Louisa May Alcott, Research Paper Example

Louisa May Alcott is an American author who is best known for her “Little Women” trilogy. She was born in 1982 during a time in which women were repressed, but free to dream about equality. Thus, “Little Women” can be seen as a feminist work, although these themes were not made apparent due to the fear that blatantly mentioning these beliefs would prevent her works from being published. The book follows four sisters throughout their livesand depicts their ability to reach and maintain their identity. “Little Men” is a sequel to this novel that continues this theme, although it discusses the transformation of boys into men. As such, both “Little Women” and “Little Men” contain several feminist ideas hidden in the text. Throughout the series, Alcott hopes to prove that literature about the lives of women can be just as interesting as the lives of men and both “Little Women” and “Little Men” are equally important in achieving this goal.

In defining feminism and feminist thoughts, Milojevic (2007) states that “as a movement for social change, feminism is inevitably concerned with offering alternative visions of the future” (p. 330). Feminist writers often depict a future vision, just as Louisa May Alcott does in “Little Women” and “Little Men” by demonstrating that women should act according to their own free will. Feminists envision a better world where there is equality between genders, and many female authors during the 19^th century express their opinions using literature as a tool. Thus “Little Women” tells a feminist tale from the female point of view and “Little Men”, tells the story according to a male narrative.

The feminist vision of the 19^th to 20th Century was focused on equal treatment, social roles, and opportunities for men and women alike. In “Little Women”, “Little Men”, and “An Old-Fashioned Girl”, Louisa May Alcott confronts society’s norms regarding roles of women. Through the themes she discusses, she criticizes the conventional views, restrictions and limitations women need to face. An example of this is seen in “Little Women” when Jo refuses to marry Laurie. In the early 1800’s, women were expected to marry based on who the family felt was most suitable. Jo demonstrates her strength as an individual when she refuses to do so because the repercussions for this rejection were considered rather high. Women were held to hold value primarily based on who they were to marry and seen as generally undesirable for rejecting such a proposal. Jo can be seen as an early feminist because she understands that gender stereotypes are damaging and she shows that she is willing to fight for her beliefs.

A second example of criticism against gender stereotypes is seen in “Little Men” when Jo and Laurie discuss a “perfect world” in which men and woman are equal and free to choose their societal role. In essence, this is a feminist utopia. This point of view is essential to the feminist nature of the story because it is a prime example of how society can benefit from equal rights. Furthermore, it demonstrates that men believe in these equal rights just as women do. Thus, this scenario presents an opportunity for men and women to work together to achieve social change.

Alcott has integrated many aspects of her own life into the characters seen in both “Little Women” and “Little Men”. As a consequence, the feminist ideals discussed in both novels are reflective of her own life. For example, the author used her own father as a model for the character of Professor Bhaer, who disciplines children for not telling the truth. In a sense, he can be seen as an anti-feminist because he attempts to teach young girls an ideal behavior that is expected of them by society. Essentially, boys can get away with lying more than girls, and when girls are caught doing so, they are punished more harshly. Thus, Professor Bhaer is symbolic of double standards in the behavior between men and women

An additional way that Alcott parallels her life is through the character Jo, who is seen as somewhat of a tomboy. There are several similarities between the character in this book and the author’s memoir, “Recollections of My Childhood”. Ultimately, it was considered strange for a female child to act more boyish than her companions and this behavior was looked down upon. Rather, society attempted to teach ladies to be more refined, and teach them appropriate hobbies such as needlework and how to play the piano. “Little Women” emphasizes this societal expectation, as the four sisters are frequently encouraged by their parents to utilize proper behaviors and improve their womanly skills. This training was meant to improve their suitability as wives and make them more desirable to potential suitors. Since Mr. and Mrs. March had four female children, these skills were particularly stressed because they believed it would prove difficult to marry all of them off.

One of the major themes expressed in both “Little Women” and “Little Men” is the role of women in society. The author contrasts “traditional” female roles, which are traditionally domestic, with new, revolutionary approaches. For example, the book demonstrates that Nan is capable of being a good mother who cares for children even though her mind set and way of thinking is atypical for a woman living during the 1800’s. It shows that she is able to have her own ideas about things rather than listen to men and agree with their opinions. The author confirms “Nan found as much pleasure in using her     quick wits and fine memory as her active feet and merry tongue, while the lads had to do their best to keep their places, for Nan showed them that girls can do most things as well as boys, and some things better” (Alcott, 122). Ultimately, Nan’s character shows the worth that women can have to society and she represents the idea that collaborating with women will help a society achieve greatness.

An additional theme in both stories are parent-daughter relationships and how these interactions can help a woman achieve self-confidence to do what she believes to be best. Ultimately, the author reveals how equal treatment of boys and girls can make a difference. These examples provide evidence that it is necessary for women to be supported in their actions so that they may achieve greatness. Although women have their own opinions, society has suppressed their ability to speak freely. To break free from this prejudice, it is essential for mothers to teach their daughters to be strong willed. There are several cases in the book where the daughter attempted to rebel against the parents, but this worked as a lesson for everyone in the family. Strong maternal figures are seen as the authority in these books, which emphasizes their value as a primary influence on their children.

A third theme in the books is the vision of a new world. Alcott uses strong characters and their thoughts to depict her own vision of a     new world that provides equal opportunities for both boys and girls. In both “Little Women” and “Little Men”, the author holds men and women in equal esteem. Her female characters are witty and typically think for their own, and they are shown to be as intelligent as the males they communicate with. When Jo and Laurie dream of a world in which men and women are equal, they are essentially setting the precedent for feminism. The remainder of these books are used to show how this idea world is possible and how close to ideal it would be. Ultimately, a world in which both men and women are equal is one that would help the evolution of humanity in the most efficient and creative manner.

Although the books promote feminism, they also demonstrate that women have many different personalities and it is important to embrace each individual. For example, Daisy and Nan have contrasting personalities, and even though Nan has more radical ideas and Daisy is more domestic, it is important for each of them to contribute their thoughts and feelings. This concept is mirrored by many of the men and boys in “Little Men” as well. They all have different personalities and levels of maturity, but they are not afraid to express their opinions. Ultimately, this demonstrates that the men and women in these stories aren’t all that different and the author wishes the reader to carry this mindset into the world with them after they are done reading.

In conclusion, while the work “Little Men” has a central theme of boys growing up, it also features several characters that have a strong feminist vision. The themes of Alcott’s feminist ideology are present in the way the characters speak about the future, how they behave and challenge the social norms related to gender roles. The text of both “Little Women” and “Little Men” is reflective of gender expectations in the 1800’s. Ultimately, she uses the works to mirror her feminist ideals and share these ideas with a generation that may have not been fully ready for them. In these works, she creates a fantastic vision of women standing up for what they believe in addition to a perfect vision of a society in which men and women are treated equally. In the end, Louisa May Alcott’s dreams were recognized, although after her death. However, she provided one of the first literary words concerning the lives of women and in these stories her ideas about equality were presented. On August 18, 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution was ratified, which allowed women the right to vote (Shuler). For the first time, women were able to enact their opinions and contribute to politics. Although this was not the end to women’s suffrage, Alcott’s stories encouraged many to take part in this social movement. As a consequence, women today are seen as near equals to men in this country, in a movement that all started with “Little Women” and “Little Men”.

Works Cited

Alcott, Louisa May (1871)  Little Men. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Greene, J. (2000) A woman’s legacy: An analysis of feminist themes in the work of Louisa May Alcott. University of Tennessee Honors Thesis Projects. Retrieved from  http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_chanhonoproj/383

Milojevic, I. (2007) Timing feminism, feminising time. Futures. 40 (2008) 329–345

Shealy, Daniel, (ed.) (2005)  Alcott in Her Own Time: A Biographical Chronicle of Her Life, Drawn from Recollections, Interviews, & Memoirs by Family, Friends, & Associates. Iowa City: U of Iowa P, 2005.

Shuler, Marjorie. (1920) Out of Subjection Into Freedom. The Woman Citizen: 360. Retrieved from http://diglib.lib.utk.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=vvo;cc=vvo;rgn=full%20text;view=image;seq=0000000001;idno=0015_000050_000218_0000