Line #22 Literature/LittleMen


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lmjb.jpg]]
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3	The sequel to ''Literature/LittleWomen'', ''Little Men'', takes place at Plumfield, which the now married Jo and Fritz have turned into an orphanage/school for young boys, based not-so-subtly on Bronson Alcott's then-controversial educational theories.
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5	We are introduced to Jo's sons, Rob and Ted; Laurie and Amy's daughter [[DeadGuyJunior Bess]], the Brooke twins Daisy and Demi (a clever way of avoiding Margaret and John Jr.), their baby sister Josie; and Professor Bhaer's orphaned nephews Franz and Emil. Also on hand are a mixed assortment of other [[AnAesop Aesop]]-appropriate youngsters, the foremost being gentle ex-street violinist Nat; his best friend the wild and surly Dan; [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl Daisy's tomboyish friend Annie, called "Nan"]] and the happy-go-lucky Tommy.
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7	Following up ''Little Men'' ten years later is ''Jo's Boys, and How They Turned Out: A Sequel to "Little Men"''. Plumfield has grown into a mixed college (a rare phenomenon at the time) and we rejoin these beloved characters as young adults, plagued by an epidemic of romance and broken hearts amidst chasing dreams and choosing careers before the final curtain falls forever on the stage of the March family.
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9	----
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11	!!''Little Men'' and ''Jo's Boys'' provide examples of:
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13	* AbandonShip: The "Emil's Thanksgiving" chapter of ''Jo's Boys''
14	* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler: While travelling, Dan runs into a young man named Blair and takes him under his wing in the rough town they stop at, knowing Blair is young and unused to the lifestyle. When Blair takes up gambling with unfair men who mean to swindle him and remove Dan from the picture, Dan gets into an argument with one of them - ending in Dan accidentally killing the man by knocking him down as he was about to shoot him. Dan is tried and put in jail.]]
15	* AccidentalProposal: Tommy Bangs [[spoiler: finds himself accidentally engaged to Dora in ''Jo's Boys'',]] although he doesn't really mind afterward - much to the annoyance of the shippers.
16	* ActuallyPrettyFunny: In the FandomNod chapter of ''Jo's Boys'', ''Jo's Last Scrape'', Ted Bhaer's response to the reporter who showed up at Plumfield's door uninvited:
17	-->'If you could tell me Mrs Bhaer's age and birthplace, date of marriage, and number of children, I should be much obliged,' continued the unabashed visitor as he tripped over the door-mat.\
18	'She is about sixty, born in Nova Zembla, married just forty years ago today, and has eleven daughters. Anything else, sir?'\
19	And Ted's sober face was such a funny contrast to his ridiculous reply that the reporter owned himself routed, and retired laughing.
20	* AmbiguouslyBrown: In ''Little Men'', Dan is described with black eyes, black hair, and, at several points where his skin is mentioned, brown skin. It's unclear as to whether this is racial, tanned, or just dirty, but Jo theorizes in ''Jo's Boys'' that Dan has Indian blood in him. Everyone else in the book seems to be of European-descent (several are specifically blond Germans) except for a Black cook[[note]]and, given some hints in the narrative, possibly another Black character in the background[[/note]], but Dan just seems like the odd boy out.
21	** Perhaps that is why at the end of ''Jo's Boys'', it is revealed that [[spoiler: Dan dies protecting the Indians?]] Perhaps he felt some connection to them and this was a subtle way of putting it across.
22	* AnimatedAdaptation: Got one as a part of of ''Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater'' series, called ''Little Women II: Jo's Boys''. The name comes from ''Jo's Boys'', but is based on ''Little Men''. It also focuses more on the tomboyish Nan than any other character (possibly to appeal to Japanese audiences), and cuts out Dick Brown and Billy Ward.
23	* AntiHero: Dan, though he tries to become better and be ''good''.
24	* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Dan becomes this in jail, thanks to a simple moralistic story told by a middle-aged woman who visits the jail on Thanksgiving.]]
25	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: The chapter ''Jo's Last Scrape'', in the final sequel. Jo, after twenty years, has finally seen her dream of becoming a famous author come true... only to have to deal with hordes of demanding, pushy fans and reporters.
26	* BetterAsFriends: [[spoiler: Tommy and Nan, though he was the one who always crushed on her - she never liked him more than a friend.]]
27	* BettyAndVeronica: Dora and Nan for Tom.
28	* {{Bookworm}}: The adorably precocious Demi.
29	* BrainyBrunette: Demi, with his excellent memory and love of learning. Dan with his street smarts and interest in nature. Nan, with her quick-wits and interest in medicine. The sequel introduces Alice Heath, one of Laurence College's brightest students who, like Nan, pursues a career.
30	* BrickJoke: Jo's dinner party in ''Little Women'' becomes this for herself, Meg, and Laurie in ''Little Men'' when she shops for Daisy's toy kitchen and gives her cookery lessons.
31	* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: Averted with [[spoiler: Dan and Bess (who never got together).]]
32	* ByronicHero: As a brooding 14 year old and 10 years later on as an adult Dan comes across as this.
33	* ChildhoodMarriagePromise: Nan and Tommy in ''Little Men''. Tommy is still trying to hold her to it 10 years later in ''Jo's Boys'', but she will have nothing of it. Nat and Daisy are a successful version.
34	* CleaningUpRomanticLooseEnds: The ending of ''Jo's Boys''.
35	* ContinuityNod: When Rob gets out of bed in the middle of the night, Jo refers to Demi doing the same thing at his age in one chapter of ''Literature/LittleWomen''.
36	* CoolAndUnusualPunishment: In ''Little Men,'' Professor Bhaer punishes Nat for lying by ordering Nat to cane his, Professor Bhaer's, hand. Not wanting to hurt his teacher, Nat is more upset than if he himself had been caned.
37	* CoolOldLady: Jo, absolutely.
38	* CreditCardPlot: Nat experiences the 19th century version of one in ''Jo's Boys.'' He goes to Germany for advanced musical training, and Laurie has given him a generous allowance (and the narrator notes that he was going to give Nat ''more'' but the women had to talk him down). Nat's personality makes him many friends, too bad they're rich and Nat feels like he has to spend as much to keep up. Then New Year's comes and all his bills arrive in a rush. He panics, but knows that the only honorable option is sell everything that he can, move back to his initial humble apartment, and take menial jobs to live on now that his bank account is empty.
39	* CreepyDoll: In ''Little Men,'' Teddy throws a kid's doll on a fire; since it's made of leather, he and the other children are horrified that it squirms as if it's in agony instead of burning immediately.
40	* DarkestHour: [[spoiler: Dan's time in jail after committing murder.]] Later on in the book, the entire lot of Plumfield and all the boys get this when they get word of Emil's ship being lost at sea and believe him to be drowned. [[spoiler: He lives and the family is made closer because of their pain.]]
41	* DeadGuyJunior: Bess, of course, is short for Elizabeth. In the second half of ''Little Women'', she is even identified as "little Beth" and doesn't become Bess until ''Little Men''.
42	* DidNotGetTheGirl: And how! [[spoiler: Dan in ''Jo's Boys'', as well as Tommy Bangs both pointedly not getting the girl they originally wanted]] though Tommy [[spoiler: happily ends up with Dora]] while [[spoiler:Dan...KilledOffForReal.]]
43	* EducationMama: In ''Little Men'', one of the titular Little Men (Billy) has an already old education papa who drove his promising student son to mental handicapping and physical frailty and then dropped him off at boarding school in shame.
44	* ExpositoryHairstyleChange[=/=]TraumaticHaircut: Of all people, [[spoiler: Dan gets this while he's in prison for the murder of a man. His hair is cropped short and he falls into deep emotional despair.]]
45	* {{Expy}}: Meg's youngest daughter, Josie. She's just like her namesake Aunt Jo, only with acting instead of writing. She is, in fact, called 'little Jo' in dialogue more often than 'Josy.'
46	** Meanwhile, Meg's oldest daughter Daisy takes after her Aunt Beth as Mr March and Jo wistfully observe, being sweet-natured, domestic and a lover of music. [[spoiler: Happily, she gets to experience the adult life her aunt never had, going on to fall in love and set up her own home.]]
47	** Bess is more like her gentle namesake, being a frail, angelic girl. Daisy is more of the mini-Meg, being inclined to domestic hobbies and acts like a big sister to everyone. She even [[spoiler: falls for a poor man]] just as her mother did.
48	* FateWorseThanDeath: What [[spoiler: Dan thinks his jail-sentence is in his darkest moments of despair.]]
49	* FishOutOfWater: Nat, when he first comes to Plumfield.
50	* FlatCharacter: There are an awful lot of characters who have [[PhilosophicalParable virtues and vices]] in place of actual personalities, especially in ''Little Men''.
51	* GreatEscape: This is what [[spoiler:Dan plans to do along with the other prisoners to get out of jail, but he ends up realizing he must atone for his sin and carry out a fair sentence for murdering a man.]]
52	* GuiltyUntilSomeoneElseIsGuilty: Nat is accused of theft. He's the only suspect and assumed guilty for two reasons: he was the only one besides the victim who knew where the money was, and he has a history of lying to make himself look better, which he's trying to overcome). The other boys treat him like dirt until the true thief reveals himself.
53	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Bess, though her personality comes off as nauseating and annoying to some readers.
54	* HappilyMarried: Jo and Fritz constantly delight each other just by being themselves; it's said that Fritz labors under the delusion that Mrs. Jo is the most delightful woman alive. Meg and John [[spoiler: until he dies.]] Laurie and Amy too. It can also be assumed that [[spoiler: Franz and Emil and their wives end up in good marriages. Tommy and Dora along with Nat and Daisy most certainly become this, while Bess and Josie are said to have married good men and have good marriages at the end of ''Jo's Boys''.]]
55	* HaveAGayOldTime: There's a lot of referring to Jo's Boys as "gay."
56	* HiddenHeartOfGold: Dan, very much though he starts off as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold.
57	* HopelessSuitor: Tommy for Nan as well as [[spoiler: Dan for Bess, though she becomes barely aware of it before her parents take her away.]]
58	* HotBlooded: Dan plays with this: he starts off as this, then he learns to restrain his darker impulses. Unfortunately in ''Jo's Boys'', Dan becomes a victim of his own impulse when he [[spoiler: kills a man in self defense of himself and a younger boy and lands in jail for a year of hard labor and only just manages to get through it.]]
59	* {{Hypocrite}}: Meg refuses to let Daisy marry Nat due to his impoverished background and is horrified at Josie wanting to be an actress...Even though she herself married a poor man and was the one was taught her children acting from when they were tiny. To be fair she lampshades this [[spoiler: and eventually relents on both counts.]]
60	* IncorruptiblePurePureness: Bess, which makes her come off as a FlatCharacter to many.
61	* TheIngenue: Bess is pretty much the embodiment of this [[spoiler: Especially to Dan.]] Daisy is a more realistic, developed version.
62	* InnocentBlueEyes: A large pair in a "thin face" belonging to Nat. Also, Daisy - unlike her twin who has brown eyes. Bess too.
63	* {{Irony}}: At the beginning ''Jo's Boys'' Meg wishes for Demi (considered something of a prodigy and golden child by the Marches) to become a minister and daydreams about his first sermon. [[spoiler: The epilogue reveals that the troublesome, wild child Ted is the one to become an "eloquent and famous" clergyman.]]
64	* IShouldWriteABookAboutThis: Jo eventually does in ''Jo's Boys''.
65	* IvyLeagueForEveryone: George (Stuffy) and Dolly are both attending Harvard in ''Jo's Boys''. Averted for every other character who are attending, living, or teaching at, the fictional Laurence College where the story is set.
66	* {{Jerkass}}: Jack is about the only boy with no redeeming traits; described as selfish, sly and money-hungry. [[spoiler: Most notably, in Little Men he steals Tommy's money, doesn't care when everyone blames and alienates Nat for it, let's Dan falsely confess to it and only when Dan saves his life does he feel any remorse for his actions. By Jo's Boys, he and Ned are out of the picture and considered two of Plumfield's few "failures. Although, during Emil's accident, Jack does write with "unusual warmth", while "good-hearted Ned" comes down to shake hands with the school workers, and expresses how sad he is."]]
67	* KarmaHoudini: Blair, who gets away scot-free though he caused the mess, while Dan [[spoiler: gets a year of hard labor for killing a man accidentally.]]
68	* KilledOffForReal: In ''Little Men'', [[spoiler: the well-loved John Brooke suffers this fate, leaving Meg a still-young widow with three children.]] And in ''Jo's Boys'', [[spoiler: the physically deformed, kind-hearted Dick Brown and the severely mentally challenged Billy Ward]] die, as the reader is alerted to in the very start of the book. Later on in the book in the epilogue, [[spoiler: George "Stuffy" dies]] and then, much to the ''eternal'' anger, outrage and horror of fans, [[spoiler: Dan dies alone and loveless years later defending the Indians,]] in what many consider a brutally unfair and tragic end to such a loved character. While not mentioned only in passing, both Mrs March and old Mr Laurence are dead by the time ''Jo's Boys'' begins.
69	* LethalChef: Jo starts off like this in ''Little Women'', but considering she's giving Daisy cookery lessons in ''Little Men'', it is safe to say she's grown out of it.
70	* LikeBrotherAndSister: Tommy and Nan [[spoiler: become this, much to the horror of the shippers.]] Thanks, [[ShipSinking Lousia May Alcott!]]
71	* LoveHurts: When they're all grown up in Jo's Boys, several of the cast...especially Nat and Dan and ''especially'' Dan.
72	* NatureLover: '''DAN''' - and it calms him down as well.
73	* NewEngland: Just like ''Little Women''.
74	* NiceGirl: The gentle and soft Daisy. Nan is the tomboy version of this and Bess the (supposedly perfect) symbol of this.
75	* NiceGuy: Many of the children, but Demi, Nat and Tommy Bangs in particular. Later on, Dan.
76	** In ''Jo's Boys'', Stuffy and Dolly are said to be such despite their little faults. Gentle Nat is liked by everyone as is Dan, though the latter is ''very'' rough around the edges and aloof with people he doesn't know. Franz, Tommy, Emil and Demi are good guys too.
77	* OfficialCouple: Jo's Boys gives us [[spoiler: Tommy/Dora, Nat/Daisy, Demi/Alice, Franz/Ludmilla and Emil/Mary.]]
78	** Josie and Bess both [[spoiler: end up with unnamed, but good men]] as stated in the epilogue.
79	* OneSteveLimit: Inverted. Almost every main character is related to someone else with the same name; but they all have different nicknames.
80	** Elizabeth Laurence = Bess (initially "Little Beth")
81	** John Laurence Brooke = Demi
82	** Josephine Brooke = Josie
83	** Margaret Brooke = Daisy
84	** Robert Bhaer = Rob
85	** Theodore Bhaer = Ted
86	* OneGenderSchool: Plumfield was this prior to Daisy's enrolment. Fortunately, she is treated well there, but does sometimes get lonely being the only girl until Nan's arrival.
87	* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Like their elders before them, quite a few!
88	** Nathaniel Blake = Nat
89	** Daniel Kean = Dan
90	** John Laurence Brooke = Demi (short for Demijohn, being a pun on a bottle used for brewing, and kept as an alliterative name with his twin)
91	** Margaret Brooke = Daisy
92	** Thomas Bangs = Tommy
93	** Annie Harding = Nan
94	** Robert Bhaer = Rob, Robby, Bob, Bobby, Robin
95	** Theodore Bhaer = Teddy, Ted
96	** George Cole = Stuffy
97	** Adolphus Pettingill = Dolly
98	** Elizabeth Laurence = Bess
99	** Josephine Brooke = Josie
100	* OppositesAttract: In several somewhat OddFriendship examples: Dan and Nat, Nan and Daisy, and romantically [[spoiler: Dan towards Bess.]]
101	* OutOfFocus: Franz in ''Jo's Boys''. Among the Plumfield boys from ''Little Men'' who Jo still regards positively in their adulthood, he's the only one to not get a dedicated chapter.
102	* ParentalMarriageVeto: Meg towards [[spoiler: Nat, the ex-street musician and her precious Daisy for most of ''Jo's Boys''.]] Later on, Jo subtly implies to Amy and Laurie that [[spoiler: Dan is in love with Bess, their daughter.]]
103	* PennyAmongDiamonds: In ''Jo's Boys'', Nat goes to Europe to continue his musical education. Due to his having wealthy and influential friends, everyone thinks that ''he's'' wealthy and influential as well... too bad he's actually an orphan who spent a number of years as a street musician, and thus has little idea of how to handle either the money or the attention. Cue the nineteenth century version of a CreditCardPlot.
104	* PetTheDog: Dan's soft side for baby Teddy and animals.
105	* PluckyGirl: Nan, in sharp contrast to Daisy. Josie in the sequel.
106	* PolarOppositeTwins: Sort of with Daisy and Demi: she's a little housewife in the making who loves to run a household and take care of everyone; he is the highly intelligent {{Bookworm}} who is always devouring books and knowledge. Yet, the twins are very close to each other and get along very well.
107	* PrettyBoy: Physically the large-eyed, shy and slender Nat and internally as well - so much so that in the book Professor Bhaer jokingly calls him his "daughter" and finds him as "docile and affectionate as a girl." Jo on the other hand (though she pets and fusses over Nat and finds him amiable), considers him "weak" - then again her preference is for traditionally masculine boys like Dan.
108	** There's also [[TheDandy Dolly]], who is is proud of his good taste in clothes and his black hair with a curl on the forehead in ''Jo's Boys''.
109	* ProtagonistCenteredMorality: Because Demi is clearly Alcott's favorite character, and because he adorably mispronounces words, it's considered cute and charming in ''Little Men'' when he bullies his sister and cousin into burning all their favorite toys in a "sackerryfice" to an imagined god, the "Naughty Kitty-mouse". (He freely admits that this was a compromise choice, because he had no "live creatures to sackerryfice".)
110	* PuppyLove: ''Little Men'' gave us Tommy/Nan and Nat/Daisy - one of which makes it to the [[OfficialCouple official stage]]; the [[WriterRevolt other isn't so lucky.]]
111	* RedOniBlueOni: Wild Dan is the red to gentle Nat's blue. Tomboy Nan is the red to girlie-girl Daisy's blue. Josie is...somewhere in between the latter two.
112	** Jo and Professor Bhaer have this dynamic in the Anime/WorldMasterpieceTheater anime adaptation, albeit a bit downplayed on Jo's part. [[MamaBear Just don't insult her students if you know what's good for you]].
113	* SatelliteLoveInterest: Dora in ''Jo's Boys'', whom Tommy originally started dating foolishly to invoke [[OperationJealousy to make Nan jealous]], only to find that [[spoiler: he actually enjoyed the way she treated him and "accidentally" proposed to her. She accepts.]]
114	* SchoolPlay: A couple in ''Little Men'', Several (mostly written by Jo and Laurie) in the chapter "Class Day" in ''Jo's Boys''.
115	* SiblingYinYang: Several, including the boisterous, aspiring actress Josie and serene, housewife-in-training Daisy; impetuous Ted and thoughtful "Professor" Rob; adventurous sailor Emil and placid, domestic Franz.
116	* ShipSinking: Much to some shippers' disgust, [[spoiler: Tommy and Nan]]. Later on, [[spoiler: a painful -for Dan- version of this happens to Dan/Bess.]]
117	* ShipTease: You can't have a [[TrollingCreator Louisa May Alcott book without some!]] Early on in Jo's Boys Dan/Nan gets a bit of teasing with Nan admiring Dan's impressive physique (biceps!) and outright stating that she finds Dan the best looking of all the boys - much to [[GreenEyedMonster Tommy's]] dismay. Subtly implied and hinted at from the start is [[MayDecemberRomance Dan/Bess]] - this goes ''well'' out of Ship Tease territory from [[HopelessSuitor Dan's]] point of view later on in the book. It ends ''badly.''
118	** [[YaoiFangirl To a certain demographic]], this is what is ''really'' happening between Dan and Nat's encounters and their close relationship - especially given the way brooding [[TallDarkAndHandsome Dan]] and gentle [[PrettyBoy Nat]] are physically described. Oddly enough, Dan does not get any of this with Ted though it is repeatedly stated how fond the two of them are of each other - probably because their relationship is so brotherly.
119	** Nat gets a bit of this himself with Minna, the German girl while studying in Germany - though Minna does truly fall in love with him, Nat does not have eyes for anyone but Daisy.
120	** Some interpret any scene with Ted and Josie to be this though [[spoiler: they do not end up together to the dismay of some fans]] who likened them to Laurie and Jo of 'Literature/LittleWomen''.
121	* ShrinkingViolet: A rare male example: at the start, the painfully shy, bashful and quiet Nat. He grows out of it somewhat, but always remains on the quiet, soft spoken side.
122	* SickeninglySweethearts: [[{{Moe}} Nat and Daisy]] by themselves are the tender-hearted cuties of the group - when they're together, they're just outrageously ''adorable''.
123	* SmokingIsCool: Dan talks Nat and Tommy into smoking cigars and playing cards late one night in the dormitory. Naturally, they [[spoiler: nearly burn down the school]] and serious consequences follow.
124	* [[spoiler: SparedByTheAdaptation: If a brief clip in the WMT anime is to go by, then Dan ends the series living a relatively happy life out West.]]
125	* TallDarkAndHandsome: Dan is this in the books to the other characters due to his swarthy Spaniard/Native-American good looks, strong, muscular physicality and impressive height. His very handsome features are mentioned frequently, especially in the early stages of ''Jo's Boys'' - not that Dan seems aware of how good looking he actually is. Dan attracts the eye of the ladies, eventually even beginning to charm [[spoiler: Bess. It does ''not'' end well for their potential relationship and Dan in general who ends up dying alone and unloved (romantically).]]
126	** Affectionate Daisy claims Nat is this Trope - but it is implied that it is because she is loyal and loves him. Not that Nat is unattractive - he's just more of a PrettyBoy with often mentioned big blue eyes and pleasing, if pale and slim features.
127	* TeamDad: Franz to the younger kids during ''Little Men''.
128	* TeamMom: Meg to her sisters; later, Jo in ''Little Men''.
129	* ThemeTwinNaming: Daisy and Demi, named after their parents Margaret (Meg) and John.
130	* ThoseTwoGuys: In ''Little Men'', Dick and Dolly.
131	** ''Jo's Boys'' has Stuffy and Dolly.
132	* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: In ''Little Men'', Nan and Daisy; ''Jo's Boys'' has Josie and Bess.
133	* UnluckyChildhoodFriend: Twice: [[spoiler: Tommy to Nan, though he gets over it and ends up happily with Dora. Dan is not so lucky in regards to Bess, whom he has known and seen grow up since childhood.]]
134	* UnusualEuphemism: In ''Little Men'', Dan tries to get Nat and Tommy to swear. Tommy's idea of a good round oath? "Thunder-turtles!"
135	** In ''Little Men'' Emil's dog is named Christopher Columbus - courtesy of Jo, so she has an excuse to say her favorite swear just as she used to in ''Little Women''.
136	* VictoriousChildhoodFriend: A very cute, well suited example happens when [[spoiler: Nat and Daisy, who have been good friends since ''Little Men'', get married in ''Jo's Boys''.]]
137	* TheWickedStage: In the last of the books, ''Jo's Boys'', an actress discusses the purification of the stage with an aspiring actress.

Context Literature / LittleMen