*Warning: This post contains spoilers in regards to the narrative and characters from the book Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Read at your own risk if you have not read the book or have seen any of the adaptations.
There is something to be said about a well written, human character. They leap off the page and speak to us as if they were right in front us, as flesh and blood human beings, instead of fictional creations.
In this series of weekly blog posts, I will examine character using the characters from Little Women to explore how writers can create fully dimensional, human characters that audiences and readers can relate to.
Sometimes, the best romantic relationships/marriages are not formed by the thumping together of two bodies, but of the melding of two minds. In Little Women, Professor Friedrich Bhaer is introduced towards the end of the novel. In his early 40’s, Friedrich is German émigré who is raising his orphaned nephews. Earning his living as a tutor, he meets Jo March when he is staying at the boarding house where she is working for the owner of the boarding house as a nanny.
Both are intellectual, have a good heart and find in each other the mental stimulation that will become the foundation of their relationship. While they start off as friends, Jo and Friedrich will go on to have two sons and a happy marriage. But not before they have a few disagreements in regards to Jo’s writing.
To sum it up: romance can start in a number of ways. It doesn’t always have to be the ooey gooey love at the first kind. It can be the relationship where the couple starts off as friends who are intellectually inspired by one another before it becomes sexual or romantic. As a writer, I prefer that type of romance because it feels organic and natural. But that is a decision that every writer must make for themselves.