Importance of Laurie´s Italian Heritage (Little Women Podcast)

courtesy of @the-other-art-blog

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s42PNs_Do8&ab_channel=LittleWomenChannel

“A couple of times, Laurie thinks about his Italian heritage and not in a good light. Actually, his mother must have been the one who passes him his skin colour. When he is in Valrosa with Amy, he thinks his Italian side brings out the superstition aspect in him. Italians have always had a negative stereotype in Western Europe and the United States. I don’t know how difficult must have been for Laurie to hear all these negative comments that attack his mother. This will also serve the discussion of immigrants in the XIX century America, alongside Friedrich’s case.

Moreover, Italy is also a prominent Catholic country. A few articles I’ve read say that protestant America rejected Catholicism, even to the point of forbidding it. Let’s remember Aunt March’s French catholic maid who change her name from Estelle to Esther so that it would sound more American. This under the condition that the old lady wouldn’t ask her to change religions.

Even with all of these issues, he is in a position of power. He is the heir to one of Concord’s biggest fortunes. He gets to go to college. He is destined to run one of the greatest companies in Massachusetts. Amy even teased him because Fred was richer than him like it was something that didn’t happen often. So his wealth must have been pretty big.

Returning to the March family, it will also serve to prove with their actions how anti-racism they were, not just anti-slavery. They included this boy as part of their family almost instantly. He becomes Jo’s best friend and Amy’s husband. It is in the book that a lot of mothers look at him as an attractive suitor for their daughters, but I’m sure some other inhabitants looked down at him for being Italian and brown-skinned.

So, my point is representation matters”.

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