March

Marmee is Mr. March’s wife and the novel’s secondary narrator. She met Mr. March when she was young. They soon had sex, and thus felt required to marry. Though she was an independent young woman, she still felt bound by societal norms. Through Mr. March’s narration, Marmee is depicted as a passionate abolitionist. She also has a fiery temper, which is first displayed when she accuses Mr. Emerson of not sufficiently using his position to advance the abolitionist cause. Before the war, she seemed to admire Brown, compelling her husband to fund Brown’s projects.

When the narration switches to her perspective, we learn that Mr. March has not painted an entirely accurate portrait of Marmee. She did not admire Brown to the extent that her husband assumed. She also didn’t want Mr. March to join the war effort, though he says he went, in large part, because her body language made clear that she wanted him to go. Since she was young, Marmee has also been an outspoken supporter of women’s liberation. This makes it feel appropriate when the narration switches to her perspective; finally, she can tell her own story. However, at the novel’s closing, the narration switches back to Mr. March’s perspective, again silencing Marmee.

Grace first appears in the novel as Mr. Clement’s slave. When Mr. March was 18 years old, he stayed at the Clement plantation and fell in love with her. They worked together to secretly educate the slaves. When Mr. Clement, who is later revealed to be Grace’s father, found this out, he ordered her to be whipped, which saddled Mr. March with guilt that he carried until he met her again, 20 years later. Grace and Mr. March reconnect during the Civil War when Mr. March’s regiment uses the Clement property as a field hospital. Even though she could’ve left, Grace has remained on the now-dilapidated property to care for Mr. Clement, who has gone senile. During this time, she embraces with Mr. March, which leads to his reassignment.

At the Blank Hospital, Grace cares for Mr. March when he is gravely ill. As he regains his health, he’s more interested in being with her than his wife. However, Grace rejects him, imploring him to return to his family. She rebukes his sense of guilt, telling him that she too feels guilty because she killed Mr. Clement’s son—her brother—when he tried to rape her. She believes that Mr. Clement only kept her to be a sex slave to his son. Soon, Grace will take a new job outside of the hospital and will likely never see Mr. March again. When they part, it is clear that he still loves her, albeit unrequitedly.

Canning is a former attorney from Illinois who now manages Oak Landing. At first—even though the workers are now liberated—he treats them as if they are still slaves. This causes Mr. March to come into conflict with him. Eventually, Mr. March influences Canning to treat the workers with a measure of greater respect, though Canning does remain sharply focused on making a profit. When the Confederate guerillas raid Oak Landing, Canning is shot in the legs because he will not reveal Mr. March’s whereabouts. Then, at the campsite battle, he again saves Mr. March’s life, and is consequently shot in the head. This significantly adds to the guilt that Mr. March carries with him.

Zannah is a worker at Oak Landing and mother to Jimse. She is deaf because of an assault by two white men. She develops a loyalty to Mr. March because he cared for her son when the Union scout tricked Jimse into burning himself. After the battle against the Confederate guerillas, she cares for the ailing Mr. March, despite grieving Jimse’s death. Shen then brings him to Union territory, where she uses the writing skills taught by Mr. March to communicate his identity. 

As a historical figure, Brown is well-known for raiding Harper’s Ferry to incite a slave revolt. In the novel, Brown is a charismatic figure to whom Mr. March lost his fortune by financially backing his abolitionist projects. Mr. March believed that Marmee had feelings for Brown, but it is later made clear that she did not.  

Jesse is a leader among the workers at Oak Landing. Following the raid on Oak Landing, Jesse has a promising plan to attack the guerillas and free the workers. In a failed attempt at valiance, Mr. March suddenly leaps from the bushes and is captured, consequently sabotaging Jesse’s plan.