Character Analysis of Josephine March, Amy March from Little Women on the basis of body language

Characters chosen:

Josephine March, Amy March from Little Women (2019) by Greta Gerwig

Movie Brief:

Louisa May Alcott's autobiographical account of her life with her three sisters in Concord Massachusetts in the 1860s. With their father fighting in the American Civil War, sisters Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth are at home with their mother, very outspoken women for her time. The story tells of how the sisters grow up, find love and find their place in the world.

Character Analysis based on body language:

*italics refer to repeated text (this text has been repeated for both the characters)

Jo March

The movie begins with Jo standing outside the editor's office contemplating whether to go in. It is a back shot and we understand that by her posture.

After seeing the editor she lies to him that it’s her that wants to submit a story which is actually hers. The viewer understands that it’s her story by her fidgeting and her constantly shifting eye contact. It is later to make things obvious that the director shows ink stains on Jo's finger. In that scene, her palms are rubbing against each other in a movement that depicts nervousness while in the right next scene her face is shown when she tries to keep her expressions confidence as the editor reads and edits her script. As the editor laughs and cancels pages of her script she is shown a little sad with lost hope as her eyes are lowered and she is sighing in hopelessness. The scene then cuts to her running around town with happiness for receiving money for the article. She then goes to her the house where she lives in London and teaches the owners kids. She is shown very confident and confined in this setting.

After that Beth is shown extremely happy while dancing in a get together after a play. Her

happiness is shown by her vivid smile and posture and body movements.

Then the scene is shown being cut off to seven years ago where Jo and Meg are getting for the party and she burns Meg's hair. Her reaction to which is very nervous and sorry while, on the other hand, Amy is laughing. Then while at the party, Meg explains to her how not to talk politics and use slag while Jo just looks lost by her expressions. Then Meg is shown dancing and enjoying the party while Jo stands at a corner looking bored as she is leaned backwards at a gate and looking lost. She then rolls her eyes at Meg and tries to leave the party where he meets Laurie and then they dance outside the house being truly happy and enjoying

themselves. She is then shown being passionately involved in her writing as she lean forward

and focuses on her pages.

After a while, Jo is shown in Fredrich's place showing him her work looking all anxious, nervous and in need of validation. It is then Fredrich bluntly tell Jo, he doesn't like her work and she is then shown angry and disappointed but unlike Amy in the prom, who was all elegant about it, Jo is shown arguing, and breaking apart and giving back the same amount of ridicule and demanding reasons. She is shown being loud and impulsive by her body movements. She is then shown leaving his cabin in anger and disagreement.

Then Jo is shown on a Christmas morning with all her sisters where she has written a play and is trying to get everyone enthusiastic. After that Jo is shown reading stories to Aunt March even when she does not believe in her ideologies, she is shown dutifully reading stories to her even when she finds it boring.

Then Jo and Meg are shown to go to the theatre and Amy had wanted to go to. But Jo humiliates Amy and tells her to quit her whining at which Amy has been shown throwing a very loud reaction. She leaves the room crying as her sister's leave and burns Jo's novel in anger. When Jo returns Amy is shown as someone who does not repent her actions and enjoys hurting Jo. Jo is then shown shaken by grief and get furious at Amy and hits her. After trying to get Jo off Amy, Jo is shown traumatized and sobbing in the grief of her burnt first draft. A little later, Jo is shown running out of the room cursing her sister in anger.

Amy is then shown coming happily at the breakfast table when Jo throws shade and shifts to another chair. Jo then goes out with Laurie for ice skating and Amy follows her to ask forgiveness. While on the frozen river Amy, falls into the river and Jo comes running to help her, worried to death. Jo is then shown regretting her behaviour and shivering with anger. She is so angry from herself for doing this to her sister and you can understand that by the tone of her voice.

Later in the film, Jo is shown to have sold her hair to help her mother travel with ease while her father is in the Washington hospital. Even though she feels really sad about cutting her hair and her sisters are all shocked by her action, she smiles to give everyone hope holding back her emotions. She is later shown crying with horror on the stair when Amy comes and consoles her that she would feel the same way if she had her hair cut.

At Meg's marriage, Amy tells Jo that instead of Jo, Aunt March wants to take Amy to Paris with her, Jo gets really upset but she smiles to keep hopes of Amy high, while Amy is all happy and enthusiastic about her trip.

Later, Jo is shown in a flashback where she is angry about Amy going on the trip, it is when

Laurie proposes her and tells her about his feelings. Jo gives a very angry nd disapproving

reaction to Laurie while being a little sympathetic to him. She throws her hands in anger and her tone is all confused because she is shown confused about her own emotions.

After Beth's death, Amy and Laurie return to their home, and Laurie tells Jo that he and Amy are engaged. Even though Jo has missed Laurie and feels really hurt about this news, she tries to show that she is happy for them but in the background, her expressions show that she is really hurt.

Then Jo meets Amy and tells her that she is happy for him and Laurie and that she is not angry from her. Then just like that, Jo forgives her sister and is relieved. Then they both cry about the death of Beth.

Later in the movie, Jo again is shown at the editor table to sell her novel, but only this time, she is much more confident about her work and it shows by her posture, tone and expressions. Throughout the movie one can see Jo, being a little nervous at movements and being very confident in others. The movie shows her tomboyish nature all by her expressions and postures instead of clothes. The movie also has very little dialogue and uses body language to portray emotion such as romantic interest, nervousness, confidence, love, sisterhood, passion etc.

Amy March

In her first scene in the movie, she is shown painting a real life in a traditional way. It is then

when she looks at the impressionist painter doing it some other way where she is shown a little confused by her expressions and body movement.

The scene then cuts to show her in a carriage with aunt March, where she is shown elegant and confident by her posture and clothing. She then sees Laurie, and is shown all enthusiastic by her throwing of hands and full smile and jumping out of the carriage to go meet Laurie. When Amy sees Laurie drunk at the bar she is shown angry and disappointed but all this is shown subtly by her body language - the moment of her eyes, the tone fo her voice because she is shown elegantly walking in the ballroom while talking to him without making a fuss. While Amy is shown to handle matters with dignity, Laurie creates a scene at the party shouting the name of Amy's fiance, which leads for Amy to apologize in public as she feels ridiculed. She holds back her tears and apologizes with all dignity to her fiance.

The scene then cuts to the past at a Christmas morning where all four sisters are together. They all are shown happy and enjoying the moment. It's then when Amy rises up and expresses her wish to be the greatest artist in Paris. She is then shown a little snobbish when she mocks Beth for wishing to be together with their parents. Jo then throws a cushion at Amy's face and then they start to fight.

Amy is then shown having a confident argument about gracefully falling into the chair to Jo.

When their mother asks them to give their Christmas breakfast as a present to poor Mrs

Hummel, Amy makes a disapproving expression but eventually, they all set out to give Mrs

Hummel to give their breakfast.

Then Jo and Meg are shown to go to the theatre and Amy had wanted to go to. But Jo humiliates Amy and tells her to quit her whining at which Amy has been shown throwing a very loud reaction. She leaves the room crying as her sister's leave and burns Jo's novel in anger. When Jo returns Amy is shown as someone who does not repent her actions and enjoys hurting Jo. Jo is then shown shaken by grief and get furious at Amy and hits her. After trying to get Jo off Amy, Jo is shown traumatized and sobbing in the grief of her burnt first draft. It was then when Amy apologizes to Jo, but it looks as if she is doing it for the sake of it. Her tone doesn’t seem apologetic or regretful at all. Amy is then shown coming happily at the breakfast table when Jo throws shade and shifts to another chair. Jo then goes out with Laurie for ice skating and Amy follows her to ask forgiveness. While on the frozen river Amy, falls into the river and Jo comes running to help her, worried to death.

After that Amy is shown in her gallery, removing her paintings when she gets into an argument with Lauri. Unlike the argument of Jo and Fredrich, Amy takes this argument very elegantly. In the starting, she isn't looking at him when she is speaking to him coz she is angry with him and makes her arguments with hardly any eye contact but later raises up to confidence while speaking his mind to Laurie.

Later in the film, Jo is shown to have sold her hair to help her mother travel with ease while her father is in the Washington hospital. She is later shown crying with horror on the stair when Amy comes and consoles her that she would feel the same way if she had her hair cut. One can see that Amy really feels sorry for her by her gestures, tone and expressions.

Amy is then shown to make a live sketch of Laurie, where she seems focused on her drawing. She also seems bothered about Laurie's future at the same time and recommends him to go work with his grandfather. Laurie then conveys his heart to Amy. Amy then reacts brashly and tells that she will no be second to Jo in everything in life and would not be the woman he settles for. She seems extremely angry and sad at the same time as she throws away her things in anger and holds up her tears and leaves.

At Meg's marriage, Amy tells Jo that instead of Jo, Aunt March wants to take Amy to Paris with her, Jo gets really upset but she smiles to keep hopes of Amy high, while Amy is all happy and enthusiastic about her trip.

Later Amy is shown to tell Laurie how she chose to didn't mary Fred. They then get engaged.

Then Jo meets Amy and tells her that she is happy for him and Laurie and that she is not angry from her. Then just like that, Jo forgives her sister and is relieved. Then they both cry about the death of Beth.

Throughout the movie one can see Amy, being very confident as a character with fewer emotions. The movie shows her elegant and ladylike nature all by her expressions and postures along with her clothes. The movie also has very little dialogue and uses body language to portray emotion such as romantic interest, nervousness, confidence, love, sisterhood, passion etc.