#Little women how to#
Also in keeping with the cultural norm of mid nineteenth century society, is the fact that it’s the mother figure who takes on the role of guide and mentor (a reflection of the ideology about the traditional role of women as nurturer.) Hence we see it’s Mrs March, a strong and confident woman herself, who seeks to teach her daughters – and through them, young female readers – how to be happy and fulfilled individuals. The Christian overtone means that Little Women can be seen as part of a long tradition of improving literature for children. Our burdens are here, our road is before us and the longing for goodness and happiness is the guide that leads us through many troubles and mistakes to the peace which is a true Celestial City. We are never too old for this… because it is a play we are playing all the time in one way or another. And just in case young readers miss the point, it’s reinforced early in Chapter 1 where Mrs March reminds the girls how much they loved playing as pilgrims in their younger days and encourages them to take up their journey again. So even before we get to page 1, the didactic nature of the book is evident. If you’re in any doubt about this, look at the Preface which alludes to John Buynan’s Pilgrims Progress and expresses a wish that the novel might affect its readers to the point that “they choose to be Pilgrims better.” This is a book that has a serious purpose. It’s meant to instruct not merely to amuse.
#Little women series#
It’s told in a series of episodes, some amusing, some touching, in which they win friends, make their own fun, fall in love and worry about their absent father.īut if you think this book is simply about a series of entertaining episodes. It’s the trials and tribulations of these girls as they grow into adulthood and deal with the difficulties posed by lack of wealth, that form the focus of the book. Her sisters (the other ‘little women’) have their fans too - Amy, the proud artistic sister with a passionate interest in her own appearance and in being popular Meg, the eldest girl who becomes the closest in temperament to her mother and little Beth, the shy and fragile girl whose disposition is always sweet and selfless. This vivacious, intelligent girl who cares nothing for outward appearance, struggles repeatedly against her tendency to lose her temper and to hold a grudge. Apparently she used her own sisters as models for the four sisters and used a lot of her own experiences and attitudes to develop the character of the second eldest girl Jo March. Although Alcott confided to her journal that she “Never liked girls or knew many, except my sisters” she succeeded in creating girls to whom her readers could relate. The men seem rather insignificant and drippy in comparison to the strong individuals who comprise the female side of the March family. And then there is the March girls’ new-found friend Laurie, who prefers the warmth and affection of the March home than the richness of his grandfather’s mansion. There’s Mr March who has to be nursed back to health by the love of his wife and daughters on his return from the war. There’s the family neighbour Mr Lawrence, who is grieving over the death of his daughter but finds solace in the gentleness of young Beth March. When they do make an appearance they seem to a hapless lot, suffering from broken hearts or physical injuries and utterly reliant on the women to sustain and care for them. They’re outnumbered and some of them are conspicuously absent (most notably Mr March who is serving as a chaplain in the Civil War). Men don’t get much of a look in in this novel. Given the target audience it’s not surprising that the central characters are mainly female. It’s not until Good Wives that the March daughters get to venture further away from the family home. Most of the action takes place either in the March’s home or in other homes close by and many of the episodes revolve around domestic activities like cleaning, cooking and sewing. Little Women and its sequel Good Wives made Alcott one of the first children’s authors to be taken seriously by the literary world and ushered in a new genre of books aimed specifically at girls. Readers hungry for more news of the March family pressed the author Louisa May Alcott to write a sequel. Within six weeks of its release it had sold more than 13,000 copies (an extraordinary number for the period). Little Women has charmed readers of all ages ever since its publication in 1863. “Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.Īnd with that opening line, the scene is set for one of the classics of children’s literature.
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