Estimated Time: 30 minutes

Questions to Ponder

1. What passages of Little Women stood out to you and why?
2. We are quickly introduced to the four sisters. Pick two of them to compare and contrast.
3. Make a list of differences between the time period of this book and modern day. Choose one and discuss whether it was better then or now.
4. At the end of Chapter 5, Alcott alludes to parts of The Pilgrim's Progress when she refers to the Laurence Home as Palace Beautiful. Then Jo says, "We have got to get by the lions, first." Here "the lions" is symbolism for what? What were the lions that the girls faced?
5. Beth is timid and shy. Mr. Laurence appears to be gruff. How does he win Beth over?
6. Meg's trip to to visit the Moffat family is much like the journey in The Pilgrim's Progress. What lessons does Meg learn from her journey?
7. What is your opinion of the advice to do a little work and a little play each day?
8. What character traits do the girls learn from Marmee?

Freewriting

After you have pondered and discussed these questions with your teacher, choose one to complete a freewrite on. If you are unfamiliar with freewriting, here are a few tips:

• Keep your pencil moving. Don’t stop. Just brain dump onto your paper
• Have a set amount of time. Set a timer and write for the full amount of time.
• Ignore all grammar and spelling. Don’t let editing slow down the process. The goal is to get thoughts on paper. Spelling and grammar are not important in this instance.
• Pen and paper aren’t the only ways to freewrite. Feel free to type on the computer. Not only does this accomplish the task, but it builds typing skills.

Share your freewrite in the comments below.