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Theme Of Little Women

Decent Essays

Alcott's Little Women and Defending Individuals Little Women by Louisa May Alcott is an American novel that dominated literature studies in the mid-19th century. It was initially published in two parts and has been recognized as a unique piece of literature with a powerful message. One of its most influential themes is about people's rights, both men and women; even though it can be argued that she had a stronger bias towards the latter. Throughout the book, the author questions the functioning of male-dominated societies. Alcott makes all of her characters think and dream beyond getting married and staying at home, although she does not deny any of them the freedom to do that. However, she notes that the girl must make a personal choice …show more content…

It's worth noting that she was not just a novelist, but also a feminist and activist. Indeed, she was the first female registered voter in Concord, Massachusetts. This move came after a law was passed by the state to permit women to actively participate in electing town officials on matters that involved education and children in 1879. Alcott did not stop there; she organized reading groups to sensitize mothers on the need to vote despite the increased resistance encountered when they claimed to be considerably busy looking after their households. Besides, just as one of the themes in Little Women suggests regarding men-women relationships, Louisa never married in her life. So, it can be deduced that her assertions in the novel were motivated by the need to fight for people’s rights in a chauvinist society that arguably only cared about the well-being of …show more content…

Amy is rude and acts as the ‘spoilt brat.' She is also presented as egocentric, an aspect required in acting against what the society expected of them. This attribute appears as an attempt by women to assume the roles of men whom the society valued much more. First of all, Amy is an artist, which was supposed to be a male career. Secondly, she travels to Europe and leaves the 'hearth and home' confinement that girls were made to experience. Alcott also presents her as a violent girl child when she revenges Jo's attending of a party with Laurie by burning her manuscript. The author also demonstrates practical defiance in the novel when Amy rejects going back to school after being punished once for breaking the rules. She is also tempted to follow the common practice of marrying wealthy men when she almost gets engaged to Fred Vaughn. However, the values instilled in her by Marmee (her mother), eventually help her choose love over money. Her character can be summarized by her words: "Because they are mean is no reason why I should be. I hate such things, and though I think I've a right to be hurt, I don't intend to show". Here, despite admitting that the society has forcefully made it a "right" for a woman to suffer, Amy would not tolerate this habit from the

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