Agawam Pageturners Book Club's Discussion of March by Geraldine Brooks

The group had a lively discussion about March. The main character is Mr. March from the classic Little Women. In Little Women, Mr. March goes of to be a chaplain in the Civil War. He becomes injured, and his wife, Marmee, must go care for him. March imagines Mr. March's life as a young man as a peddler when he becomes involved with Grace a slave on a plantation, a family man before the Civil War and Little Women, and his experience in the Civil War. The novel won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and everyone agreed that it was well written. Some people were very critical of March. They thought he didn't take responsibility, that that he was selfish and indecisive, and he had some prejudice against the slaves even though he was a staunch abolitionist. They also thought he was always doing so much for the world, like giving money to John Brown, that he ignored the needs of his family. Because he gave all his money away to John Brown, his family became impoverished. Everyone was pleased that Grace, at the end of the novel gave him piece of her mind. Others thought most of the criticisms against March were too harsh. They argued he was trying to live up to his convictions, even though he failed at times. Also, John Brown misled many people, and did not use the money for what is was intended for. He was an idealist and transcendentalist even when he went to war. He stayed even when his life was in danger. Someone asked if he did any good, and everybody responded by teaching the slaves to read. He also came out of hiding when he was captured. Others gave him some slack, saying he was a product of his times. Others argued that this was no excuse; there have always been others who have done the right thing, even when it has been against society or the norm. Everyone liked Marmee, who had to face the fact that her husband had been involved with Grace. They liked that she wasn't going to let stuff slide. Everyone thought her a woman before her time. One member pointed out that the book gives the man and the woman points of view. Someone thought the whole book could be summed up in Marmee's soliloquy about men going off to war, and the women having to bear with the aftermath of it. The group also discussed the character Canning, who was from the North, who tried to take over a plantation and grow a crop of cotton. It was more complicated than he thought it would be, and he was responsible not only for himself, but for his workers (who now would be paid). The last thought the group discussed was that although there have been many racial barriers to break down in their generation, they though the young people of today had already broke most of them down, even though hate crimes and racial barriers still exist today. The meeting ended on this positive note.