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<div class="title"><h3>Little Women Reimagined</h3> by Andrea Liede-Sevsek and Jacqueline Le
[[References]]
[[Story Start]]</div>All images via https://depositphotos.com
<h2>References</h2>
Alcott, L. M. Little Women. Project Gutenberg Ebook. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/514/514-h/514-h.htm
Gerwig, G. Little Women. Script.
https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/little-women-by-greta-gerwig.pdf
Hammond, A. A Total Beginner's Guide to Twine 2.1. http://www.adamhammond.com/twineguide/
[[Start story|Story Start]]ZzzZzz… Zzz… Aunt March’s head bobs up and down, snores echoing off the walls.
Zzz...
Jo flips through the book on her lap. There is a loud noise.
What is it?
Jo has [[dropped the book.|book drops]]
Jo is [[flipping pages too loudly.|exuberant flipping]]
Jo [[slams the book shut.|book slams shut]]Jo has accidentally dropped the book on the floor trying to reach for her tea. She’s lucky that the tea cup didn’t also crash to the floor.
Aunt March stirs, snorts loudly. Jo nervously looks over to Aunt March to see if she woke her up.
Did Aunt March wake up?
[[YES|aunt wakes up]]
[[NO|aunt does not wake up]]
Jo is flipping pages excitedly, trying to get to the “good” part. The page flipping is so loud that suddenly she hears rustling behind her, and a loud snort.
Has Aunt March woken up?
[[YES|aunt wakes up]]
[[NO|aunt does not wake up]]Jo is displeased with the direction the story is going in and slams the book shut in disgust. She is immediately sorry for making such a sudden loud noise when she hears some rustling from behind her, and looks over guiltily to see if Aunt March has woken up.
[[Aunt March woke up.|aunt wakes up]]
[[Aunt March has not woken up.|aunt does not wake up]]When Jo looks back, she sees Aunt March drowsily staring back at her.
“Why did you stop reading to me?” she asks.
Jo answers:
[[You fell asleep.|fell asleep]]
[[I felt like reading something else.|reading something else]]
[[I was bored.|bored]]
When Jo looks back, Aunt March briefly opens her eyes and looks back, but proceeds to turn over and go back to sleep.
[[Jo continues to read quietly.|what is Jo reading]]
“Well,” Aunt March responds, “I’m awake now! [[Please continue reading to me.|what is Jo reading]]"
“Well,” Aunt March responds, "[[tell me what you are reading now.|what is Jo reading]]"“Well,” Aunt March responds, “reading aloud to me shall cure that. [[Please continue.|what is Jo reading]]"
What is Jo reading?
[[Jo is reading a true story.|true story]]
[[Jo is reading a love story.|love story]]Jo answers Aunt March: “I’m reading a story about a woman who wants to publish a novel. She is speaking with the publisher, who is insisting she rewrite the ending of her book so that the main character of the story -- whose name is also Jo, coincidentally -- finds a husband and marries, because he is convinced that this is what sells."
[[Read story...|true story 2]]Jo answers Aunt March: “I’m reading a story about a woman -- whose name is also Jo, coincidentally -- who suddenly realizes that she loves someone and ponders whether or not she should follow him to tell him, as he’s just left for the train station."
[[Read the story...|love story 2]]Inside a New York City publishing house, Jo sits across from Mr. Dashwood, the former editor of the Weekly Volcano, whom she knows from her early days as a short story writer. Mr. Dashwood now works for a prestigious publishing house in New York City.
He looks up from reading Jo’s manuscript and says, “Frankly, I don’t see why she didn’t marry the neighbor.”
Jo replies, “Because the neighbor married her sister!”
“Right, of course. So, who does she marry?” Dashwood asks.
“No one. She doesn’t marry.” Jo sounds a trifle indignant at the question.
Dashwood leans back into his chair and says, “No. No, no, no, that won’t work at all. If you end your delightful book with your heroine a spinster, no one will buy it. It won’t be worth Printing.”
Jo ponders, “I suppose marriage has always been an economic proposition. Even in fiction.”
To which Dashwood breathes out: “Just end it that way, will you?”
[[Jo considers...|true story 3]]Jo considers her two options:
To concede on this point and write that the book’s protagonist marries -- after all, she wants to ensure the book sells well, so she can provide for her family.
Or to stay true to her original creative intention for the ending of the book and the fate of the protagonist, hoping for the best in terms of book sales.
What does Jo say?
Jo says “[[Fine, I'll do the happy ending.|happy ending]]”
Jo says “[[No, I need to stay true to my original creative intention.|alternate ending]]”Jo picks up the story from when the main character has just realized she is in love with Friedrich, a professor who has immigrated from Germany and has decided to leave for the West on the next train, to accept a job offer. He has just finished saying his goodbyes.
Jo continues writing the story...
Amy turns around to face Jo. “Jo! You love him!”
“I do not!” Jo says, but she does not look entirely certain.
“You do too! I may be half as smart as you are but I can see it so plainly, you love him. I have never seen you happier. What else is love? Let’s go get him. We can catch him before he gets to the train.”
Meg, Amy, and Jo climb into the carriage, and take off at top speed through the rain. They arrive at the train station.
Amy commands Jo: "[[GO! Find him!|she finds him]]"Aunt March comments: “What kind of terrible ending is that! I think I’ll cry myself back to sleep now!”
[[BEGIN AGAIN|Story Start]]Everyone is talking. Father and Friedrich especially talk philosophy, religion and politics. Father obviously very much likes him. Jo is glowing with happiness.
Amy looks from Friedrich to Jo and from Jo to Friedrich. She can see that there is love between them.
Father asks Friedrich, “And you intend to stay in New York?”
“No, I’ve been offered a professorship in California -- and as I have nothing keeping me here, I thought I might go West. It is new there, and they are less particular about immigrants.”
Jo has an unconscious sharp intake of breath. No one notices but Amy.
They have dinner and then [[move to the living room.|love story 3]]Everyone relaxes after dinner, and Friedrich eyes the piano, and asks if he could play it. He sits down and plays Bach -- it is beautiful and elegant. Jo watches him, moved and deeply happy.
After a while, Friedrich says his goodbyes and tells Jo, as he stands at the door, “Jo, if you ever come to California, I would love to see you.”
“I don’t know that I will, but thank you,” she replies abashed and somewhat subdued.
Friedrich looks hurt, but replies in an accepting manner, “Well, yes... goodbye.”
“Goodbye” says Jo, for lack of anything better to say.
It has started to rain, and he puts up his umbrella and trudges into the evening. The door closes. Jo turns back around to find everyone staring at her. “What?! [[Why are you all looking at me like that?|love story 4]]"
Amy exclaims, “Jo! You love him!”
“I do not!” Jo says, but she does not look entirely certain.
“You do too! I may be half as smart as you are but I can see it so plainly, you love him. I have never seen you happier. What else is love?”
“Let's go. We can catch him before he gets to the train."
Meg, Amy, and Jo are all in the carriage, making top speed through the rain. When they arrive a the train station, Amy commands Jo: “GO! Find him!”
Jo runs in the rain towards the train station. She is wildly looking to and fro, through the crowd in front of the station.
[[She finds him.|she finds him]]
[[She finds him not.|she finds him not]]Jo runs through the rain and into the crowd in front of the train station, looking for Friedrich. He’s not there, every face isn’t his. Couple after couple stands under umbrellas. She runs into the station, toward the platform. There is a train pulling out.
Realizing that he’s already gone and that she’s missed him, she starts crying and the tears mingle with the rain drops on her face.
Amy and Meg come running towards her.
“Did you find him?” asks Amy. “Was that his train?” asks Meg.
Jo tries to speak, but there are no words coming out. She crumples down onto the floor. Her sisters enfold her with their arms to comfort her.
[[THE END|ending B]]
As she keeps searching for Friedrich, Jo starts to think that he’s already gone and that she’s missed him. She starts crying and the tears mingle with the rain drops on her face. She hears someone calling her name. She turns around and sees Friedrich. They run toward each other and embrace.
“Jo, why are you crying?” Friedrich asks softly.
“Because -- because you are going away.” Jo sobs, despite herself.
“I would never leave if you wished me to stay,” he says.
“I wish you would stay,” Jo says.
“But, but I have nothing to give you but my full heart and these empty hands,” Friedrich replies.
Jo places her hands in his, and steps under the umbrella he is holding. “They aren’t empty now.”
They kiss one of those epic perfect kisses. The train arrives, and he doesn’t get on it.
[[THE END|ending A]]Aunt March comments, “That’s a lovely story! Now I can go back to napping feeling content!”
[[BEGIN AGAIN|Story Start]]Jo decides that she likes how her original ending leaves the marital fate of the main character up to the imagination of the reader.
She reads her original ending again, from when the main character has just realized she is in love with Friedrich, a professor who has immigrated from Germany and has decided to leave for the West on the next train, to accept a job offer. He has just finished saying his goodbyes.
Amy turns around to face Jo. “Jo! You love him!”
“I do not!” Jo says, but she does not look entirely certain.
“You do too! I may be half as smart as you are but I can see it so plainly, you love him. I have never seen you happier. What else is love? Let’s get him. We can catch him before he gets to the train.”
Meg, Amy, and Jo all climb into the carriage, then take off at top speed through the rain. They arrive at the train station.
Amy commands Jo: "[[GO! Find him!|she finds him not]]"