MEG MARCH
AS SEEN IN:
'Little Women'
AS PLAYED BY:
Meredith Baxter Birney
TV DIMENSION:
Earth Prime-Time
CREATED BY:
Louisa May Alcott
From Wikipedia:
At sixteen, she is the oldest sister. She is considered the beauty of the
March household (written as very pretty, plump and fair, with large eyes, plenty
of soft, brown hair, a sweet mouth, and white hands, of which she is rather
vain) and she is well-mannered. Meg runs the household when her mother is
absent. Meg also guards Amy from Jo when the two quarrel, just as Jo protects
Beth. Meg is employed as a governess for the Kings, a wealthy local family.
Because of the genteel social standing of her family, Meg is allowed into
society. However, after a few disappointing experiences (first, the Kings'
eldest son is disinherited for bad behavior, and later she visits her friend
Annie Moffat and discovers that her family believes Mrs. March is plotting to
match her with Laurie only to gain his family's wealth), Meg learns that true
worth does not lie with money. She falls in love with Mr. John Brooke, Laurie's
tutor, whom she marries. Meg bears twin children, Margaret "Daisy" and John
Brooke "Demi" (short for Demi-John), and "Demi" and "Daisy" live a happy
life.
From the source:
The next day was fine, and Meg departed in style
for a fortnight of novelty and pleasure. Mrs. March had consented to the visit
rather reluctantly, fearing that Margaret would come back more discontented than
she went. But she begged so hard, and Sallie had promised to take good care of
her, and a little pleasure seemed so delightful after a winter of irksome work
that the mother yielded, and the daughter went to take her first taste of
fashionable life.
The Moffats were very fashionable, and simple Meg was
rather daunted, at first, by the splendor of the house and the elegance of its
occupants. But they were kindly people, in spite of the frivolous life they led,
and soon put their guest at her ease. Perhaps Meg felt, without understanding
why, that they were not particularly cultivated or intelligent people, and that
all their gilding could not quite conceal the ordinary material of which they
were made. It certainly was agreeable to fare sumptuously, drive in a fine
carriage, wear her best frock every day, and do nothing but enjoy herself. It
suited her exactly, and soon she began to imitate the manners and conversation
of those about her, to put on little airs and graces, use French phrases, crimp
her hair, take in her dresses, and talk about the fashions as well as she could.
The more she saw of Annie Moffat's pretty things, the more she envied her and
sighed to be rich. Home now looked bare and dismal as she thought of it, work
grew harder than ever, and she felt that she was a very destitute and
much-injured girl, in spite of the new gloves and silk stockings.
She
had not much time for repining, however, for the three young girls were busily
employed in 'having a good time'. They shopped, walked, rode, and called all
day, went to theaters and operas or frolicked at home in the evening, for Annie
had many friends and knew how to entertain them. Her older sisters were very
fine young ladies, and one was engaged, which was extremely interesting and
romantic, Meg thought. Mr. Moffat was a fat, jolly old gentleman, who knew her
father, and Mrs. Moffat, a fat, jolly old lady, who took as great a fancy to Meg
as her daughter had done. Everyone petted her, and 'Daisey', as they called her,
was in a fair way to have her head turned.
When the evening for the
small party came, she found that the poplin wouldn't do at all, for the other
girls were putting on thin dresses and making themselves very fine indeed. So
out came the tarlatan, looking older, limper, and shabbier than ever beside
Sallie's crisp new one. Meg saw the girls glance at it and then at one another,
and her cheeks began to burn, for with all her gentleness she was very proud. No
one said a word about it, but Sallie offered to dress her hair, and Annie to tie
her sash, and Belle, the engaged sister, praised her white arms. But in their
kindness Meg saw only pity for her poverty, and her heart felt very heavy as she
stood by herself, while the others laughed, chattered, and flew about like gauzy
butterflies.
BCnU!
