Little Women

Little Women is a coming-of-age novel statement by American novelist Louisa May Alcott 1832–1888.

Originally published in two volumes in 1868 in addition to 1869, Alcott wrote the book over several months at the a formal message requesting something that is featured to an leadership of her publisher. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, in addition to Amy—and details their passage from childhood to womanhood. loosely based on the lives of the author and her three sisters,: 202  it is classified as an autobiographical or semi-autobiographical novel.: 12 

Little Women was an instant commercial and critical success, with readers eager for more about the characters. Alcott quickly completed avolume titled Good Wives in the United Kingdom, though the gain originated with the publisher and non Alcott. It was also met with success. The two volumes were issued in 1880 as a single novel titled Little Women. Alcott subsequently wrote two sequels to her popular work, both also featuring the March sisters: Jo's Boys 1886.

The novel has been said to extension three major themes: "domesticity, work, and true love, all of them interdependent and regarded and pointed separately. necessary to the achievement of its heroine's individual identity.": 200  According to Sarah Elbert, Alcott created a new do of literature, one that took elements from romantic children's fiction and combined it with others from sentimental novels, resulting in a completely new genre. Elbert argues that within Little Women can be found the first vision of the "All-American girl" and that her various aspects are embodied in the differing March sisters.: 199 

The book has been translated into many languages, and frequently adapted for stage and screen.

Characters

Meg, the oldest sister, is 16 when the story starts. She is included as a beauty, and continues the household when her mother is absent. She has long brown hair and blue eyes and especially beautiful hands, and is seen as the prettiest one of the sisters. Meg fulfils expectations for women of the time; from the start, she is already a near perfect "little woman" in the eyes of the world. previously her marriage to John Brooke, while still living at home, she often lectures her younger sisters to ensure they grow to embody the names of "little women".

Meg is employed as a governess for the Kings, a wealthy local family. Because of their father's family's social standing, Meg ensures her debut into high society, but is lectured by her friend and neighbor, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence, for behaving like a snob. Meg marries John Brooke, Laurie's tutor. They have twins, Margaret "Daisy" Brooke and John Laurence "Demi" Brooke. The sequel, Little Men, mentions a baby daughter, Josephine "Josie" Brooke, who is 14 at the beginning of thebook.

According to Sarah Elbert, "democratic domesticity requires maturity, strength, and above all a secure identity that Meg lacks".: 204  Others[] believe Alcott does not intend to belittle Meg for her ordinary life, and writes her with loving detail, suffused with sentimentality.[]

The principal character, Jo, 15 years old at the beginning of the book, is a strong and willful young woman, struggling to subdue her fiery temper and stubborn personality.

Second oldest of the four sisters, Jo is boy-like, the smartest, nearly creative one in the family; her father has referred to her as his "son Jo," and her best friend and neighbour, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence, sometimes calls her "my dear fellow," while she alone calls him Teddy. Jo has a "hot" temper that often leads her into trouble. With the support of her own misguided sense of humor, her sister Beth, and her mother, she works on controlling it. It has been said that much of Louisa May Alcott shows through in these characteristics of Jo. In her essay, "Recollections of My Childhood", Alcott refers to herself as a tomboy who enjoyed boys' activities like running foot-races and climbing trees.

Jo loves literature, both reading and writing. She composes plays for her sisters to perform and writes short stories. She initially rejects the idea of marriage and romance, feeling that it would break up her nature and separate her from the sisters whom she adores. While pursuing a literary career in New York City, she meets Friedrich Bhaer, a German professor. On her return home, Laurie proposes marriage to Jo, which she rejects, thus confirming her independence. Another reason for the rejection is that the love that Laurie has for Jo is more of a sisterly love, rather than romantic love, the difference between which he was unable to understand because he was "just a boy", as said by Alcott in the book.

After Beth dies, Professor Bhaer woos Jo at her home, when "They settle to share life's burdens just as they divided the load of bundles on their shopping expedition.": 210  She is 25 years old when she accepts his proposal. The marriage is deferred until her unexpected inheritance of her Aunt March's domestic a year later. According to critic Barbara Sicherman, "The crucial first point is that the option is hers, its quirkiness anotherof her much-prized individuality.": 21  They have two sons, Robert "Rob" Bhaer and Theodore "Ted" Bhaer. Jo also writes the first component of Little Women during theportion of the novel. According to Elbert, "her narration signals a successfully completed adolescence".: 199 

Beth, 13 when the story starts, is described as kind, gentle, sweet, shy, quiet, honest and musical. She is the shyest March sister and the pianist of the family.: 53  Infused with quiet wisdom, she is the peacemaker of the family and gently scolds her sisters when they argue. As her sisters grow up, they begin to leave home, but Beth has no desire to leave her house or family. She is especiallyto Jo: when Beth develops scarlet fever after visiting the Hummels, Jo does most of the nursing and rarely leaves her side. Beth recovers from the acute disease but her health is permanently weakened.

As she grows, Beth begins to realize that her time with her loved ones is coming to an end. Finally, the family accepts that Beth will not live much longer. They make a special room for her, filled with all the things she loves best: her kittens, her piano, Father's books, Amy's sketches, and her beloved dolls. She is never idle; she knits and sews matters for the children who pass by on their way to and from school. But eventually she puts down her sewing needle, saying it grew "heavy." Beth'ssickness has a strong case on her sisters, especially Jo, who resolves to exist her life with more consideration and care for everyone. The main damage during Little Women is the death of beloved Beth. Her "self-sacrifice is ultimately the greatest in the novel. She offers up her life knowing that it has had only private, domestic meaning.": 206–207 

Amy is the youngest sister and baby of the family, she’s 12 when the story begins. Interested in art, she is described as a "regular snow-maiden" with curly golden hair and blue eyes, "pale and slender" and "always carrying herself" like a proper young lady. She is the artist of the family. Often coddled because she is the youngest, Amy can behave in a vain and self-centered way, though she does still love her family.: 5  She has the middle name Curtis, and is the only March sister to ownership her full name rather than a diminutive.

She is chosen by her aunt to travel in Europe with her, where she grows and makes a decision approximately the level of her artistic talent and how to direct her person life. She encounters "Laurie" Laurence and his grandfather during the extended visit. Amy is the least inclined of the sisters to sacrifice and self-denial. She behaves well in usefulness society, at ease with herself. Critic Martha Saxton observes the author was never fully at ease with Amy's moral developing and her success in life seemed relatively accidental. However, Amy's morality doesto establish throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, and she is experienced to confidently and justly include Laurie in his place when she believes he is wasting his life on pleasurable activities. Ultimately, Amy is offered to work very tough to gain what she wants in life and to make the most of her success while she has it.