A mini analysis on Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

        I wrote my literary analysis essay on whether or not Purple Hibiscus is a feminist novel. But then I was thinking, what is? Given that feminism can be an entirely subjective subject, it's difficult to define feminism as a genre. But let's look at one of America's most beloved feminist novels, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott.

If you don't know the basic plot of Little Women, it is about four sisters who live with their mother after their father goes off to war. Meg is the oldest, a very feminine character, with priorities in marriage and starting a family. Jo is the second eldest, and sort of the main character of the book. She is depicted as very tomboyish, and has no interest in marriage. Beth is the third eldest, and she is very quiet but enjoys music. Amy is the youngest, and is by far the most lively. 

Little Women is often considered a feminist novel because it is not about men. It sheds light into the bustle of women in the home, and their relationships with each other. (If you know what the Bechdel test is, it passes with flying colors.) There are a few male characters, but they're not in the spotlight (except for Laurie, but whatever.) The story revolves around women, it is their story. 

 Jo’s character was pretty groundbreaking for the era it was written. A girl whose main goal is not marriage, who does not seek out male attention. She is everything but the male gaze, and while in the end she gets married… I recommend watching the 2019 movie rendition of this novel. It has an interesting take on why this happened. But even despite her slightly unsatisfying ending, the principle was there (it's the thought that counts guys.) She's very smart, and she is an excellent writer and Incessant reader. She is also very vocal about her opinions, ones which she formed mostly on her own or from her own gathering of knowledge (as opposed to just absorbing them from those around her, if that makes any sense.)

Another aspect of this! Jo’s sister Meg, is not quite the same. She wants to get married and have kids, things a woman would traditionally end up doing. However, this is not villainized.  Louisa May Alcott was able to recognize and validate that part of feminism is that women are no less feminist by the path they choose. While Jo wishes to keep Meg from marrying off, (“I just wish I could marry Meg myself, and keep her safe in the family”) Alcott does an excellent job of justifying Meg’s position. (“Meg and John begin humbly, but I have a feeling that there will be quite as much happiness in the little house as in the big one.”) And while you have all probably heard the quote of “Just because my dreams are different from yours, it doesn't mean they are unimportant” I'm pretty sure it's not in the book. (I went through my copy again trying to find it, I couldn't, but maybe it's hiding somewhere..) Thank you to Greta Gerwig though.

!!SPOILERS!! Now we can talk about Laurie. When he proposes/confesses to Jo, she says no! Based solely on the reason she just doesn't see him in that way! Laurie is literally depicted as the perfect man, but she says no! Because she has the choice! Yay Jo! !!SPOILERS END!!

I'm not going to talk a lot about how cool Louisa May Alcott is in an effort to separate art from artist, but let me just mention how awesome she was. A suffragette, abolitionist, and obviously a feminist. When the civil war happened in 1861, she wanted to join the union army but couldn't because she was a woman, and so she sewed uniforms and waited until she was of age to join as a nurse. Also, she never married! 

Anyway, I would very much recommend reading Little Women if you haven't already. It's an enjoyable book, while the language can be a bit hard to understand, it really isn't too bad. While this post was mostly about the feminist aspects I took from this book, there is alot to this book I didn't talk about that anyone could find enjoyable. Happy Reading!

-Olive Jan