This month, I have been reading Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. I am ashamed to say that I had been putting off reading this novel- despite my love and admiration for classic literature and the authors that created them.
But regardless of how long I put it off, Little Women was worth the wait. Somehow despite being written in 1868, it's themes remain to be something that young girls, young people can really relate to. It's the ancient coming of age with your siblings and friends and discovering what kind of individual you want to be in the world, aspect, that makes it so timeless. Frankly, I wish it was a novel I picked up in middle school- I think it would have had a more profound effect on my character. I have always loved a good time piece, a novel or show that was written long ago or set in the early 18th- 19th century that easily whisks one away into a time that is so foreign and romanticized, even today.
Little Women is set in 19th century American Society at the time of the American Civil War. As one may anticipate, the status of women in society was increasing at a snails pace. Gender equality was being made, but slowly. Gender stereotyping was a norm and roles were split between both men and women. The expectation of the March sisters was no exception. Whilst their father was away as a chaplain for the Union army, the girls ( Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy) where left at home, facing the struggles of poverty with their dear Marmee and Hannah Mullet, the families only servant. Shortly into the story the Marches make friends with their wealthy neighbor Laurie, whom adds a lovely excitement to their lives and to the read itself. It is during that time they began to discover their deepest longings and passions in life and how to navigate them while remaining dutiful. The human complexities of gender roles, personal growth and belonging are explored throughout the novel.
Alcott did an exceptional job developing the four sisters identities. Meg, the eldest; beautiful, a bit vain although quite sweet. She was written as the most motherly, helping to care for the home and guiding her younger sisters to be "proper" girls in society. Jo, a spirited tomboy whose main passion was for literature. Beth, a gentle musician who unfortunately loses her life in the end due to complications of scarlet fever. Amy, the youngest of her sisters is the artist of the family, who finds herself the most pampered of the bunch, longing for a richer life. During my research on the novel I was pleased to read that the March family was loosely based off of the author's. It is believed that the sister based off of Alcott was none other than the iconic Jo March. Frankly, I adore Jo and found a deep connection to her frustration towards the unrelenting expectations of her gender.
The thing about the novel that makes it so excellent in my opinion are the well rounded characters and the interconnectedness between them. They are incredibly well thought out, while reading it, it is like the reader too, has known the March family and their peers all their life. Each character faces their own personal development and none are the same as they were at the beginning of the novel when it comes to a close, making them all the more genuine. It reads simply and yet has many profound sentiments. Exploring the joys of being young and experiencing all that life has to offer. The tale makes is quite clear that money does not equal to love, that one may be poor monetarily but may still incredibly wealthy in love. The sisters care infinitely for one another and carry an immense amount of pride for their family, an incredibly admirable trait. It is one of the greatest things I connected to as a reader.
Like most fans of the novel, I was a bit perplexed at first with the ending and whom certain individuals ended up marrying. Okay... with who Jo and Laurie ended up marrying. During the entirety of the story I was rooting for the two to end up together. It felt to me that they were the perfect pair! A bestfriend to lovers tale, however I understand the deep complexities of the time. Jo felt she could not love Laurie in the same way he loved her, that the pair were too much alike to be for one another thus resulting in her refusal of Laurie's proposal.
Ultimately she ended up marrying a German professor in a meeting of the minds not of the hearts. Do I think Jo March ever loved Laurie? Yes. Was it a romantic love? No, I don 't believe so, frankly I don't believe Jo had the capacity for romantic love toward men. I believe her marriage was entirely out of obligation to the society she was pictured in. I say this considering Alcott. Unlike Jo, Louisa May Alcott never married and in an interview when asked about it she explained, "I am more than half-persuaded that I am a man’s soul put by some freak of nature into a woman’s body, because I have fallen in love with so many pretty girls and never once the least bit with any man." Some argue that Alcott was a lesbian however there is no evidence proving this to be true, though she was remarked to have lived a proud life of "spinsterhood". Regardless the great thing about literature is it is always up to interpretation. I believe Jo would have been better suited on her own, just as Alcott. Though I suppose that is why the novel is "semi-autobiographic" and not actually the authors autobiography.
In conclusion, I was pleased with Little Women. I do believe the best audience for the novel would be ages 10-18, similar to the ages of the girls in the story, however having read it in my twenties for the first time, I did find many lessons to hold true in adulthood. It is also just an excellent read, I enjoyed the characters and was pleased to see them develop and grow on the page. Overall I would rate the novel a 7.5/10. It is a simple read that touches on subjects that may have been avoided at the time with a beautiful nuance. The story is compelling and genuine. Personally, I did not find it in its entirety to be a real page turner, simply because of the content of the novel. There were some portions where I felt deeply invested in the story, and others where I felt the pacing was a little slow for me. Every chapter had it's intent which I appreciated, but I certainly enjoyed the "big" moments more.
If you have not, go and give Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. You will not regret it.
“Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as just beauty. I’m so sick of people saying that love is all a woman is fit for.”
― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
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