some of the other ones, justa actual discussion, probably because yeah,
(17:37):
loved ones do again. I thinkthat's also where a lot of people who
think, like all the proposal comesbefore New York, those two movie set
that up and it's one of thosethings like in the public mind. But
yeah, that's I think that becausethose two movies, obviously, the June
(18:02):
House one is almost a copy andpace of the characther and hepper One with
some changes that they have it bethat way, but they prow again.
It's a little bit better because it'smore of a like, you know,
proper discussion where free drink is You'rewriting is good and I just don't think
that this is challenge showing you whoyou truly are. And I can't remember
(18:27):
if the Charpain hepper One said this, but I definitely know that the June
House and one where she flat outsays, I know they're not good stories,
but they helped to pay you know, you cope for Marie and getting
in wantafe to get back to thebeach, like that one flatout stays that
(18:48):
she knows that's not the best work. And then I just assume that the
other movies sort of only took thatand took that to be you know true
attacks we're you know, moving onand we're a little bit more email oriented
(19:10):
or feminine, like feminist, andthis is not saying, you know,
because like we need to be moreimpressive and whatever she wants to write but
likes you can that's not you reallywant. Yeah, So I feel like
that they give that conflict to belike the show, like who Joe stands
(19:30):
are ground against the you know somethingwho wants to try to tell her her
right. But see you that's notcorrect at all. Like it's like playing
telephone and you know the game heldtelephone. Yeah, it's writing one that
doesn't know. It's pretty much youwhispering something in someone's ear and they keep
(19:52):
what's bringing it pretty much and willby the end of it the sentence,
let's just say, let's go gethamburgers, hold to her into you know,
I want I want ice cream.It somehow with this is something that's
completely far from the original. OhI feel like that with the movies that
kind of kind of did that,that there's this very strange game of telephone
(20:18):
happening, but you could just goright to the store to go, oh,
yes, right here. It justsays it. I don't like the
very sensation of the free understand.I think it's almost like they want to
switch Friddick and Lorie because you know, in the nineteen twenty three and ninety
forty nine films and so when Laurieproposes Joe, it is more of an
(20:41):
a fight, more of an argument, and then in these newest adaptations it's
not that much of an argument.It's like, oh, poor Laurie.
So they kind of switched this.They give this Joe and Lourie argument too
cho and freedick and I don knowwhat. I think it's just because I'm
(21:02):
biased, Yeah, And it reallydoes not make sense to any of their
care characters really, because Freed istypically a pretty gentle soul and definitely is
able to promperly articulate his own feelingsand thoughts, which is something that Joe
(21:26):
kind of learns something a little bit, whereas Lourie, particularly before Amy would
need something to baby in Europe,is very much brash. I say what
I'm feeling at the moment, itdoesn't matter if it hurts or you know,
it makes sense, yeah, tohave that conflict between Joe and Friedrich,
(21:49):
where Joe pretty much for hurts backto her old tempers, which almost
by at that point she's managed itfairly well. I mean, you don't
really see whether or not Joe differentlyher letters to her family four hand or
not, but she's I think managedto handle her emotions fairly well at this
(22:14):
point because she is a twenty somethingyear old lady. I'm not a fifteen
year old, and I feel liketwo. Friedric is one of those people
that has just unnaturally calming presence,like doubt pretty much that Joe. Even
when Friedric is saying, you know, talking about the daily ball game,
weekly Volcano, I think one ofthe versions names. Even when he is
(22:41):
talking about the weekly Volcano, He'snot like furious. He's not like screaming
and losing his head. He isjust like he just says quote said with
an air of great disgust. That'she's not like screaming. He's not you
(23:03):
know, running around the room likea mediac and playing in the papers.
He just is like this stuff again, that's the that's the worst I think
he really gets. So I don'tknow why you have it, and I
feel like it looks bad on Joewhen you have someone that it's just like,
this isn't this isn't very great oryou know, it's not good for
(23:27):
kids in a very calm manner andher to just be like, well,
I like it, so screw you. Like it's all mad and angry and
it's like all that development for herto go, oh yeah, I need
to learn how to control my temperand you're gonna have her react that way
like it's sort of a regression ratherthan a progression of her character. Yeah,
(23:51):
it diminishes her quote as a writerbecause when we are in this chapter,
Joe already knows THATFF writing sessionism isnot it's not good literature because she
calls it trash, right, andit's I think it's a couple chapters all
this when she wrote her first storyand it became a flop, and that
(24:15):
was because she wasn't really that goodat having that self criticism, because she
took you know, the advice fromMarmee, from her father, from Bed,
from everyone in her family, andthen she put all of that into
this first novel and that's why itwasn't successful. She didn't really know what
(24:36):
what kind of writer she was.She didn't really know how to sort of
take the good from this story thatshe wrote. So I think this is
such a good chapter how it describesJoe's journey as a writer, because we
can see her development because she knowsthat, you know, she wants to
(24:57):
keep these moral lessons. But theedit thirteenth, they are not good.
They don't sell well. And Ithink there is even a quote here where
the narrator like says that like slightlythat oh the editor was wrong. They
molls do so, and I thinkthat I think that it's good when when
(25:19):
you said about you know, how, she had her family tell her like,
oh, yeah, this is good. And let's be honest. Family
can be a little bias. Theyyou know, they know, like they
can see that you have potential,but they just you know, they go,
oh, that's so great. Likethey're not that they're necessarily blind to
(25:40):
your face either, because they wantyou to see see and they want you
to face it yourself, and theycan't play that. They can't be a
little biased, and you know,it may be great to them because it's
like, oh, good job,Joe, that was wonderful, but really
out there too, let's just saya random stranger and just be like it's
(26:02):
all right. Like so having someonelike Friedrich who who knows her well enough
to know what she's capable of,but it's like so caught up in his
emotions that he can he's able toseparate his feelings for her writings and go
all right, well, this isgood to hear some criticism. And because
(26:26):
she trusts him so well and likeshim so much that she can take his
criticisms with a good heart. Likeright here, I'm quoting. She valued
his esteem, She coveted his suspective. She wanted to be worthy of this
friendship. And just when that whichwas s serious, she came near to
(26:47):
losing everything. And that's when itgoes with the weekly volcano. But she
she values what he says. Imean, she's the one that goes to
him to say, would you mindreading my papers? Like reading my stories?
It's not him fucking her to readit or anything. And she shows
(27:07):
what she thinks is the better ofher work. And and that's why she
takes his criticisms the heart, becauseshe knows that he's educated and that and
work worldly. Even the ultimately isbecause she respects him and values his opinion.
(27:30):
He believes in her, wants herto do better. That he gives
her. It's got me a ShakespeareLike that's such a very intimate and thoughtful
gift. That the fact that he'slike, I believe in you, and
it's not just the lend that here'sa Christmas gift. Here you go,
because I have that much faith inyou, Like that's very that is so
(27:52):
swan, and that's so wonderful andyeah, I just it's again one of
those things or nobody I think reallymentions at all in that regard of just
how well she respects and values hisopinion. Mister Baron, one of their
(28:15):
conversations, had advisor to study simple, true and lovely characters wherever she found
them as good training for a writer. Joe took him for his words,
where she coolly turned around and studieshim in proceeding, which would have surprised
him at the moment. The worthyprofessor was very helpful in his own She
(28:37):
one can take criticism like it's avery short passage, but she can take
criticism and actually applies it because othersnot only studying Shakespeare, but she then
tries to study people that are aroundher, and you know, one of
the more interesting ones. She's atleast both and purpose. Yeah, they
(29:03):
don't know. I feel like itwould have been in Filmmakers a science and
actually show what a good at leastas the you know friends. At that
moment, Joe finds Fred to bewell enough to share her writings. I
mean personally for me trying to sharemy process of writing. He's a kind
(29:29):
of it is a little intimate likeI'm just like, here, I trust
you enough to read it, andyou know, I'll take your criticism,
but deep down I'm hoping you likeit enough. So yeah, I feel
like that I've have been like herfamily and Lauria, and she's not writing
these stories around like the ones thatshe truly feels are her best work.
(29:52):
And and I think that's showed alot of growth and Joe, because she's
kind of knows she's a little bitclosed off at times, and so that
at this point she's showing that shecan open herself to new people and and
to trust to take criticism better thanshe's hands down the floor, which is
(30:15):
I think that was the moment forme and this because I'm the nineteenth time
where I was just like, oh, I'm gonna hate this when she gets
mad agree again, he's just verycalmly these saying you know, they share
criticism, and Jesus screaming at himand acts like a bi girl, You're
mean now, I mean ex friendanymore? And I'm like, oh,
(30:37):
no, kay please, So thisis gonna be bad, isn't. The
prize story experience had seemed to openaway, which might after long traveling and
much up the work led to thisdelightful chateau and espnge. But but the
(30:59):
novel disaster punched her courage for atime. Her public opinion is a giant,
which frightened short Stout her hearted.Jack bigger being talks on hers like
that immortal hero. She reclosed awhile after the first attempt, which resulted
in a tumble and the least lovelyof the giant's treasure, if I remember
(31:19):
right, But the up again andtake another spirit with as strong and joe
as in Jack. So she scrambledup the shady side of this time and
got more booty, but nearly leftbehind her what was far more precious than
money back, so hear me,how like, but the noble disaster quenched
(31:41):
her courage for a time. Sothis refers to her first book that was
a flop. It's just like yousaid, she's kind of nervous to show
those writings that she's very proud of. She's like repairing for the next big
leap. But she's very frightening aboutit about it. And it's an interesting
(32:01):
this part about public opinion. Iam not a writer, but every time
when you put out something creative,there is some kind of fear is it
going to be a success or isit going to flop? Oh? Yeah,
I think you know, brand foranyone, from writers to artists.
(32:22):
You know, even I know thatsome people that felt like gifts on Humblers,
they're worried that there's not going toget enough notes perfectly reblose because like
they put in all that time andafter and they're really proud of it.
It's like I did it to thatway, not only when you can see
(32:45):
how good I do is, butto help share it with other people.
And it's like when nobody wants toshare it, it's like why does And
I even try because you're trying todo it to connect maybe with people,
to try to share with something thatmaybe you think another person would feel the
(33:07):
same. You know. I alwaysthink of Tony Morrison's quote when she said
that there's a book you want toread, but it has been writ in
the end, then you must writeit. And I always think like,
well, I know that there's gonnabe somebody at out there who's thinking of
wanting the same story as the storythat I'm thinking of. Like there's always
(33:27):
there's gotta be someone out there whothinks I want a story that's like this,
but they can't put their finger onit and want to dout there.
It's like, oh, this issomething I always wanted to read. So
yeah, I think that wanting publicopinion, on one hand, can't be
seen like oh a little like youdon't need to worry about what they think.
(33:49):
But it's like, well, ifyou want this to be a career,
you kind of want public opinions,but you also want to still maintain
yourself, to which that could bea fine line to bear. Honest.
It's like when I was doing someof the episodes for this podcast, and
(34:13):
I made the one about Louis andMecut in Germany and then get I didn't
know if people liked them because Ithought there might be too academic for people.
But then now that are like someof the most downloaded episodes, so
I think, all right, maybeit was a good thing that I decided
to put them there. I wasconvinced that nobody was going to listen to
(34:37):
them because I thought they were tootoo academic. So I was wrong,
and it's good. Yeah, youknow, there's always something for everyone.
I mean, that's that's something I'vedone to sort of understand, like,
just because maybe this portion of thepopulation isn't interested in a story like this,
(35:00):
that doesn't mean this other fur thepopulation isn't true. Like I always
just think of that moment in atruck you or a picture show when Janet
is like, oh I don't likethen you know, cannon muscular ring bring
it further, like, well,I didn't make it for you, Like
when people were like, why Idon't really like this? Why didn't make
(35:22):
it for you? I mean forthe people who would like this, So
you cannot like it as much asyou want, But I'm making this for
the people who do want this,So yeah, you gotta just I try
to keep that in mind when Iwrite, write anything, or put anything
out there, or participate in something, that there's gonna be someone who will
(35:43):
like this. You know, there'salways at least somebody out there that least
true. Then we are approaching toweek people. Okay, Now, she
took the writing sensation stories for inthose dark ages, even all perfect America
read rubbish, she told to noone, but concocted a training tale and
(36:08):
a boldly carried it herself to misterDashwood, editor of the Weekly Volcano.
She had never read sought her resartus, but she had a womanly instinct that
clothes possess an influence more powerful overmany than the word of character or the
magic of manners. So she dressedherself in her best and, trying to
(36:30):
persuade herself that she was nie tooexcited nor nervous, Praye climbed two pairs
of dark and dirty stairs to findherself in a disorderly room, a cloud
of siger smoke, and the presenceof three gentlemen sitting with their heels rather
higher than their hearts, which articlesof dress none of them took the trouble
(36:52):
to remove. On her appearance.Somewhat doubted by this reception, Joe hesitated
on the threshold, murmur in muchembarrassment. Excuse me, I was looking
forward the weekly welk in office.I wish to see mister dash food.
These men are really rude because theydon't take away their hats, right,
(37:15):
they don't even do the minimum thenstood in attended a woman in the room
or bless the room. Leaders.But yeah, don't even they're just like
yeah, now as three of them, not even just like all one of
them, them doing all three ofthem just don't. And I like the
(37:37):
line of with their heels higher thantheir hats, like they're they're not sitting
what would have been because they're properor even well lady actors. They don't
even go all crack like you.No, they just sit there and just
like not caring that women just walkin. So that definitely you do a
(38:00):
hint of what kind of Yeah,I see this once again makes me go
to angry house. Some movies portraymister dash Food that's some kind of a
hero. He really doesn't have anyrespect for true right here in the beginning,
and I just kind of think of, um, I think it's the
(38:21):
ninety four version We're not a Writerone where the I presume it to him
if I'm remembering it exactly. Buthe doesn't even look at her papers.
He just like has her little finder, just having his cigar on and letting
the ash fall, and he's justlike, well, we're not interested in
(38:43):
Harry's story, and then doesn't evenlook at her when he says that last
cartain, just like, hey,go, I'm paying attention to somebody else.
Like so it's like, why,yeah, why would anyone try to
make Dash would be this what ahero over helping to get Joe published when
(39:05):
and yeah, he just kind ofdismisses her works, and and in that
one and again the ninety four version, she has to lie and say Joe
rather than Joseph bee like or Josephyou know, she has to be like,
oh yeah, the amoralism or forher work to be taken seriously,
because if he was a true publisherwho really was interested in good works,
(39:29):
he wouldn't care who wrote it,just as long as the story is good.
Obviously, as we learn in thisfuture paragraphs, she doesn't even stories
herself down with the highest paraples,grows up the smokiest gentleman and carefully cherishing
his cigar between us figures. Headvanced with a nod and accountanance expressive of
(39:52):
nothing but to sleep. Feeling thatshe must get through the matter somehow,
Joe produced her man script and blushingrather and rather with each sentence, blood
bladed out fragments of the little speechcarefully prepare for the occasion. A friend
of mine desired me to offer astory, just an experiment, would like
(40:16):
your opinion, The alant to writemore in the suit. When she blushed
and wondered. Mister Dashwood had takenthe manuscript, was turning over the leaves
with a pair of rather dirty fingersand casting critical advances up and down the
neat pages. Not a first time, I take it, observing the pages
(40:37):
were numbered, covered only on oneside, and not tied up with ribbon.
Sure sign of an artist, No, sir, she had some experience
and gaboth rised her tail and theFamie stone banner. Oh did she And
mister Deshwood gave Joe a footbook whichseemed to take note of everything she had
(40:59):
on, from the blow in herbonnet to the buttons on her boots.
Will you can leave it if youlike. We've more of this sort of
thing on hand than we feel whatto do with at the present. We'll
run my eye over it and giveyou an answer next week. Now.
Joe did not believe it, formister Dashwood didn't suit her at all,
(41:21):
But under the circumstances there was nothingfor her to do but about and walk
away, looking particularly tall and dignified, as she was at to do when
nettle door bashed just then. Shewas both, for it was perfectly evident
from the knowing glances exchanged among thegentlemen that her little fiction of my friend
(41:43):
was considered a good joke, andthey last produced by some inaudible remark of
the editor as he closed the door. Completed her discomfit, half resolving to
never return, she went home andwalked off her irritation by stitching tentacle worth
vigorously, and an hour or twowas cool enough to lack over the scene
(42:05):
and long for the next week.She really doesn't like disguise like way.
She just did not like him.She did the best that she could,
just kind of walk out and feela little try to take some dignity with
her and and it's always the worst, you know, when you know people
(42:25):
are laughing at you. So Idefinitely know how much actually hurt and make
it angry. So I don't blameJoe, because you know, perfect pleasance
is something that she's trying to workon, to be serious about. And
the fact that they can't even acceptthe fact that maybe she has a little
(42:50):
uncertain sure your friend, yes,we look at what your friend has written.
They just immediately just kind of dismissedand laugh at her, which he's
fairly out the door. I likedthat in the nineteen ninety four film,
because you can see that show isvery insecure when she goes to meet mister
Dashwood. One of the biggest problemsthat I had with the twenty nineteen film
(43:14):
was that it was trying to mixthe two editors, mister Dashwood and then
the actual editor of Louis may Alcott, Thomas Niles, and Thomas Nass was
Louis ma Alcott's very close friend,and mister Dashwood obviously she did not like
because he's based on Frank Leslie,who was this media house owner in nineteenth
(43:39):
century, and Luisa ma Alcott wrotethose sensation stories for him. And Frank
Leslie he lived this very lavish lifestyle. I think I have a quote here
somewhere about his work. This wasthe time when my sensational press started to
become more of a bigger deal.When Alga was in her early twenties,
(44:07):
she worked for New York Magazine GotFranklysle's weekly illustrate newspaper. Weekly Illusted Newspaper
was part of the Yellow Press.Newspapers were being sought with bias or emotional
impressions rather than objective journalism, Soit was not a very fact based publication.
(44:28):
I think nowadays we might call thatfake news, yeah, or something
like that. Very biased and emotionalway to suck people to read these stories
and then spread this information. Soif you work in this kind of magazine,
(44:49):
I am not at all surprised thatLuisier and Alga did have this internal
battle like what she's doing, becauseobviously she needed the money. But then,
like you said, she was thoughtof a preacher, and Joe is
the thought of a preacher. Shehas very good morals, so yeah,
in her conflicts. Yeah, andand too when you think about the time
(45:14):
periods, like nowadays, we're alittle bit more I don't want to say
loose, because I don't think that'sreally true. I think we're could say,
maybe a little bit more liberal withthought and over now past the sort
of box of like oh like ifyou're not Christian and you are, you're
(45:37):
unworthy or you're not a good person, like we're past like those kind of
like very one sort of track mindsor at the should be like you should
be a little bit more been minded. I guess I truly we're looking for
we're a little bit more of beminded. But back then they were out
a little bit more strict with theirmorals, with their beliefs, and definitely
(46:00):
you know comes with I mean thisis set in like the eighteen sixties to
like currently eighteen seventies or so,which is definitely Queen Victorious time. And
you know, when you when younotice, like a little bit of histories
of Victorian era, a very strictmoral Victorious took over because her style was
(46:27):
definitely a lot more strict and coveredand not as loose because the reagents the
heras got their conspiration from the ancientGreeks and ancient Romans. So that's your
little contact of the day. Sobut definitely when you know that's set definitely
at peak Victorian era, which wasvery more strict on morals and what is
(46:52):
considered right and wrong. So soit's not surprising. Let's just say,
even if Alcott doesn't have like apreacher for her dad or even Joe too,
they still live in a society wherethe idea of religion is a very
important and strong factor of your dailylife. Thank you so much for listening.
(47:22):
They can make good choices by
Hello, everybody today's common Charlotte goesto lowly. Joe and Lawrie's relationship has
nothing sexual about it. They werebrother and sister even before he married Amy.
It never made sense for them tomarry, even before Fredick got into
the picture. Why are people soagainst Fredrick marrying Joe? He was exactly
(00:23):
what she needed. He was noconsolation prize. He was older, and
she was more matured than the othergirls her age. He loved children and
teaching, so did she. Hedidn't care about worthy possessions. Neither did
she. I could go on withthis list. People loved Joe, but
(00:43):
they don't understand her at all.Also, it is said that people don't
believe in friendship between a man anda woman, and quote you know,
guys, I wrote an earlier intrto this episode. I liked the writings
by hand and then typed them andrecord them, and I lost the draft
(01:03):
that I wrote, and I wasreally bumped because of that. So here
is another try. When I thinkwhy people have problems with Fredick, the
first thing that comes into my mindis the complete misadaptation and misinterpretation of the
chapter friend which we will tackle inthis episode. I invite Christina from the
(01:25):
Joe and Fredick block to talk withme about this. One of the main
problems in the films is that thefilmmakers often make it scene that Fredick somehow
criticizes Choe's writing in the book,it is not Joe's story that he is
criticizing, it is somebody else's.And Joe herself does not like the stories
(01:49):
that she has produced. Narrator evensays that writing those stories caused her mental
health problems, and she doesn't likesensationalism as a genre, and in the
end she burns those stories. Sowhen people like Fredda Gerick tell to millions
of people in her interviews that Joeis some kind of a victim and Fredrik
(02:13):
is a bully, it once againshows that she hasn't read the book,
or if she has, she islying to people about it, and she
essentially is trying to make money bytrying to frame Joe to be a martyr
or a victim. But in thebook that was never the case. For
me. This part in the chapterFriend, where Joe worked for this magazine
(02:36):
and she struggled working there, alwayshad a deeper meaning because, for one,
she did not believe to the agendaof this magazine. And second,
the narrator says that doing the researchfor these stories gave her anxiety. So
when Joe is working on this magazine, it has a very negative impact on
(02:59):
her hand or health. This wassomething that really resonated with me when I
was in my twenties, and Iwould reread Little Woman because I had worked
in jobs that I did not enjoyand I'm not very proud of this.
I was once in a school.This was during the time, and I
was studying to become an instructor.In the first year, there were three
(03:23):
people in my class who dropped outbecause they felt that some of the teachers
were rude to them, and therewere people in the class who did not
get along. And I had thislady in my class who was in her
fifties and she didn't know how touse a computer. Then we had a
computer class and she asked me tohelp her, and the teacher started to
(03:45):
shout at me, apparently I wasinterrupting her. And this lady who didn't
know how to use computers, shedropped out the school as well. So
there was constantly this very negative atmosphere, and I felt that some of the
teachers were pressuring me to stay there, and I did for a while,
but the way they treated us justbecame worse, and eventually I had the
(04:10):
mental breakdown and I dropped out aswell. It might have been a record
for that school, how many peopledropped out in one class. What happens
to Joe is very relatable, becauseso if you go to school, or
if you are working in an environmentwhere you are being treated very poorly,
it can have a really big impacton your well being and mental health and
(04:32):
everyday life. When I read thischapter, I guess you could say that
it was almost therapeutic for me.Because Joe wanted to leave that environment,
she didn't know how, and Freddykinda gave her the strength to do that.
And it is so sad that thereis not any Little Woman adaptation which
(04:56):
would actually tell the real story whathappened when Joe was working in the Weekly
Volcano. They just go with theroot. Fredrick didlike Joe's writing, which
was never the case. Fredick likesJoe's writing, her poems, her realistic
stories, and Joe doesn't even showhim the sensational stuff because Joe herself is
(05:17):
ashamed of them. I almost findit offensive that the movies and the TV
shows don't tell that story, thestory that actually happens in A Little Woman,
And now Christina and I will tellyou that story. A lot of
you have requested that we would tacklethis chapter, and I am very glad
(05:38):
that we did. This is LittleWoman Podcast. Joe at the Sensational Stories.
(05:58):
I asked you here today because Ithink you have some of the best
thoughts I have read about this chapter, the chapter friend, which is very
much misunderstood in my opinion, amonga lot of people who say they know
A Little Woman, especially filmmakers.I was just thinking that, oh,
(06:23):
yeah, yeah, I was justlike, there it is to the daily
volcano that wantational story, and mostof the time films were he's the hero.
Really she does, yes, Andwe will get into that why she
(06:46):
doesn't like him. I think it'sgoing to be a good discussion. So
very happy in the social atmosphere abouther, and very busy with the daily
work that burned her breath and madeit sweeter for the effort, jo still
found time for literary labors. Thepurpose which now took possession of her was
a natural one to a poor andambitious girl, but the means she to
(07:12):
gain her and were not the best. She gained her end who were not
the best. She saw that moneyconferred power, money and power. Therefore
she resolved to have not to beused for herself alone, but for those
who she loved more than herself.The dream of failing home with comforts,
giving bed everything she wanted, fromstrawberries in winter to an organ in her
(07:36):
bedroom, going abroad herself, andalways having more than enough so that she
might indulge in the luxury of charityhad been for years. Chose most cherished
castle in the air. Right hereI see apparrel between Joe and Amy,
because Joe takes sort of a wrongway to achieve her castle in the air,
(08:00):
and then we have Amy who thinksabout marrying wealthy man just so she
could support her family, and showthat's the same but with writing sensationalism,
I guess one of those things wherepeople forget that she's not writing sensational stories
because she firmly believes in it,but rather because she knows it's what's the
(08:22):
end thing now, and that's what'sgoing to help give money to her family,
which is what they're struggling with.I mean, even if it is
something that you're just kind of likeHays in your mind, it doesn't hurt
anyone, then why not do itthis chapter? I actually think it's almost
like an inner dialogue but losing myAlcot had because we know that she wrote
(08:46):
sensational stories and I think she wasquite ashamed of them at some point,
especially because she did not like thereal life mister Dad Food Frank Leslie.
And it's interesting because I feel likea lot of people have this experience when
they are younger, especially in theart fields. You work in a place
(09:09):
that you are not serve, butbecause you need some experience, you easily
get exploited by these kind of magazinesor a bus feed or any kind of
big company. Right, yes,Like when you said all, I think
that is the unpaid internship. Theydo all this work and running around and
(09:33):
get Buster buds and take all theharsh criticisms and they don't even get paid.
But it's all for the quote unquoteexperience. But pretty much we all
know that the experience that because youactually get paid and you know, have
a position, people will treat youas poorly as that. It's just really
(09:54):
one of those things that. Ifeel like this is one of the most
relatable chapters because we all done whatwe could to help. When you're for
your working mills pass, you know, when you do what you can,
you know, you're a team.You babysit and you put some of that
money towards the grocery bills, orgo to school and then you go work
(10:16):
at you know, the movie theaterafterwards in order to help get some money
into the family. But I didn'tpersonally I have to do that because my
mom was like, you're going toschool, but like pretty much as students
we were high school was like,all right, you gotta get a job
and help support and you know,or even before you just have to do
(10:39):
whatever you can to help around thehouse to take it a little less.
I'm a burden, you know,to families who are working the double shifts.
A lot of what Joe goes through, it's just like, again,
just so relatable because it's her commitmentto her family is so commendable and wanting
(11:01):
to use what you can, andthey kind of do personally what she loved
when is writing, you know,that's a plus until like it's I think
it's a little sad that so manyfilmmakers entirely ignotice this part of the story
because they just make it this bigargument between joy for it's which is not
(11:24):
in the book. I think itwould make such a good social commentary into
a Little Woman's Adaptation to show thatthis kind of things happen still today.
Young people go and work in thesebig companies and free internships, and they
are like in the bottom of theyeah, it's hard. It's hard because
(11:50):
one, it's not so volcanoes workthat you show them. They always make
it seem like, oh, thatthem criticism. No, it's she actually
shows the work that she's been workingon, because they never talk about how
she's got two extremes of editors tryingto make her write something. You have
(12:13):
one which is dash with pretty muchsaying these very loose moral stories, these
sensational stories. And then you hadthis other editor I don't know if it's
mentioned like their name, because veryreligious person. It's like, I want
(12:33):
you to write it's so strict thatat the kitchen, like steals a cookie,
they get eaten my bear and it'slike, what, like she like
my writing should be more of thelittle brown And then the other thing is
that Friedrich knows, without Joe saying, that she works for those between volcano
and he actually doesn't mind, likebut yeah, as he absolutely does not
(12:56):
agree with them weekly volcano stuff andway. But even he knows she's doing
this because she's for He's like,I know what you're going through. Let
me see if I can find it. Now it occurred to him that she
was doing what she was ashamed toown, and it troubled him. He
did not say to himself, itis none of my business. I am
(13:18):
I've no right to say anything,as many people would have done. He
only remembered that she was young andfor a girl, far away from mother's
mother and father's care, and hewas moved to help her with an impulse
as quick and as natural as thatwhich would have prompted him to put out
of his hand to stay the babyfrom a puddle. All of this flushed
(13:39):
through his mind in a minute,and now the trace of it appeared in
his face, and by the timethe paper had turned and Joe Speedles threaded,
he was ready to quite say,naturally, so very greatly, you
are right to put it from you. He knows very well that she writes
this but he's for himself. Imean, this guy's a professor. He
should be in a university, butinstead he works helping people to learn languages
(14:05):
in a boarding house. Then heknows that one he doesn't have exactly the
right to judge what she does tomake a living, but he knows that
he's got to say something too,and that is so important. I feel
that nobody, and really any ofthe films I think properly shows that.
(14:26):
You know, it's always like Ilove writing these sensations stories. I love
doing this, but like she doesn't. Really she goes to trash. Yeah,
and they never discussed that. Theynever show that. Really, I
feel it's quite offensive towards to characterto say that he loved writing, to
(14:46):
say some stories, many of thebooks he doesn't. Right. And again,
like I said earlier, you know, when she's based with these two
different editors, one who wants veryloose world and one who wants very straight
worlds, she's trying to find thatbalance of how I make it interesting but
not preaching. Some writers definitely trytheir best too, like you wanted to
(15:13):
be interesting enough about it being likeslam in your face. Here's the moral
of the story. Or you don'twant it to be too who said there's
not even elegable person in the storyeither, But yeah, that's like said,
it takes away from her character,and considering that her father is like
a preacher, you don't think thatshe would have been raised with some rules
(15:37):
religious inclination, especially since she doesbelieve in the words of her father and
listens to him and genuinely believes.Yeah, it's it's very strange. I
don't know why they make it.I really wish I knew why film makes
themselves. There was a need workconflict at all. I have a theory.
(16:03):
I was actually thinking about this.You know how in the nineteen ninety
four film Laurie when he proposes,he says that Joe doesn't need to write
one's they get married. And it'salso in the book when Joe says that,
oh, he would not like herscribblings. But then I was thinking
in the twenty seventeen series and thenin the twenteen nineteen film, I don't
(16:26):
think they included the part, butLaurie says the show that she doesn't need
to write when they marry and whenI have read interviews from Greta Garrick and
Harry Thomas, who wrote those versions. They both wanted Joe and Laurie to
get there, did both of theseversions. There's this big argument between Joe
and Frederick about her writing. Socould it be just Joe and Laurie shippers
(16:49):
being biased. I think it mightbe. Yeah, I don't know,
and I looking down the movies,I think part part of it too,
could just be that some filmmakers,I won't say for all of them,
kind of relied on the other movies. Because I'm just thinking about the Chatter
(17:12):
Tapper and One where he shows herher work from the Weekly Volcano, and
they don't either that that and theJunounce and One. There's not necessarily this
fight, which I think is comparatively, I guess a little bit better than
some of the other ones, justa actual discussion, probably because yeah,
(17:37):
loved ones do again. I thinkthat's also where a lot of people who
think, like all the proposal comesbefore New York, those two movie set
that up and it's one of thosethings like in the public mind. But
yeah, that's I think that becausethose two movies, obviously, the June
(18:02):
House one is almost a copy andpace of the characther and hepper One with
some changes that they have it bethat way, but they prow again.
It's a little bit better because it'smore of a like, you know,
proper discussion where free drink is You'rewriting is good and I just don't think
that this is challenge showing you whoyou truly are. And I can't remember
(18:27):
if the Charpain hepper One said this, but I definitely know that the June
House and one where she flat outsays, I know they're not good stories,
but they helped to pay you know, you cope for Marie and getting
in wantafe to get back to thebeach, like that one flatout stays that
(18:48):
she knows that's not the best work. And then I just assume that the
other movies sort of only took thatand took that to be you know true
attacks we're you know, moving onand we're a little bit more email oriented
(19:10):
or feminine, like feminist, andthis is not saying, you know,
because like we need to be moreimpressive and whatever she wants to write but
likes you can that's not you reallywant. Yeah, So I feel like
that they give that conflict to belike the show, like who Joe stands
(19:30):
are ground against the you know somethingwho wants to try to tell her her
right. But see you that's notcorrect at all. Like it's like playing
telephone and you know the game heldtelephone. Yeah, it's writing one that
doesn't know. It's pretty much youwhispering something in someone's ear and they keep
(19:52):
what's bringing it pretty much and willby the end of it the sentence,
let's just say, let's go gethamburgers, hold to her into you know,
I want I want ice cream.It somehow with this is something that's
completely far from the original. OhI feel like that with the movies that
kind of kind of did that,that there's this very strange game of telephone
(20:18):
happening, but you could just goright to the store to go, oh,
yes, right here. It justsays it. I don't like the
very sensation of the free understand.I think it's almost like they want to
switch Friddick and Lorie because you know, in the nineteen twenty three and ninety
forty nine films and so when Laurieproposes Joe, it is more of an
(20:41):
a fight, more of an argument, and then in these newest adaptations it's
not that much of an argument.It's like, oh, poor Laurie.
So they kind of switched this.They give this Joe and Lourie argument too
cho and freedick and I don knowwhat. I think it's just because I'm
(21:02):
biased, Yeah, And it reallydoes not make sense to any of their
care characters really, because Freed istypically a pretty gentle soul and definitely is
able to promperly articulate his own feelingsand thoughts, which is something that Joe
(21:26):
kind of learns something a little bit, whereas Lourie, particularly before Amy would
need something to baby in Europe,is very much brash. I say what
I'm feeling at the moment, itdoesn't matter if it hurts or you know,
it makes sense, yeah, tohave that conflict between Joe and Friedrich,
(21:49):
where Joe pretty much for hurts backto her old tempers, which almost
by at that point she's managed itfairly well. I mean, you don't
really see whether or not Joe differentlyher letters to her family four hand or
not, but she's I think managedto handle her emotions fairly well at this
(22:14):
point because she is a twenty somethingyear old lady. I'm not a fifteen
year old, and I feel liketwo. Friedric is one of those people
that has just unnaturally calming presence,like doubt pretty much that Joe. Even
when Friedric is saying, you know, talking about the daily ball game,
weekly Volcano, I think one ofthe versions names. Even when he is
(22:41):
talking about the weekly Volcano, He'snot like furious. He's not like screaming
and losing his head. He isjust like he just says quote said with
an air of great disgust. That'she's not like screaming. He's not you
(23:03):
know, running around the room likea mediac and playing in the papers.
He just is like this stuff again, that's the that's the worst I think
he really gets. So I don'tknow why you have it, and I
feel like it looks bad on Joewhen you have someone that it's just like,
this isn't this isn't very great oryou know, it's not good for
(23:27):
kids in a very calm manner andher to just be like, well,
I like it, so screw you. Like it's all mad and angry and
it's like all that development for herto go, oh yeah, I need
to learn how to control my temperand you're gonna have her react that way
like it's sort of a regression ratherthan a progression of her character. Yeah,
(23:51):
it diminishes her quote as a writerbecause when we are in this chapter,
Joe already knows THATFF writing sessionism isnot it's not good literature because she
calls it trash, right, andit's I think it's a couple chapters all
this when she wrote her first storyand it became a flop, and that
(24:15):
was because she wasn't really that goodat having that self criticism, because she
took you know, the advice fromMarmee, from her father, from Bed,
from everyone in her family, andthen she put all of that into
this first novel and that's why itwasn't successful. She didn't really know what
(24:36):
what kind of writer she was.She didn't really know how to sort of
take the good from this story thatshe wrote. So I think this is
such a good chapter how it describesJoe's journey as a writer, because we
can see her development because she knowsthat, you know, she wants to
(24:57):
keep these moral lessons. But theedit thirteenth, they are not good.
They don't sell well. And Ithink there is even a quote here where
the narrator like says that like slightlythat oh the editor was wrong. They
molls do so, and I thinkthat I think that it's good when when
(25:19):
you said about you know, how, she had her family tell her like,
oh, yeah, this is good. And let's be honest. Family
can be a little bias. Theyyou know, they know, like they
can see that you have potential,but they just you know, they go,
oh, that's so great. Likethey're not that they're necessarily blind to
(25:40):
your face either, because they wantyou to see see and they want you
to face it yourself, and theycan't play that. They can't be a
little biased, and you know,it may be great to them because it's
like, oh, good job,Joe, that was wonderful, but really
out there too, let's just saya random stranger and just be like it's
(26:02):
all right. Like so having someonelike Friedrich who who knows her well enough
to know what she's capable of,but it's like so caught up in his
emotions that he can he's able toseparate his feelings for her writings and go
all right, well, this isgood to hear some criticism. And because
(26:26):
she trusts him so well and likeshim so much that she can take his
criticisms with a good heart. Likeright here, I'm quoting. She valued
his esteem, She coveted his suspective. She wanted to be worthy of this
friendship. And just when that whichwas s serious, she came near to
(26:47):
losing everything. And that's when itgoes with the weekly volcano. But she
she values what he says. Imean, she's the one that goes to
him to say, would you mindreading my papers? Like reading my stories?
It's not him fucking her to readit or anything. And she shows
(27:07):
what she thinks is the better ofher work. And and that's why she
takes his criticisms the heart, becauseshe knows that he's educated and that and
work worldly. Even the ultimately isbecause she respects him and values his opinion.
(27:30):
He believes in her, wants herto do better. That he gives
her. It's got me a ShakespeareLike that's such a very intimate and thoughtful
gift. That the fact that he'slike, I believe in you, and
it's not just the lend that here'sa Christmas gift. Here you go,
because I have that much faith inyou, Like that's very that is so
(27:52):
swan, and that's so wonderful andyeah, I just it's again one of
those things or nobody I think reallymentions at all in that regard of just
how well she respects and values hisopinion. Mister Baron, one of their
(28:15):
conversations, had advisor to study simple, true and lovely characters wherever she found
them as good training for a writer. Joe took him for his words,
where she coolly turned around and studieshim in proceeding, which would have surprised
him at the moment. The worthyprofessor was very helpful in his own She
(28:37):
one can take criticism like it's avery short passage, but she can take
criticism and actually applies it because othersnot only studying Shakespeare, but she then
tries to study people that are aroundher, and you know, one of
the more interesting ones. She's atleast both and purpose. Yeah, they
(29:03):
don't know. I feel like itwould have been in Filmmakers a science and
actually show what a good at leastas the you know friends. At that
moment, Joe finds Fred to bewell enough to share her writings. I
mean personally for me trying to sharemy process of writing. He's a kind
(29:29):
of it is a little intimate likeI'm just like, here, I trust
you enough to read it, andyou know, I'll take your criticism,
but deep down I'm hoping you likeit enough. So yeah, I feel
like that I've have been like herfamily and Lauria, and she's not writing
these stories around like the ones thatshe truly feels are her best work.
(29:52):
And and I think that's showed alot of growth and Joe, because she's
kind of knows she's a little bitclosed off at times, and so that
at this point she's showing that shecan open herself to new people and and
to trust to take criticism better thanshe's hands down the floor, which is
(30:15):
I think that was the moment forme and this because I'm the nineteenth time
where I was just like, oh, I'm gonna hate this when she gets
mad agree again, he's just verycalmly these saying you know, they share
criticism, and Jesus screaming at himand acts like a bi girl, You're
mean now, I mean ex friendanymore? And I'm like, oh,
(30:37):
no, kay please, So thisis gonna be bad, isn't. The
prize story experience had seemed to openaway, which might after long traveling and
much up the work led to thisdelightful chateau and espnge. But but the
(30:59):
novel disaster punched her courage for atime. Her public opinion is a giant,
which frightened short Stout her hearted.Jack bigger being talks on hers like
that immortal hero. She reclosed awhile after the first attempt, which resulted
in a tumble and the least lovelyof the giant's treasure, if I remember
(31:19):
right, But the up again andtake another spirit with as strong and joe
as in Jack. So she scrambledup the shady side of this time and
got more booty, but nearly leftbehind her what was far more precious than
money back, so hear me,how like, but the noble disaster quenched
(31:41):
her courage for a time. Sothis refers to her first book that was
a flop. It's just like yousaid, she's kind of nervous to show
those writings that she's very proud of. She's like repairing for the next big
leap. But she's very frightening aboutit about it. And it's an interesting
(32:01):
this part about public opinion. Iam not a writer, but every time
when you put out something creative,there is some kind of fear is it
going to be a success or isit going to flop? Oh? Yeah,
I think you know, brand foranyone, from writers to artists.
(32:22):
You know, even I know thatsome people that felt like gifts on Humblers,
they're worried that there's not going toget enough notes perfectly reblose because like
they put in all that time andafter and they're really proud of it.
It's like I did it to thatway, not only when you can see
(32:45):
how good I do is, butto help share it with other people.
And it's like when nobody wants toshare it, it's like why does And
I even try because you're trying todo it to connect maybe with people,
to try to share with something thatmaybe you think another person would feel the
(33:07):
same. You know. I alwaysthink of Tony Morrison's quote when she said
that there's a book you want toread, but it has been writ in
the end, then you must writeit. And I always think like,
well, I know that there's gonnabe somebody at out there who's thinking of
wanting the same story as the storythat I'm thinking of. Like there's always
(33:27):
there's gotta be someone out there whothinks I want a story that's like this,
but they can't put their finger onit and want to dout there.
It's like, oh, this issomething I always wanted to read. So
yeah, I think that wanting publicopinion, on one hand, can't be
seen like oh a little like youdon't need to worry about what they think.
(33:49):
But it's like, well, ifyou want this to be a career,
you kind of want public opinions,but you also want to still maintain
yourself, to which that could bea fine line to bear. Honest.
It's like when I was doing someof the episodes for this podcast, and
(34:13):
I made the one about Louis andMecut in Germany and then get I didn't
know if people liked them because Ithought there might be too academic for people.
But then now that are like someof the most downloaded episodes, so
I think, all right, maybeit was a good thing that I decided
to put them there. I wasconvinced that nobody was going to listen to
(34:37):
them because I thought they were tootoo academic. So I was wrong,
and it's good. Yeah, youknow, there's always something for everyone.
I mean, that's that's something I'vedone to sort of understand, like,
just because maybe this portion of thepopulation isn't interested in a story like this,
(35:00):
that doesn't mean this other fur thepopulation isn't true. Like I always
just think of that moment in atruck you or a picture show when Janet
is like, oh I don't likethen you know, cannon muscular ring bring
it further, like, well,I didn't make it for you, Like
when people were like, why Idon't really like this? Why didn't make
(35:22):
it for you? I mean forthe people who would like this, So
you cannot like it as much asyou want, But I'm making this for
the people who do want this,So yeah, you gotta just I try
to keep that in mind when Iwrite, write anything, or put anything
out there, or participate in something, that there's gonna be someone who will
(35:43):
like this. You know, there'salways at least somebody out there that least
true. Then we are approaching toweek people. Okay, Now, she
took the writing sensation stories for inthose dark ages, even all perfect America
read rubbish, she told to noone, but concocted a training tale and
(36:08):
a boldly carried it herself to misterDashwood, editor of the Weekly Volcano.
She had never read sought her resartus, but she had a womanly instinct that
clothes possess an influence more powerful overmany than the word of character or the
magic of manners. So she dressedherself in her best and, trying to
(36:30):
persuade herself that she was nie tooexcited nor nervous, Praye climbed two pairs
of dark and dirty stairs to findherself in a disorderly room, a cloud
of siger smoke, and the presenceof three gentlemen sitting with their heels rather
higher than their hearts, which articlesof dress none of them took the trouble
(36:52):
to remove. On her appearance.Somewhat doubted by this reception, Joe hesitated
on the threshold, murmur in muchembarrassment. Excuse me, I was looking
forward the weekly welk in office.I wish to see mister dash food.
These men are really rude because theydon't take away their hats, right,
(37:15):
they don't even do the minimum thenstood in attended a woman in the room
or bless the room. Leaders.But yeah, don't even they're just like
yeah, now as three of them, not even just like all one of
them, them doing all three ofthem just don't. And I like the
(37:37):
line of with their heels higher thantheir hats, like they're they're not sitting
what would have been because they're properor even well lady actors. They don't
even go all crack like you.No, they just sit there and just
like not caring that women just walkin. So that definitely you do a
(38:00):
hint of what kind of Yeah,I see this once again makes me go
to angry house. Some movies portraymister dash Food that's some kind of a
hero. He really doesn't have anyrespect for true right here in the beginning,
and I just kind of think of, um, I think it's the
(38:21):
ninety four version We're not a Writerone where the I presume it to him
if I'm remembering it exactly. Buthe doesn't even look at her papers.
He just like has her little finder, just having his cigar on and letting
the ash fall, and he's justlike, well, we're not interested in
(38:43):
Harry's story, and then doesn't evenlook at her when he says that last
cartain, just like, hey,go, I'm paying attention to somebody else.
Like so it's like, why,yeah, why would anyone try to
make Dash would be this what ahero over helping to get Joe published when
(39:05):
and yeah, he just kind ofdismisses her works, and and in that
one and again the ninety four version, she has to lie and say Joe
rather than Joseph bee like or Josephyou know, she has to be like,
oh yeah, the amoralism or forher work to be taken seriously,
because if he was a true publisherwho really was interested in good works,
(39:29):
he wouldn't care who wrote it,just as long as the story is good.
Obviously, as we learn in thisfuture paragraphs, she doesn't even stories
herself down with the highest paraples,grows up the smokiest gentleman and carefully cherishing
his cigar between us figures. Headvanced with a nod and accountanance expressive of
(39:52):
nothing but to sleep. Feeling thatshe must get through the matter somehow,
Joe produced her man script and blushingrather and rather with each sentence, blood
bladed out fragments of the little speechcarefully prepare for the occasion. A friend
of mine desired me to offer astory, just an experiment, would like
(40:16):
your opinion, The alant to writemore in the suit. When she blushed
and wondered. Mister Dashwood had takenthe manuscript, was turning over the leaves
with a pair of rather dirty fingersand casting critical advances up and down the
neat pages. Not a first time, I take it, observing the pages
(40:37):
were numbered, covered only on oneside, and not tied up with ribbon.
Sure sign of an artist, No, sir, she had some experience
and gaboth rised her tail and theFamie stone banner. Oh did she And
mister Deshwood gave Joe a footbook whichseemed to take note of everything she had
(40:59):
on, from the blow in herbonnet to the buttons on her boots.
Will you can leave it if youlike. We've more of this sort of
thing on hand than we feel whatto do with at the present. We'll
run my eye over it and giveyou an answer next week. Now.
Joe did not believe it, formister Dashwood didn't suit her at all,
(41:21):
But under the circumstances there was nothingfor her to do but about and walk
away, looking particularly tall and dignified, as she was at to do when
nettle door bashed just then. Shewas both, for it was perfectly evident
from the knowing glances exchanged among thegentlemen that her little fiction of my friend
(41:43):
was considered a good joke, andthey last produced by some inaudible remark of
the editor as he closed the door. Completed her discomfit, half resolving to
never return, she went home andwalked off her irritation by stitching tentacle worth
vigorously, and an hour or twowas cool enough to lack over the scene
(42:05):
and long for the next week.She really doesn't like disguise like way.
She just did not like him.She did the best that she could,
just kind of walk out and feela little try to take some dignity with
her and and it's always the worst, you know, when you know people
(42:25):
are laughing at you. So Idefinitely know how much actually hurt and make
it angry. So I don't blameJoe, because you know, perfect pleasance
is something that she's trying to workon, to be serious about. And
the fact that they can't even acceptthe fact that maybe she has a little
(42:50):
uncertain sure your friend, yes,we look at what your friend has written.
They just immediately just kind of dismissedand laugh at her, which he's
fairly out the door. I likedthat in the nineteen ninety four film,
because you can see that show isvery insecure when she goes to meet mister
Dashwood. One of the biggest problemsthat I had with the twenty nineteen film
(43:14):
was that it was trying to mixthe two editors, mister Dashwood and then
the actual editor of Louis may Alcott, Thomas Niles, and Thomas Nass was
Louis ma Alcott's very close friend,and mister Dashwood obviously she did not like
because he's based on Frank Leslie,who was this media house owner in nineteenth
(43:39):
century, and Luisa ma Alcott wrotethose sensation stories for him. And Frank
Leslie he lived this very lavish lifestyle. I think I have a quote here
somewhere about his work. This wasthe time when my sensational press started to
become more of a bigger deal.When Alga was in her early twenties,
(44:07):
she worked for New York Magazine GotFranklysle's weekly illustrate newspaper. Weekly Illusted Newspaper
was part of the Yellow Press.Newspapers were being sought with bias or emotional
impressions rather than objective journalism, Soit was not a very fact based publication.
(44:28):
I think nowadays we might call thatfake news, yeah, or something
like that. Very biased and emotionalway to suck people to read these stories
and then spread this information. Soif you work in this kind of magazine,
(44:49):
I am not at all surprised thatLuisier and Alga did have this internal
battle like what she's doing, becauseobviously she needed the money. But then,
like you said, she was thoughtof a preacher, and Joe is
the thought of a preacher. Shehas very good morals, so yeah,
in her conflicts. Yeah, andand too when you think about the time
(45:14):
periods, like nowadays, we're alittle bit more I don't want to say
loose, because I don't think that'sreally true. I think we're could say,
maybe a little bit more liberal withthought and over now past the sort
of box of like oh like ifyou're not Christian and you are, you're
(45:37):
unworthy or you're not a good person, like we're past like those kind of
like very one sort of track mindsor at the should be like you should
be a little bit more been minded. I guess I truly we're looking for
we're a little bit more of beminded. But back then they were out
a little bit more strict with theirmorals, with their beliefs, and definitely
(46:00):
you know comes with I mean thisis set in like the eighteen sixties to
like currently eighteen seventies or so,which is definitely Queen Victorious time. And
you know, when you when younotice, like a little bit of histories
of Victorian era, a very strictmoral Victorious took over because her style was
(46:27):
definitely a lot more strict and coveredand not as loose because the reagents the
heras got their conspiration from the ancientGreeks and ancient Romans. So that's your
little contact of the day. Sobut definitely when you know that's set definitely
at peak Victorian era, which wasvery more strict on morals and what is
(46:52):
considered right and wrong. So soit's not surprising. Let's just say,
even if Alcott doesn't have like apreacher for her dad or even Joe too,
they still live in a society wherethe idea of religion is a very
important and strong factor of your dailylife. Thank you so much for listening.
(47:22):
They can make good choices by
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