WE WILL

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TALK
Louisa May Alcott

ABOUT
HER LIFE 02

She was born on November 29, 1832, in her life Louisa May Alcott was many things, a
feminist and anti-slavery activist, but she is best known for writing the novel Little
Women. She was born in Germantown ,; she was the second of four sisters. Her
father, Amos Bronson Alcott, was a teacher and convinced transcendentalist, while
her mother Abby May was an activist and social worker. In 1834 the family moved to
Boston. The family situation was not very peaceful, especially as the father was unable
to raise enough money to keep his wife and daughters stable.
Louisa May Alcott's main teacher was her father. Louisa May started working at a very young
age, as a teacher, maid and housekeeper in some families in the area, but she still found the time
to practice and experiment with writing. Her sisters also started working early, giving some extra
financial resources to support the family.
In the late 1840s, Alcott became interested in women's rights. In the 1950s the family had severe
financial problems, Alcott herself could not find a job, she went through a period of depression
and even contemplated suicide. Meanwhile, Louis May Alcott was faced with a chronic
autoimmune disease, possibly lupus. She died at the age of 55 following a stroke on March 6, 1888
in Boston, two days after her father died. She is buried in Concord's Sleepy Hollow Cemetery,
not far from the graves of other great American authors
 LITERATURE
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The literary career

Her first book, Flower Fables, was written in 1855 and tells stories of fairies and elves,
with teachings about nature and the need to respect it. These short stories wpere
originally written for Ellen Emerson, the daughter of Ralph Waldo Emerson. In 1860,
Louisa began writing for the Atlantic Monthly, while from 1862 to 1863, during the
American Civil War, she worked as a nurse at Union Hospital in Georgetown. In
letters written during that period they were published and collected in Hospital
Sketches. In 1864 the novel Moods was published, based on real experiences of the
author. Louisa May Alcott also wrote numerous stories under the pseudonym of A. M.
Barnard. Among the various works we remember: A long fatal pursuit of love and
Passion and torment. These books had immediate and notable commercial success
because they were written in a popular style. Literary success came in 1868 with the
publication of the first part of Little Women: or Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, a semi-
autobiographical tale, where she resumes her childhood with her sisters in Concord. In
1869 the second book was published, Little Women Grow Up (Good Wives), where she
follows the life of the March sisters in adulthood and marriage. In 1871, Little Men was
released, which tells the story of Jo's life at the Plumfield School, founded with her
husband. In 1886 the trilogy was completed with the release of the last book, Jo's Boys,
which completes the saga of the March family. Piccole Donne will also be featured
several times in the filmography.
 LITTLE 04

WOMAN
Little Women is Louisa Mary Alcott's most famous novel. It was first published in
America in two volumes: the first, Little Women, in 1868 and the second, Little Women
Grow Up, in 1869. In 1880 the two parts were combined in a single book.
LITTLE WOMAN
The little women of the title are the March sisters, protagonists of the novel. Four girls with very
different characters: Margharet, known as Meg, the eldest who is 16 years old who loves luxury
but is forced into poverty and to work as a housekeeper of four children. Josephine, known as Jo,
15, rebellious and nonconformist, loves writing short stories and devouring books, she keeps
herself as a companion for an old and shrewd aunt. Elizabeth, also known as Beth, aged 13, shy so
much that she can't go to school, very sweet and with a huge passion for music; in fact she loves
playing the piano. Amy, 12, artist of the group because she loves painting and drawing.
The story takes place during the American Civil War.
The Protestant pastor March, father of the girls, is forced to leave for the front as chaplain and
the girls with their mother have to face this difficult period alone. In addition, their mother
works as a volunteer nurse in the assistance of the soldiers. Their life is turned upside down at
the news of the wounding of their dear father and the departure of their mother to assist him.
 LITTLE WOMAN
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Girls have to face difficulties alone but despite everything they manage to grow well and become responsible
women. A great help comes from their aunt March and especially from neighbor Laurie Lawrence. The 16-year-
old boy often goes out with his sisters and they have a lot of fun together. The girls spend their time sewing and
reading, and despite their not very prosperous economic situation, they still manage to be happy because they
are very close. The novel tells about their daily life and ends with the return home of their father, now
recovered, and Meg's falling in love with Laurie's tutor.
LITTLE WOMAN GROW UP
The second novel continues the narrative of the adventures of the protagonists three years after the end of Little
Women. Meg and John Brooke get married and start living together. The couple will live in a modest house and
will have twins, Demi and Daisy. Jo decided to take a break and spend six months with a friend of his mother's in
.New York City. Jo later became a writer, rejects a marriage proposal from Laurie and marries Fritz Bhaer, a
German philosophy professor. Beth dies of scarlet fever. Amy goes on a long trip to Europe, hoping to make her
dreams come true, but realizes she doesn't have the talent to become a great artist; Laurie and her grandfather
also go to Europe.Laurie encounters Amy in Europe and with the news of Beth’s death, they meet for
consolation and their romance grows. They marry before returning home from Europe. At the end of the novel,
Professor Bhaer arrives at the Marche’s, stays for two weeks and proposed to Jo. Aunt March dies, leaving
Plumfield to Jo. She and Bhaer turn the house into a school for boys. They have two sonn of their own, instead,
Amy and Laurie have a daughter. In this book, the sisters have grown up and so Little Women Grow up tells a
different reality compared to the past.