"The Girl Who Had Nothing/Little Women"

Running away from home on her birthday sounded like an excellent idea, but after the baby

starts to fuss, Joan realizes she should head home.

After telling Minnie, the landlady’s baby, an epic tale of a princess battling a dragon, Joan

hides in the shadows so as not to be recognized by another girl.

Joan works as a servant in the lodging-house to help pay for her room and board despite the

money her mother left with her as a child.

After observing a girl her age who appears to live a finer life, Joan realizes the injustice of her

situation and vows to change her life.

by showing that the landlady was charitable to more guests than Joan

by showing that Joan was unable to pay for herself

by showing that Joan was made to feel like an unwanted outsider

D by showing that the landlady was grateful for the help Joan provided

through Joan’s aggression toward the landlady for treating her poorly

through the description of Joan’s storytelling abilities

through Joan’s apparent disregard for the struggling baby Minnie

through the description of Joan’s difficult position as an abandoned orphan

An active imagination is more useful than money.

Fine clothes do not define one’s character or potential.

Comparison often fuels one’s unhappiness and discontent.

Taking care of children is an important task.

“As years went on, further spheres of usefulness opened, especially after the Boyle baby

came; one servant could be kept instead of two; and taking everything into consideration,

Joan’s hostess decided to continue her charity.” (paragraph 3)

“Joan’s whole life was spent in dreaming; without the dreams, existence at 12, Seafoam

Terrace would not have been tolerable to a young creature with the nerves of a racehorse

and the imagination of a Scheherazade.” (paragraph 8)

“Joan had no personal hatred for the happier child, no wish for revenge, no desire to take

from the other what she had.” (paragraph 12)

“The feeling which shook her with sudden, stormy passion was merely the sharp realization of

injustice, the conviction that by nature she herself was worthy of the good things she had

missed, the savage resolve to have what she ought to have, at any cost.” (paragraph 12)

Joan could not remember the next part of her story.

Joan was taken aback by what she saw.

Joan wanted to hide from someone.

Joan was frightened by what she saw.

dreams

jealousy

nerves

surgery

“The end of the season and the end of the money had come about the same time, but not the

expected mother.” (paragraph 3)

“She liked running up and downstairs to answer the lodgers’ bells, which saved steps for the

two overworked servants...” (paragraph 3)

“Therefore, the child could have answered the conundrum, ‘When is a home not a home?’ out

of the stores of her intimate experience.” (paragraph 3)

“...she had only run away as far as one of the shelters on the boardwalk; she had brought the

landlady’s baby with her, and...she had the virtuous intention of going home again...at tea-

time.” (paragraph 4)

“Joan was telling the two-year-old Minnie a fairy story, made up out of her own head, all

about a gorgeous princess, and founded on the adventures she herself would best like to

have...” (paragraph 5)

Because she is jealous of the other girl’s fine clothes, Joan decides to start working for money

to pay for a new wardrobe.

Because she realizes she is no different from the other girl, Joan resolves to improve her

circumstances.

Because she is ashamed of how the other girl must see her, Joan decides to take greater care

in the appearances of herself and the baby.

Because she realizes she is just as intelligent as the other girl, Joan resolves to become an

acclaimed storyteller.

by suggesting that young girls are often more materialistic in their youth

by drawing on a universal longing to enjoy comfort and luxury

by illustrating the struggle of living in poverty

by expressing that it is useless to complain about one’s status in life