“Jack and Jill” was written by Louisa May Alcott. Jack and Jill are very fast childhood friends. Their lives and the lives of their friends are full of fun and excitement. One day, these inseparable friends find their bond tested.
Jack and Jill go sledding with their friends. Like the nursery rhyme, they have an accident. Both are left invalids. Jack breaks his leg, while Jill injures her back. Hers is the more serious.
As they heal, they work through conflicting emotions, as do their friends. They work through situations and learn important lessons about responsibility, giving and true friendship. Both they and their friends want to become “good” and help others be the same.
Alcott writes with her usual sure hand. She deals with many of the issues found in her other books. She stresses the need for individual growth, issues on gender equality and personal responsibility for one’s own actions.
Jack and Jill begin to truly understand the value and meaning of friendship as well as the sense of comfort simple creativity can give. Alcott inserts historical discussions of temperance and higher education for women. While having a moralistic tone, Alcott manages to get her message through without too much preaching.
