Read this excerpt from Little Women. Money is a needful and precious thing,—and, when well used, a noble thing,—but I never want you to think it is the first or only prize to strive for. I'd rather see you poor men's wives, if you were happy, beloved, contented, than queens on thrones, without self- respect and peace.
Marmee tells her daughters this shortly after Meg returns from a fortnight with the well-to-do Moffats. Amy and Meg have both wanted to have nicer things and be a part of high society, but cannot because Father lost their wealth. Without marrying well, they will never have more than they do right now and will always have to work. Selecting either Meg or Amy as the focus of your answer, discuss whether either girl learns the lesson Marmee tries to teach them here. Use details to explain why they have or have not.

Meg has profited from Marmee's words after her return from spending a fortnight at the Moffat's. During her stay there, she yad been made to feel that her own clothes were inappropriate for attending parties of the Moffat's circle, and she is dressed p and made up to attend a party where she dos not feel well integrated, having heard some converstions regarding her poor station and some gossip attributing to her mother plans to marry her off to rich Theodore Lawrence, the March's neighbor, and decides to ignore everything and have fun, whereby she has a little too much champagne to drink. After her return home, she appreciates her simple home where love abounds. Mrs. March tells her that whee there is love, poverty is no obstacle to a happy marriage. Eventually, meg marries Theodore Laurence's teacher John Brooke, who is poor but very much in love with her.

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