All the most inspirational quotes from ‘Little Women’

For those of us enraptured by Louisa May Alcott’s timeless Little Women—whose masterful telling of the pain of growing up, the joys of girlhood, and the energy of an era have inspired the heart of feminism for generations—Greta Gerwig’s ambitious adaptation of the novel has left us wistful and teary-eyed.

Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth stand as cultural heroes in a society that denounces the ambitions of women. They represent the broad desires and complex workings of femininity, while never contradicting the dreams each sister possesses.

In celebration of both Alcott’s recognition of feminine agency and Gerwig’s reignition of Little Women, we’ve compiled a list of quotes from the beloved tale as well as the newest film iteration that is sure to embolden the minds of many.

The March women on independence

“I intend to make my own way in the world.”

—Jo March

“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”

—Jo March

“The world is hard on ambitious girls.’

—Amy March

“I’d rather be a free spinster and paddle my own canoe.”

—Jo March

“I’m just a woman. And as a woman, I have no way to make money, not enough to earn a living and support my family. Even if I had my own money, which I don’t, it would belong to my husband the minute we were married. If we had children they would belong to him, not me. They would be his property. So don’t sit there and tell me that marriage isn’t an economic proposition, because it is.”

—Amy March

The March women on relationships

“Thank God you’re home! Now I can be angry with you in person.”

—Marmee

“You will be bored of him in two years, but we will be interesting forever.”

—Jo March

“I may not always be right. But I am never wrong.”

—Aunt March

“Life is too short to be angry at one’s sisters.”

—Jo March

“I’ll be homesick for you. Even in heaven.”

—Beth March

The March women on creativity

“Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t make them unimportant.”

—Meg March

“Writing doesn’t confer importance, it reflects it.”

—Jo March

“Girls have to go out into the world and make up their own minds about things.”

—Marmee

“I can’t afford to starve on praise.”

—Jo March

“If I’m going to sell my heroine into marriage for money, I might as well get some of it.”

—Jo March

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