In Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Mr. March is the absent father. In March, he is the protagonist and the primary narrator. The novel tells his story, from 18-year-old traveling salesman to battlefield chaplain to educator of former slaves. Much of the novel is about how Mr. March struggles with guilt but consistently fails to take actions that might redeem himself and alleviate his conscience. His sense of guilt originated with Grace’s whipping. He felt responsible for it and told himself that he would no longer express tolerance toward slaveholders. Twenty years later, he reconnects with Grace, and it is apparent that—even though he’s a committed abolitionist—he still feels guilty about what happened to Grace when they were younger.

During the war, he believes he caused the deaths of multiple people, including Silas Stone, Ptolemy, Cilla, and Canning. Marmee insists that the war killed these people, but he still holds himself responsible. He feels that if he’d acted bravely, he could have saved them; but he did not and is therefore a coward. Throughout the story, another line of tension is Mr. March’s commitment—or lack thereof—to his wife. He clearly has feelings for Grace but doesn’t fully admit to himself that he is deceiving Marmee about this.