Theme Of Little Women

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

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.

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.

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

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.

During this century, women were reliant on men for much in life. Most states did not allow women to vote or own property. If a woman worked, the jobs were sparse and clearly defined: maid, nurse, seamstress, grade-school teacher. Marriage or inheritance were the only hopes women had for financial prosperity. Sadly, even in marriage, countless women were practically enslaved; not treated unkindly, nevertheless grouped into certain affairs and tasks. These enslavement sparked a movement in two women in particular; Harriet Beecher Stowe and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. I can imagine their spirits chatting near the water well...

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.

Little Women is a novel by American author Louisa May Alcott (1832–1888), the title of the book was meant to highlight the inferiority of women as compared to men, or, alternatively, describe the lives of simple people, "unimportant" in the social sense. This novel was written in New England during and after the American

March 's role as a minister, but also to their wishes for true happiness. Alcott describes how difficult it is for her characters to make moral options, but when they do, they are happier than when they make immoral ones. When the girls share their Christmas breakfast with the Hummel’s, they are happy with their decision and honoured by a feast from Mr. Laurence. Laurie is thankful to Meg for making him promise to avoid drinking, and grateful that his promises to his grandfather and Marmee keep him out of mischief. The King family provides a counterexample of the unhappiness that comes to the family because of the son’s immoral behavior. Amy is deeply thankful that she married Laurie for love, rather than marrying Fred Vaughn for money. Jo tries to meander morality through her sensation stories by making her sinners repent, but when morals didn’t sell, she leaves the morals out. Mr. Bhaer teaches her, though, that meeting society’s demand is not always worthy, and she feels very guilty about her immoral stories. After Beth dies, when Jo writes from the heart, she is rewarded by the return of Mr. Bhaer and her ultimate marriage.

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.