Feminism Approach of “Little Women”

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women in 1868. When Louisa May Alcott wrote her
bestseller, Little Women, it seemed to neatly fit in the genre of literature for young girls, yet,
surprisingly, the novel transcends many of the gender stereotypes ideals of the nineteenth
century. In Little Women, Alcott challenged society’s definition of stereotypical gender roles and
pushed the boundaries of expectations that were placed on both men and women to conform to
society’s standards.

The novel follows four sisters as they come of age in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Despite all of that, they are surrounded by a lot of poverty, have a difficult time finding work,
and face a lot of unfairness. One of the reasons this novel really works for me is because of how
light-hearted and fun it is the novel has a lot of very sad elements and things that are meant to
make you feel and understand what these characters are going through.

Sisters Meg, Beth, and Amy all have their moments to shine. Meg yearns for the fine
things she once had before poverty knocked the Marches down a few notches, while Beth is
quiet, good-natured, and pious. Amy is spoiled and vain and dreams of becoming a moneyed
lady. And then there is Jo, who's a writer trying to write stories that are meaningful but nobody
wants to publish her work unless she makes it unnecessarily sensational, and each of them is in
the middle of some kind of turbulent romance, and some of them are dealing with status issues
because for women at that time it was all about marrying a very rich man who could then support
you and you could marry into that name, but Jo is adamantly against that form of control and just
wants to live her own life and write her stories. She wanted the freedom to express herself; she
would often have difficulty suppressing the pent-up rage that she felt deep inside; and she wanted
to do what made her happiest. They are guided by their mother, Marmee, who raises them alone
for a while during hard times while her husband is off doing his part in the Civil War.

Alcott's writing aims to speak out against injustices and encourage society to end
repression. She defies stereotypes by naming two of her main characters, Jo and Laurie, after
people of the opposite gender. She also uses Beth's death to represent the death of the ideal
woman, challenging the notion that such a role is the only acceptable female lifestyle. By the end
of the novel, Jo's character had changed the most, becoming more feminine and less tomboyish.
Alcott challenges gender stereotypes by removing gender expectations based on the names of the
characters, giving Jo more masculine characteristics and Laurie more feminine characteristics.
When Jo and Laurie first meet, neither appears to be bothered or surprised by the other's name.
The characters themselves do not seem bound by society's gender expectations.
 It’s a lovely story, and I wonder how I would have felt about it had I read it when I was
younger. Like so many readers, Jo, the lover of books and the writer, is my favorite. She is a
woman before her time, exhibiting independence and a desire for more in her life. It’s a
coming-of-age story in so many ways as we see Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy develop over the years,
each realizing their flaws and wanting to be better as they become women. Had I read this years
ago, I’m not sure I would have been as perceptive to the other things this story depicts—the
societal norms of the time and the time itself, during and after the Civil War. Overall, even
though it felt a bit old-fashioned given when it was written and the time frame it covers, there are
universal and timeless messages about the bonds of family, morality, and love. It was an uplifting
story that I’m glad I finally got to read.

I recommend this book for a younger audience; older readers reading it for the first time
might not feel a connection with the book because all Victorian children's books were infused
with a heavy dose of morality. Girls in particular have always been told to endure hardships
while remaining happy. My grandmother, Lolita, who grew up in the 1930s, told me her mother
said to her: "It's easy to be happy when life rolls along like a song. But it's the girl who's
worthwhile who will smile when everything goes wrong." When reading classic books written
centuries ago, I often find the characters boring and flat, with no real personality to speak of. But
Little Women is full of characters with realistic personalities—characters so lifelike you feel as if
you know them somehow. With its beautiful prose, charming story, and realistic and compelling
characters, Little Women is a complete work in itself. It clearly showed what a rare piece of
classic literature this book is, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with it deeply and dearly.
Something peaceful about this story speaks to me in a very profound manner. A bit of treacle is
apparent, but the story's truths are also as apparent as ever.

Gheian V. Sadang English Mrs. Kathrine Dulalia