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
Another story that deals with a woman’s role in society is “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Their role is often portrayed as being controlled by men because that’s what they were in the 19th century. This story takes place in the 19th century which just goes to show that nothing really changes. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is about a woman who is basically locked away in a house by her husband due to her “psychological” problems. She isn’t allowed to leave and she only has a small window with bars across it. When she look out the window she basically creeps around in order to blend in with society. She also doesn’t want to see the other women who have to do the same thing as her because she knows that those women are a reflection of her. This just goes to show that women are to move without being seen. They have to abide by their husband’s rules or any man’s rules for that matter. Men are very superior during this time and if women don’t follow, then it most likely wouldn’t end well. The woman’s role in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is to not bother her husband and keep quiet. The world isn’t supposed to know about her condition obviously, considering she can’t leave the house.
Due to details from the text, Louisa May Alcott was anxious to participate, in some way, in the Civil War. First, in paragraph 2 it states, "I’ve often longed to see a war, and now I have my wish. " This shows that Alcott wants to participate in the war because she "longed" to see the war, and when she is able to be a nurse in the war, she says she has her wish. Also in paragraph 4 it states, "I like the stir in the air, and long for battle like a warhorse when he smells powder." From this, I can infer that Alcott is anxious to participate in the war because when she describes the war, she describes it as something that makes her feel confident/happy.
Women haven’t always had the freedom that they have today. Women were supposed to live a certain life even though sometimes they didn’t want to. They had to tend to their husbands at all time, stay home and do housework while still taking care of their children or being pregnant. Women were abused physically, emotionally, and psychologically. Although women were perceived to act and present themselves in a certain way, some young women went against the cult of the true woman hood not only to be different, but to escape he physical, emotional, and psychological abuse that they will or have encountered. In novels, The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Path and Lucy, by Jamaica Kincaid both young women have the similarity to rebel against the cult of true
The oppression of women has occurred all throughout history across the world in the thousands of years that patriarchy has existed. During recent times as social standards have progressed, the voices of women are heard more often than long ago. Nonetheless, it is often overlooked that women of decades before used their voices in other ways in order to speak out against oppression. One of the ways these women did this was in their literary writing. Despite the progress made today to stand up against oppression of women, there is much that can be learned by looking back at problematic situations portrayed by women writers of the 19th and 20th centuries. Out of all of the texts written by women only three will be discussed; Rebecca Harding Davis’s Life in the Iron-Mills, Susan Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers and Flannery O’Connor’s Good Country People, in which specific symbols are used as representations of the ways in which women were oppressed and how important it is to study these texts today. By narrowing down the number of literary texts to three as well as discussing only one literary device from each, one can begin to understand the importance of learning about the American women’s literary tradition.
Louisa May Alcott is an American Novelist best known as the author of the novel “Little Women”. Louisa was born in November 1982, grew up in Germantown- Washington D.C and was known to be an abolitionist, feminist and also a naturalist. Being a naturalist meant that she believed that nothing existed beyond the natural earth i.e. no such thing as spirituality or the supernatural. Her family suffered from financial difficulties and so Alcott had to work to support her family in an early age. She penned the story “My Contraband” (1869) which was formerly known as “The Brothers” (1863). Contraband was a black slave who escaped to or was brought within union lines (Alcott 759). In “My Contraband”, Louisa
At the time this novel was published, women did as they were expected to by society.
"Four women, taught by weal and woe To love and labor in their prime. Four sisters, parted for an hour, None lost, one only gone..." (365-366). Jo wrote these lines in a poem, after Beth died. This is the most significant struggle for Jo. Jo and Beth are the two middle sisters in the classic novel, Little Women (1869) written by Louisa May Alcott. This is a classic novel about an American family of four daughters, a father who is off at war and a mother who works for the food. Jo and Beth are best friends and Jo sets the example for Beth.
Louisa Alcott’s novel Little Women is posed during the Civil War. There are four girls: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. They live with their mother while their father is away fighting in the war. Little Women displays many themes. However, feminism is one of the important themes displayed. During the Civil War, women were expected to get married, and while Jo portrays feminism, she gets married in the end of the novel. This aspect demonstrates that even though someone wants to change the way something is, it cannot be completely changed because of society’s ideals. In Alcott’s novel Little Women, the author uses Jo to demonstrate femininity through the use of dialogue, imagery, and behavior.
The Victorian Era hailed many prolific authors, which were mostly male. A woman who wanted to be a writer at this time was not respected and would have been accused of being whimsical and flighty. However, women such as Louisa May Alcott redefined the norms and followed her heart with her pen by writing Little Women. The novel follows the lives of the four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March – detailing their passage from childhood to womanhood trying to find their place in society. Even though so much has changed in the last fifty years, gender roles still take a huge toll in society. Unfortunately, breaking down gender roles is not easy; as women are still
Book Theme: In the arduous journey from childhood to adulthood, a young woman is faced with two things that need great attention and balance - the progress of her individual social standing, and the welfare of her immediate family.
Louisa May Alcott, best known as the author of Little Women, was an advocate of women’s rights and temperance. Published in 1868, Little Women follows the lives, loves and tribulations of three sisters growing up during American civil war. The independence of women is a major theme in Little Women. Since its publication the novel has constantly been read and remembered for its feminist spirit. Little Women examines the place of women in society by presenting the portraits of several very different but equally praiseworthy women. We experience their multifarious interpretations of femininity and we see a range of diverse possibilities for integrating women into the society.
Throughout the evolution of the world’s societies, the roles of women seem to act as a reflection of the time period since they set the tones for the next generation. Regardless of their own actions, women generally appear to take on a lower social standing and receive an altered treatment by men. In Mark Twain’s pre-civil war novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, lies a display of how society treats and views women, as well as how they function in their roles, specifically in regards to religion and molding the minds and futures of children. The novel’s showcase of women affords them a platform and opportunity to better see their own situation and break away with a new voice.
The lab experiment was divided into parts and the synthesis of the aspirin occurred during the first week. Using 4.032g of salicylic acid 8.0mL of acetic anhydride on a hot bath the reaction was speeded up by the use of a catalyst phosphoric acid. Once the sample was then left to dry in the drawer for a week using the melting point apparatus we conducted the purity assessment of the dried sample.
Women roles have drastically changed since the late 18th and early 19th century. During this time, women did not have the freedom to voice their opinions and be themselves. Today women don’t even have to worry about the rules and limitations like the women had to in this era. Edna in “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin and Nora in “A Doll House” by Henrik Ibsen were analogous protagonists. The trials they faced were also very similar. Edna and Nora were both faced with the fact that they face a repressive husband whom they both find and exit strategy for. For Nora this involved abandoning her family and running away, while Edna takes the option that Nora could not do-committing suicide. These distinct texts both show how women were forced to
The theme of oppression is evident in Woman at Point Zero. Firdaus the narrator of the story narrates what she has gone through in her life until she is about to be convicted. Through her narration, the reader is able to know the forms of oppression that Firdaus has gone through.