March 10, 2022 

Specific characters on our screen shape our childhood and impact the way we view the world, molding our definition of what a true hero is. This “mold” evolves as we let go of our childhood innocence, find similarities in those we least expect, and accept that our heroes also have their imperfections; these characters evolve from the people we aspire to be into the people we become. We find comfort in our heroes, often citing them as our “comfort characters” – those who relax us, relate to us, or even those we yearn to become. For me, specifically, few fictitious people were able to leave a lasting impression in the way that Jo March from Little Women was able to. 

As I navigated the complexities of being a growing girl, Louisa May Alcott’s writing helped guide me through this adolescent period of development. Society constructs girls to strive for excellence through receiving physical recognition, rather than personal satisfaction. Jo, however, was the first fictitious character I witnessed embrace her individuality over her femininity. Her desires and stubbornness present the ultimate example of the flaws that can exist in the figures we deem heroic. While she was never scolded for her aspirations, she did suffer because of them. Her longing to remain unmarried and focus purely on her writing left her with a sense of loneliness after Laurie, her best friend, and Amy, her younger sister, got married. She often pushed away those who truly cared about her to preserve her sense of independence and self-reliance, revealing a sense of humanity to her layered character. As more was revealed throughout the novel, readers were shown a more lovestruck, passionate, and sensitive side to Jo. Her complex characterization inspired my own, as she became more accepting of her youthful habits with age. Ultimately, her dreams and success in fulfilling them dictated her happiness, which I, as a young girl, found awe-inspiring. 

In times of weakness, it is easy for me to feel a sense of loneliness as I harbor in my emotions. Throughout my development and into my adult life, I have always felt a cloud of anxiety looming over me, dictating how I communicate, think, and interpret the world around me. Finding myself in Jo gave me security in my sense of self, especially with the knowledge that so many other young girls found comfort and inspiration in Jo’s character. Seeing someone I identified with be seen as such an inspiration reassured me that my life would be okay, just as hers was by the end of the novel. Flawed heroes exist to represent the opportunities for growth and satisfaction for both the character and the reader.   

The beauty in comfort characters is not always in the subtext of their stories – sometimes it’s just in their relatability. As simple as this concept may seem, it is something that is worth taking a second to admire. Although I haven’t reached a level of acclaim as Jo has, the internal struggles that she faces mirrors that of my own. I cannot yet determine the journey toward happiness I will take, but I do know to look towards Jo’s judgments, dreams for success, and unconventional methods of loving others in order to look back on my decisions with fondness.