"Jo... You cut your hair! Your one beauty!

[WinnieCooper]

Does anyone else cry when Jo March from the movie "little women" cuts her hair? Lol!!

[calmyogi]

Yes! Although I will admit that it didn't make me as sad until after becoming a member here.

[Lilith91]

It's very upsetting, as are many big haircuts in books and movies. What are some others that have made all of you sad?

[Carolyn]

I read Little Women when I was in second grade. I was so disturbed by Jo's hair cut that I put the book down and didn't finish it for months.

[Lilith91]

I read Little Women when I was in second grade. I was so disturbed by Jo's hair cut that I put the book down and didn't finish it for months.


I never read past the first few pages of "on the shores of silver lake" from the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House series. It's revealed that Mary, who was known for her blonde curls, got scarlet fever since the last book and had all her hair chopped off, and then went blind. This upset me so much that I skipped to the next book and never read that one during my many rereads of the whole series. She was my favorite character and the illustrations showing her shorn head were just so sad, and the blindness was so upsetting.

[Wavelength]

Does anyone else cry when Jo March from the movie "little women" cuts her hair? Lol!!

The movie, right. There was a movie, wasn't there?

(The book is much, much better.) :wink:

And actually, I wasn't bothered when Jo cut her hair -- because she did it to help her father. That was a noble act. I was far more disturbed when she turned her back on Amy just before she fell through the ice.

Hair grows back. Sisters, not so much.

[Angelica]

Yes I hated that Jo cut her hair - even if it was a noble act. I also disliked the quote "her one beauty." That was a terrible thing to say, obviously her hair wasn't her one beauty. I didn't like Beth being killed off either. Regarding the scarlet fever thing in Little House on the Prairie, I think it awful they cut the hair off patients - they did a lot of that sort of thing in the past.

[Lilith91]

Yes I hated that Jo cut her hair - even if it was a noble act. I also disliked the quote "her one beauty." That was a terrible thing to say, obviously her hair wasn't her one beauty. I didn't like Beth being killed off either. Regarding the scarlet fever thing in Little House on the Prairie, I think it awful they cut the hair off patients - they did a lot of that sort of thing in the past.

And it seems ridiculous to think cutting hair off would reduce a fever!

[calmyogi]

And it seems ridiculous to think cutting hair off would reduce a fever!

I know some of it was to keep the patient more cool, but I wonder how much of it was of the inability to take care of it on a sick patient. There was no running water or even the same brushes or tools for easy efficient detangling that we have now. It was much more work and maintenance to have long hair before modern shampoos, tool, and running water with a water heater.

I take care of sick people and bathe them for a living, I couldn't imagine having to care for their TBL hair at the same time.

[Wavelength]

I know some of it was to keep the patient more cool, but I wonder how much of it was of the inability to take care of it on a sick patient. There was no running water or even the same brushes or tools for easy efficient detangling that we have now. It was much more work and maintenance to have long hair before modern shampoos, tool, and running water with a water heater.

I take care of sick people and bathe them for a living, I couldn't imagine having to care for their TBL hair at the same time.

Yes, I'm pretty sure that had more to do with it. Taking care of a bedridden, delirious patient for weeks on end without modern conveniences would be hard enough, without having to worry about their long hair as well.

[WinnieCooper]

There is also a "Little house on the Prairie" tv episode based on Little Women. The little girl who plays Jo in that is adorable. But you can tell she has a wig on.

Is it bad to change the subject? I was just thinking of Celtic Woman's song "Spanish Lady" and thought you all would enjoy it. Look it up on YouTube.

As I came back through Dublin City
At the hour of half past eight
Who should I spy but the Spanish lady
Brushing her hair in the broad daylight
First she tossed it, then she brushed it
On her lap was a silver comb
In all my life I ne'er did see
A maid so fair since I did roam

[Lilith91]

Oh that's a good point about taking care of it. It's interesting to think that when there were far fewer resources to take care of long hair is when it was far more common!

[XiaoBaiTu]

I've also read books from that time period where people suffering very high fevers would start to have their hair fall out in clumps, causing their caretakers to shave it off. I don't know it that is a real thing or not, but I'd think it would be pretty rare these days since we always try to bring down such high fevers.

Also, weren't both the Little House series and the Little Women series autobiographical, but written as fiction? I thought the tragedies of Beth and Mary were true stories. :shrug:

[Lilith91]

I've also read books from that time period where people suffering very high fevers would start to have their hair fall out in clumps, causing their caretakers to shave it off. I don't know it that is a real thing or not, but I'd think it would be pretty rare these days since we always try to bring down such high fevers.

Also, weren't both the Little House series and the Little Women series autobiographical, but written as fiction? I thought the tragedies of Beth and Mary were true stories. :shrug:

Yep, the Little House series is autobiographical- not sure about Little Women, though.

[MlleMC]

I've also read books from that time period where people suffering very high fevers would start to have their hair fall out in clumps, causing their caretakers to shave it off. I don't know it that is a real thing or not, but I'd think it would be pretty rare these days since we always try to bring down such high fevers.

Also, weren't both the Little House series and the Little Women series autobiographical, but written as fiction? I thought the tragedies of Beth and Mary were true stories. :shrug:

Yes, Little Women is an autobiographical or semi-autobiographical novel. What happens to Beth is just what happened the author's sister Elizabeth.

[calmyogi]

Oh that's a good point about taking care of it. It's interesting to think that when there were far fewer resources to take care of long hair is when it was far more common!

I don't know if their were fewer resources as much as the ways were just different and more time consuming. From my experience brushing does a pretty good job at cleaning the scalp and hair, but it takes a lot more time to do it thoroughly.