Preview
Copywork
About This Passage
After Jo and Bhaer agree to work apart, keep their duties, and wait for a home, Bhaer calls his hands empty. Jo answers through word and action as they reach the March house.
Jo never, never would learn to be proper; for when he said that as they stood upon the steps, she just put both hands into his, whispering tenderly, “Not empty now;” and, stooping down, kissed her Fri...
Full copywork activity with handwriting lines available in the complete study guide.
Discussion Questions
Narration Prompt
In your own words, trace Jo and Bhaer's rainy walk from guarded conversation to their agreement to love, work, and wait. Which moments change what each understands about the other?
Discussion Questions
- Jo says she is always glad to see Bhaer, but her face, shopping mistakes, and distress about the West tell another story. Why does she protect her feelings even when hiding them may send him away?
- Bhaer reads Jo's poem and sees signs that she cares, yet he still waits before speaking. What weighs more in his delay, fear of rejection or concern about what he can offer her?
+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide
Vocabulary
Item 1
Kept from being seen or known, as Jo tries to keep her feelings hidden
Item 2
Proper and socially acceptable, especially in behavior others might judge
Item 3
Expressed with powerful feeling and force
+ 7 more vocabulary words in the complete study guide
Critical Thinking
+ 5 more questions in the complete study guide
Get the complete study guide — free
Sign up and get your first book with every chapter included. Copywork, discussion questions, vocabulary, and critical thinking.
Sign up free