The classic book little women 

The classic book little women 

What makes the book classic?

Little woman an interesting novel that can be categorized as a classic book since it is exciting and can be read by a generation to generation. Precisely the novel is discussing on the current issue in contemporary society, that why it has attracted many readers both from the past decades and the present and future generations to come. According to research most many readers will read the book again and again as it covers what is being transpired in the society.

The book is fits the definition; the answer can see she discuss on the role of women in contemporary society. The author is cautioning male to be considering what they need in their future brides. The author stress on displaying what men believe in ladies as we can see the author sums up the issues arising on feminist which were common during the era when little women novel was published. There was a particular assumption that women were created to be belonging to home and act as embodiments of feminine virtues. Historical Context of Little Women is proof that there is an actual event in the novel. The story is opening during the later time of civil wars involving the southern and northern states of America March is the point of interest to most of the readers as he is included in the war, during this period of war in every family men were taken to war very few never participated in the civil war. The little woman novel was also written in the middle of Gilded age in America according to the history during this period there were innovations, social justice introduction as well as industrialization. The American feminist’s movement got powers, and we can see the roots and efforts of feminism throughout the novel Little women. The novel is having two parts the climax of the first part comes when the readers see that Mr. March could be triumphant in the war and return home. However, in part two of the novel, the climax is when Jo and Professor Bhaer were engaged (Zakaria 34).

During the 19th century, there were feminists such as Alcott who focused on enquiring on fundamental notions concerning the role of women and how they should behave in society “Oh, my girls, however long you may live, I never can wish you a greater happiness than this! (Alcott 8 -9).”The tomboyish and defiant antics of Jo represented in the book and indeed shows the woman behavior. Through this character, the audience could be able to see that no female virtue is much higher than the other and there are several ways of becoming female. Therefore we can see that the little women revolutionary ideas underscored by Jo behavior (Alcott 12).

In part 1 of the story, we can see that women are capable of going far and beyond the degree of independence rather than gender roles as per the culture and traditions. Generally, we can see that the author tries to sensitize on the issue of gender norms during the 19th century and is striving to pay much attention to women showing that they are critical to the society and can accomplish their duties. “I don’t want a fashionable wedding, but only those about me whom I love, and to them, I wish to look and be my familiar self.” We can see that women are helping to teach their children to follow the way of the lord and take the Christian responsibilities as Mrs acted it. March from the allegorical story in Pilgrims progress. “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.” Interestingly the readers can see that the March sisters are hade a moral growth. This is seen through March sisters progression to adulthood(Alcott 54)

The author also points out on social class and work, and she is focusing on the preoccupation of women before there was an industrial revolution in America. This revolution triggered woman of that era towards struggling to earn a living. For instance, after publishing the Little woman, she would continue in coming up with another book called work which is a semi-autobiographical novel. March family shows that work can be central to the lives of the members and social experiment to little women “I don’t believe fine young ladies enjoy themselves a bit more than we do, in spite of our burned hair, old gowns, one glove apiece and tight slippers that sprain our ankles when we are silly enough to wear them. “The issue of social class is also very crucial in the novel as we can see that March family got into poverty as a result of unavoidable circumstances. In the little women, we can see poverty as valuable.  In Little Women, there is a notion that the lower class have certain nobility and virtue that is not there in upper level.The novel is a record of the March girl’s progress from innocent, idealized to much complex and mastery of the world and love as it the story ends. The notion of romantic love is embodied in Jo despite the challenges she finds the real love “Wealth is certainly a most desirable thing,” Alcott writes, “but poverty has its sunny side, and one of the sweet uses of adversity is the genuine satisfaction which comes from the hearty work of head or hand…”(Alcott 46).

Critics of the book/author Critical Reception

According to the recent research early critics on the show that the Little Women influence has been limited to the female audience over the history. Additionally, some early critics were aimed at appreciating Alcott’s works as well as building sentimental praise to meet the targeted readers need and expectations. In the late 19th century Angla Brazil enjoyed Alcott’s writing recommending that she is showing the domestic sphere concretely and just like most American women writers she is talent author. In academia this novel was highly used in the 1960s and 1970s before it could face scrutinization from feminist critics, many were very frustrated because work appeared to be outdated sentimental and more dismissed this novel since it seemed to be upholding the traditional separation of women and men spheres (Fetterley 369).

In the year 1980s, there was more emphasis based on the expansion of canon to include works related to popular culture as well as including the marginalized authors; this brought attention to Little women. Making the novel attain the importance of women studies as it was shown in explanations of the families in the 19th century as well as brig the idea of the women struggle in gaining identity in the society. According to research, it is authentic that this novel is resulting in impacting on the female readers in the 20tth century who were mainly creating models of having female autonomy, for instance, Jo, a character in a little woman. In a nutshell, some current critics are continuing in the positive vein they create awareness for subversive aspects in the novel. Recasting Jo being a feminist just like the author Jo created may of possibilities in a limited manner open to the women of her era (Stern 123).

Comparison of the novel with the rest of the works

Comparison of the novel with the rest of the works, Other Books Related to Little Women.The author also was involved in making some other publications including a chronicle of more adventure involving Jo as well as the plumfield school for boys. Jos Boys 1886 and Little men 1871. Additionally, there were other books such as Anne of green gables 1908 having themes of domesticity, true love, and feminity.Little women involves the original work as well as its sequel good wives ,which were written by Louisa May Alcott in 1868 and 1869.According to Little research women has been established is a key in a canon of teens literature and is preferred by the majority to be the first book in America that aimed at helping children break with the tradition which is didactic (Bedell 13).

The book is typical in contemporary society as it helped in introducing entertainment and realism to the children in the American literature. According to research the author Louisa May Alcott was raised in Massachusetts, Concord and Boston though she was born in Pennsylvania Germantown in 1832. Being born in a family of four daughters, Alcott was the second born, who later become an education reformer, transcendentalist and a famous writer. Even though she came across a couple of challenges in her career, the author was commercially successful compared to her father.Since this was a woman writer, there is an expectation of her writing on moralizing and sentimental stories. Moreover, there was a better need for her to consider the sensational audience cravings for her to be successful as a writer. Thought her life as a writer Louise was very successful until the day she met her death in 1888. Consequently, some criticism argues that in her book Alcott had subverted the moralizing aim she had in her novel Little women by using realism to counter sensation (Fetterley 370).

The book was a success during the author’s life

The book was a success during the author’s life as it transformed many of the women though it at point caused controversy.Since the writer was at some point getting resistant to traditional needs. In part, I of the book the March girls including Amy, Jo, Beth, and Meg are inspired by John Bunyan’s religious allegory to turn towards self-improvements by embarking on Pilgrimages. Additionally, the author introduces Mr. March, a volunteer chaplain during the civil war. Their consciences guide the March girls during their journey and not dogma(Alberghene et al 18).It is here when Meg come to understand how to overcome her vanity; Jo learned to overcome temper and excessiveness while Amy could be able to defeat her character of being selfish and greedy.Beth does not seem to be in need of change since she is saintly ironically this appears to be kind of charity, she could visit the infants who were ill consequently she got scarlet fever which made her weak in health precipitating her death (Bedell 43).The neighbors including Theodore Laurence and his grandfather appeared to be far from patriarchal figures but liked the way the Marches enjoyed the domestic peace.The audience can be intrigued by the kind of relationship started by Jo and Laurie; the author is so keen such that she is limiting to come up with a romantic plot she does not allow these characters to marry.Jo is preferring to support her family financially rather than getting married; she believes that she is the man of the house whenever the father was not at home (Alberghene et al 23).

Additionally in the second part of the book of Little Women, was published as Good Wives, the author is presenting the girls period of transition to adulthood. This is representing what is happening in contemporary society. Interestingly we can see that the girls started getting into marriage relationships. Laurie tutor John broke Maries Meg. Furthermore Amy who appears to have a keen interest in art and married Laurie this comes after Jo had refused her. Beth lost her life and could not make it to adulthood through her death appeared as inspiration to Jos towards taking up her domestic responsivities. Jo philosophical interests made her marry Professor Bhaer of middle age. Jo becomes a teacher for their boy school that she had started with her husband he to the students she has a mother figure “Women should learn to be agreeable, particularly poor ones, for they have no other way of repaying the kindnesses they receive. If you’d remember that, and practice it, you’d be better liked than I am, because there is more of you.” (Alcott 29).

Author’s life

Author’s life and hardship forced her to develop an interest in fictional writing, and she wrote the book. Initially, the Alcott had published her work which categorically focused on romance, violence, and pots with exciting characters, these were meeting the desires and the expectations for the audience. Moreover, the author had to pay the credit to the need of other by writing a “girl’s book,” though she managed to make the book more sensational and realism through selecting the girlhood she was familiar with for her subject (Bedell 93).

The author decided to write according to her own life experience and based on the issue her sisters were facing during their adolescence and their transition from a girl into adulthood capturing the girls private as well as their local experience at home, delineating the girl’s matriarchal haven of comfort. Through dramatizing the girl’s creative role, the author is exploring the girl’s struggle of becoming good sister’s happy wives and artists in life. According to the research Alcott was bound to culture and was meant to obey it since there was a need of producing moralizing stories. Alcott went contrary to society by showing a kind of resistance to preach moderation instead of excessive molding on religion as it is common in little women (Alcott 16).

Generally, the rigid moral structures do not guide the girls, but the sense of family controls them as Mother Marmee wisdom words confirm if there was need of unity and sisterly community.In the second part of the book, there is the incorporation of change since we see the theme of sisterhood including marriage and creation of new families, the three sisters get new roles as good wives. Additionally, there is another critical change and transformation that occur since there is room for getting involved in social responsibility, family unity, self-improvement, matriarchal powers and artistic and ply development benefits which are well presented as promising themes in the little women (Alberghene et al 30).

Generally the Authors career in writing is highly depicted in the novel  ,author survived through writing and it was the only option she could raise money to support her family.The author narrates several actual life events as we can see the characters such as Mr. March getting involved in the civil war as well as returning home safely in part one of the book. Additionally the readers can be able to understand the March girl’s transformation and progress in life, and they grew from young girls to adulthood.The author at some point gives his autobiography Brief Biography of Louisa May Alcott (Stover 94).Louisa May was born in 1832; prominent parents raised her they were in transcendentalist movement. The father is crowned as the father of modern education in America. Even though he was very brilliant, he could not manage his wealth, and his family was plagued with poverty which was far less pleasant than the situation at March family. Unfortunately, the author was subjected to working at her early age so that she could keep her family safe from starvation and poverty. The same case Jo experienced, the author was ambitious and could take writing fiction as a career that could save his family from poverty.She continued struggling by writing until she witnessed Hospital Sketches published her success as a writer from the Atlantic monthly her articles in 1863. The author becomes a staunch abolitionist, spinster as well as feminist, following her publication of the famous Little women, she died in 1888.

Works cited

Alberghene, Janice M., and Beverly Lyon Clark, eds. Little Women and the Feminist Imagination: Criticism, Controversy, Personal Essays. Routledge, 2014.

Alcott, Louisa May. Little women. Рипол Классик, 1869.

Bedell, Madelon. The Alcotts: Biography of a family. Outlet, 1980.

Fetterley, Judith. “” Little Women”: Alcott’s Civil War.” Feminist Studies 5.2 (1979): 369-383.

Stern, Madeleine B. Critical Essays on Louisa May Alcott. GK Hall, 1984.

Stover, Deanna. “American Woman: Feminine Speech and the Reformation of National Identity Through Female Community in louisa May Alcott’s An Old-Fashioned Girl.” Women’s Writing 25.1 (2018): 80-94.

Zakaria, Atielia. “Exploring gender as a social construct: re-reading Little Women from a feminist perspective.” (2015).