Quote 1
"I'll try and be what he loves to call me, 'a little woman,' and not be rough and wild, but do my duty here instead of wanting to be somewhere else," said Jo, thinking that keeping her temper at home was a much harder task than facing a rebel or two down South. (1.77)
We're not sure how much of a joke this little narrative aside really is. Obviously, going to war is much more physically dangerous, but at least battle, while difficult and requiring great heroism, is straightforward. Jo has to battle herself and her own inclinations.
Quote 2
"I may be strong-minded, but no one can say I'm out of my sphere now, for woman's special mission is supposed to be drying tears and bearing burdens." (46.99)
The novel concludes by reconciling Jo's unusual character with the nineteenth century's idea of woman's proper sphere. Jo isn't turned into a typical housewife, but she also doesn't get to go out into the world and become a celebrated author or playwright. Instead of entering the public world, she remains in the domestic one, even though she changes it significantly.
Quote 3
"Tell another story, Mother, one with a moral to it, like this. I like to think about them afterward, if they are real and not too preachy," said Jo, after a minute's silence. (4.58)
The kind of story Jo likes to hear is also the kind that Alcott is trying to write – something that has a moral center, but is also realistic and down-to-earth.