I found it very interesting how the characters throughout the book constantly worked towards being the perfect definition of "little women" and how this contradicts ideas of feminism, and even the attitudes of the author, Louisa May Alcott, as we learned in class.
To begin with, oftentimes when we see the March girls trying to fulfill the definition of being a "little women" we see them attempting to follow specific virtues that often challenge their personal character flaws. In my opinion, the Seven Contrary Virtues which are: humility against pride, kindness against envy, abstinence against gluttony, chastity against lust, patience against anger, liberality against greed, and diligence against sloth, outline many of the characters struggles vs goals when trying to become "little women". For example, Jo very early on in the novel struggles with anger just as her mother. We see this most when she lets her anger get the best of her and result in Amy falling through the ice on the lake. Jo confides in her mother about her anger and her mother responds, "never get tired of trying", and with Jo slowly throughout the novel learns to control her anger (Alcott 90). We even see this character development as the novel goes on and her mother begins to compliment her on this. This character development is what leads them to being "little women".
The girls strive to be perfect "little women" but this definition is often contradicting to ideas of feminism, which the author seemed to support. As seen with Meg, after she marries, she struggles to fulfill her "wifely duties". In confiding with her mother, her mother states, you've "forgotten your duty to your husband in your love for your children" (Alcott 449). This outlines one issue in my opinion of the girls developing into "little women" because all their lives they are supposed to be dedicated to pursuing marriage, being proper, and being at the will of their husband and pleasing their husband. Though this is reflective of the time period the novel was wrote in, I think it's important to highlight how women were seen in this aspect and even told to inspire to this as "little women".
More so, despite enjoying the novel, I believe the novel emphasizes the wrong values for women and what they should aspire to be. As we learned from class, the author never did marry and also more so felt as if she was a boy (reflected in Jo's character). I believe the only value that was emphasized that still has meaning to society today is the idea of love, which is highly emphasized in the last chapter. The last chapter highlights the idea of love and happiness, which is applicable to everyone in society while the other values highlighted aren't as applicable and I think to most people, especially women, cause controversy.
I also find it interesting how the girls’ characters and life choices at the end of the novel seem to defy the attitudes and beliefs of Louisa May Alcott and the book’s reputation as an iconic feminist novel. I agree that the March sisters achieve the idea of being the perfect “little women” of the time. They are respectable, control their anger, marry, etc. However, in doing so they lose all of the qualities they had they made them so dynamic and nonconforming to societal expectations. Jo is the obvious feminist icon in the story but as she grows older and takes all of Marmee’s advice and stories to heart she loses the parts of herself that make her admirable to young girls reading the book (her individuality, creativity, and courage). I believe that Alcott chose to marry Jo off in the book because of demands set by her publisher. Alcott herself never married and like you said modeled Jo’s character after herself, so it does not make sense why Jo would not follow her life choices. I agree that overall the book emphasizes the wrong values for women to have. Being kind, patient, and humble are all good traits to have but in the novel they outweigh other values that are more important for young women to have as they become independent.
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