Read the excerpt below from Little Women and answer the question.
"Hadn't you rather have her marry a rich man?" asked Jo, as her mother's voice faltered a little over the
last words.
"Money is a good and useful thing, Jo, and I hope my girls will never feel the need of it too bitterly, nor be
tempted by too much. I should like to know that John was firmly established in some good business, which
gave him an income large enough to keep free from debt and make Meg comfortable. I'm not ambitious for a
splendid fortune, a fashionable position, or a great name for my girls. If rank and money come with love and
virtue, also, I should accept them gratefully, and enjoy your good fortune, but I know, by experience, how
much genuine happiness can be had in a plain little house, where the daily bread is earned, and some
privations give sweetness to the few pleasures. I am content to see Meg begin humbly, for if I am not
mistaken, she will be rich in the possession of a good man's heart, and that is better than a fortune."
One of the lessons that Alcott attempts to teach throughout Little Women is that of the value of hard
work to earn one's place in the world. Thinking of examples from the real world, from the story, and
specifically using Mrs. March's words how would you differentiate between happiness in material goods
and happiness in being genuine? For your answer, write at least 100 words.
