Classic Quotes from Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
By Taylor Jasmine | On February 27, 2018 | Updated September 27, 2025 | Comments (5)
Louisa May Alcott (1832 – 1888) is best known as the author of Little Women and its sequels, including Jo’s Boys and Little Men, though the scope of her work goes far beyond these beloved books. Following is a selection of quotes from Little Women that remind us why the classic novel is so timeless.
In 1868, Louisa’s publisher offhandedly asked that she try writing a “girls’ story” for their list. Thinking little of the request, she cranked it out in two and a half months, though her heart wasn’t in it. Neither she nor her publisher thought it was in any way remarkable.
In addition to her literary pursuits, Louisa May Alcott was also known for promoting women’s rights and campaigning for women’s suffrage. In Little Women and subsequent novels, she expresses her views through her characters, in their dialogues and actions.
Parts of the novel are drawn from Louisa’s life, and it has often been described as semi-autobiographical. In her own words:
“Facts in the stories that are true, though often changed as to time and place: —“Little Women” — The early plays and experiences; Beth’s death; Jo’s literary and Amy’s artistic experiences; Meg’s happy home; John Brooke and his death; Demi’s character.
Mr. March did not go to the war, but Jo did.* Mrs. March is all true, only not half good enough. Laurie is not an American boy, though every lad I ever knew claims the character. He was a Polish boy, met abroad in 1865. Mr. Lawrence is my grandfather, Colonel Joseph May. Aunt March is no one.”
*Louisa herself briefly served as a nurse during the Civil War, though illness forced her to return home sooner than she would have liked.
Little Women was an instant success upon its publication in 1868, leaving readers hungry for more about the March sisters. Louisa put out a second volume, Good Wives (the title was not approved by the feminist Louisa). The two volumes were combined into a single volume in 1880, the novel we now know as Little Women.
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“I’ve got the key to my castle in the air, but whether I can unlock the door remains to be seen.”
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“Love is a great beautifier.”
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“Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds.”
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How Louisa May Alcott Came To Write Little Women
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“You have so many extraordinary gifts; how can you expect to lead an ordinary life?”
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“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right kind.”
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You might also like: Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War Journals
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“Watch and pray, dear, never get tired of trying, and never think it is impossible to conquer your fault.”
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“Beth ceased to fear him from that moment, and sat there talking to him as cozily as if she had known him all her life, for love casts out fear, and gratitude can conquer pride.”
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“I want to do something splendid … something heroic or wonderful that won’t be forgotten after I’m dead. I don’t know what, but I’m on the watch for it and mean to astonish you all someday.”
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“I’d rather take coffee than compliments right now.”
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“The power of finding beauty in the humblest things makes home happy and life lovely.”
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“Don’t try and make me grow up before my time … ”
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“I find it poor logic to say that because women are good, women should vote. Men do not vote because they are good; they vote because they are male, and women should vote, not because we are angels and men are animals, but because we are human beings and citizens of this country.”
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“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.”
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“Don’t laugh at the spinsters, dear girls, for often very tender, tragic romances are hidden away in the hearts that beat so quietly under the sober gowns, and many silent sacrifices of youth, health, ambition, love itself, make the faded faces beautiful in God’s sight. Even the sad, sour sisters should be kindly dealt with, because they have missed the sweetest part of life, if for no other reason.”
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“Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow…”
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“There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind.”
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You might also enjoy: Wisdom From Louisa May Alcott
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“Have regular hours for work and play; make each day both useful and pleasant, and prove that you understand the worth of time by employing it well. Then youth will bring few regrets, and life will become a beautiful success.”
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“You don’t need scores of suitors. You need only one … if he’s the right one.”
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“Be worthy love, and love will come.”
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“Be comforted, dear soul! There is always light behind the clouds.”
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“I don’t pretend to be wise, but I am observing, and I see a great deal more than you’d imagine. I’m interested in other people’s experiences and inconsistencies, and, though I can’t explain, I remember and use them for my own benefit.”
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“She preferred imaginary heroes to real ones, because when tired of them, the former could be shut up in the tin kitchen till called for, and the latter were less manageable.”
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“Your father, Jo. He never loses patience, never doubts or complains, but always hopes, and works and waits so cheerfully that one is ashamed to do otherwise before him.”
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See also: 10 Writers Who Were Inspired by Jo March
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“Girls are so queer you never know what they mean. They say no when they mean yes, and drive a man out of his wits just for the fun of it.”
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“Wouldn’t it be fun if all the castles in the air which we make could come true and we could live in them?”
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“A quick temper, sharp tongue, and restless spirit were always getting her into scrapes, and her life was a series of ups and downs, which were both comic and pathetic.”
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“Jo had learned that hearts, like flowers, cannot be rudely handled, but must open naturally…”
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“Gentlemen, be courteous to the old maids, no matter how poor and plain and prim, for the only chivalry worth having is that which is the readiest to to pay deference to the old, protect the feeble, and serve womankind, regardless of rank, age, or color.”
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“…and Jo laid the rustling sheets together with a careful hand, as one might shut the covers of a lovely romance, which holds the reader fast till the end comes, and he finds himself alone in the work-a-day world again.”
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Illustrations Jessie Wilcox Smith for Little Women
I’m curious if the line from the 1994 film was really in the book. Jo is taking tea with the professor and at one point said “I’m hopelessly flawed!” This is my all time favorite quote because I am the same! Thanks for the great post.
Hi Crystal — I just searched in the text (on Project Gutenberg) and that line isn’t in the book. Though in my opinion the 1994 Little Women film is truer to the book than the other versions, inevitably a film will take liberties. A great book and a great film, taken together!
These make me want to read Little Woman again. <3 Thank you very much for the collection. I found the one I was looking for and a good many others to mull over besides! I love the long one about going to our Heavenly Father. Louisa May Alcott has such a gentle and authentic style.
God bless you!
Some of these quotes are from the 1994 movie but aren’t in the actual text. Try fact checking next time.
Great quotes from a great book. Thanks for sharing these.