I agree, as a child, I was so disappointed when Jo doesn't marry Laurie, but as an adult, I can immediately see that Laurie and Jo would never work and Jo deserves better. That said, I think I would have been happier with her not getting married at all instead of marrying the mansplaining professor who's anti thrillers but I know that Alcott was forced >!to give each girl a marriage/death ending!<.