Plot Summary
Chapter 14, titled "Secrets," opens with Jo March writing furiously in the garret, accompanied by her pet rat Scrabble and his son. After finishing a manuscript, she ties it with a red ribbon and sneaks out of the house, taking an omnibus into town. She nervously enters a building on a busy street, going up and down the stairs several times before finally mustering the courage to go in. A young gentleman watching from across the street—Laurie—follows her, assuming she has gone to the dentist. When Jo emerges, she laughingly reveals that she has actually submitted two stories to a newspaperman and is awaiting his answer.
The two friends exchange secrets on the walk home. Jo confides her literary ambitions, and Laurie enthusiastically declares her stories are "works of Shakespeare" compared to what gets published. In return, Laurie reveals that Meg’s missing glove is in Mr. Brooke’s pocket—a sign of romantic interest. Jo is dismayed by this news, dreading the idea of anyone taking Meg away from the family. To shake off her agitation, Laurie challenges her to race down a hill, and Jo tears off in a burst of energy, scattering hairpins as she goes.
Character Development
This chapter marks a pivotal moment for Jo, who takes her first concrete step toward becoming a professional writer. Her secrecy reveals both her determination and her vulnerability—she fears failure and does not want to disappoint her family. The chapter also deepens the Jo-Laurie friendship, showing how they confide in each other and hold each other accountable. Jo’s frank lecture to Laurie about avoiding billiard saloons demonstrates her moral seriousness, while Laurie’s playful encouragement of Jo’s writing shows his genuine admiration for her ambitions.
Meg appears briefly but significantly, embodying the ladylike decorum that Jo resists. Jo’s plea—"Let me be a little girl as long as I can"—captures her fear of the changes that adulthood will bring, especially the potential loss of her sisters to marriage.
Themes and Motifs
The chapter’s central theme is the tension between ambition and domesticity. Jo’s secret writing career represents her desire for independence and self-sufficiency—she dreams of supporting her family through her own work. The motif of secrets runs throughout: Jo’s manuscripts, Laurie’s knowledge of Brooke’s affection for Meg, and the sisters’ bewilderment at Jo and Laurie’s mysterious behavior all underscore the theme of growing up and the private inner lives that emerge as the March sisters mature.
Literary Devices
Alcott employs dramatic irony when the reader and Laurie both misunderstand Jo’s visit as a trip to the dentist, only to discover her true purpose. The hill race serves as a symbol of Jo’s refusal to conform to feminine expectations—she literally lets her hair down. The chapter also uses foreshadowing, as Meg’s missing glove in Brooke’s pocket hints at the romantic subplot that will develop in later chapters. The triumphant final scene, where Jo’s family celebrates her published story, employs communal joy as a narrative device to reinforce the novel’s emphasis on family bonds even as its members pursue individual paths.