MBTI Type: ENFP

Jo wants to become a writer more than anything else, and puts all her time, focus, and attention toward pursuing that goal. She has no interest in the domestic things that interest her sisters (such as finding a husband) and shows strong independence in her desire to make her own way in the world through her pen. She often dreams about the future, but her dreams and opinions change over time. Jo goes from rejecting Laurie to reconsidering his proposal; from being sure she will always be alone, to feeling quite lonely and longing for someone to share her life. She has no problems with editors proposing changes to her stories, since she can see the value in their suggestions. Jo is quick to pick up and speculate on things; she is not surprised when Laurie admits that Mr. Brook keeps Meg’s missing glove in his pocket. She has always known her desire to remain unmarried, and admits to Laurie though she has tried to love him in the way he wants her to, she just cannot; it isn’t her, it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t work. In a time when society expects her to be docile and to marry, Jo is fiercely independent and bucks all traditions. She wears pants whenever she can. She borrows Laurie’s vests. She is opinionated and vocal in her disapproval, but not forthcoming with her deepest emotions. Jo reacts badly to Bhaer’s criticism of her stories and flounces out of the room, proclaiming she never wants him to speak to her again. She later regrets this, but isn’t sure how to make up with him. Jo argues prices and copyright with her publisher. She recognizes the monetary value of keeping the latter for herself, and refuses to sell it, insisting on keeping control of her own story. But she is logical enough to agree to changes to her material, to make it sell better, showing good Te. But under pressure, she falls back on her lack of a desire to see things change in ways that are personally unpleasant to her. Jo proposes to Meg that instead of Meg getting married, they could run away together, and have lives as writers and actresses on the stage. As she grows older, her inferior Si desires to put down roots. She becomes more practical, deciding to run a school for young people, and choosing to get married.

Enneagram: 8w7 so/sp

Jo laments not being born a boy, since it limits her ability to explore, and do everything the men get to do – go to war, stay out drinking, and have grand adventures. She has a boisterous and assertive nature that does not like weakness. When Beth tells her that she cannot circumvent God’s will, Jo fiercely answers, “God hasn’t met MY WILL YET.” She admits that her bad temper is her worst quality, and how it often gets her into trouble. Jo does not like to show weakness (Amy says she sits behind her mother, whenever they listen to letters from their father “so no one can see her cry”). She fiercely and frequently asserts her desire to remain independent, not reliant on a man for her income or protection. Her 7 wing is fun-loving and mischievous. She writes stories of gore and high drama to entertain herself and others. Jo is devastated when she cannot go to Europe with Aunt March and copes by using her imagination to invent her stories.

Reviews: Little Women (1994), Little Women (2017), Little Women (2019).