Mr. Lawrence from Little Women (2019) is a kind older man who demonstrates protection. He protects the March sisters while their parents are away. Lonely in his mansion and often at odds with his high-spirited grandson, he found comfort in becoming a supporter of the March’s. Mr. Lawrence befriends Beth as she reminds him of his granddaughter, who passed away. He shows his connection through a piano as he gifts one to Beth. Although old Mr. Laurence often seems grumpy or intimidating, he’s a very compassionate, kind person who loves his grandson very much and has a particular liking for the March girls. Mr. Laurence also functions as a device to keep the novel’s plot going. Whenever the Marches need money straightway for something, Mr. Laurence is their go-to man. Mr. Laurence reminds us that it’s never too late to make up for past mistakes. Even though he cut off connections with his son, he’s determined to make up for it by taking good care of Laurie. Mr. Lawrence’s appearance plays a massive role in his acceptance by audiences. He is quickly understood as a rich old man by his wardrobe, and his status is evident as he is a white man who lives in a rather large house. As seen in the “Small Parts, Small Players” dossier of Screen, “The extra’s face is normally both the condensation of quickly legible attributes (the white society woman, in so many of Flowers’s roles) and one of several surfaces along which collective social energies accumulate and gather momentum (126). Mr. Lawrence is an easy character for audiences to understand due to his legible attributes. Although Mr. Lawrence is seen as a minor character is vital to the March sisters. With little lines of dialogue, he can establish himself and show his importance. His love is seen through his actions more than words.

Works Cited

Gerwig, Greta, director. Little Women, Columbia Pictures, 2019.

 

Straw, Will. “Scales of presence: Bess Flowers and the Hollywood extra.” Screen, vol. 52, no. 1, March 2011, pp. 121 – 127.  https://doi.org/10.1093/screen/hjq061

Who is Profiling the Character?: Morgan Toews
Source of Image: Little Women (2019)
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