In the novel, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, one piece of imagery stood out to me. Throughout the work, Alcott portrays the lives of the March sisters. In the beginning of the book, young readers are presented with unique characters with individual personalities. Upon first evaluation, it appears that the novel embraces the goals and differences of the young March sisters. Each of them presents a separate identity with their own flaws. However, as the novel proceeds, these flaws are critiqued and ridiculed by a societal, moral code. For example, Jo, the protagonist, is seen to many as a revolutionary feminist character. She dreams of being a sensationalist writer and detests her feminine duties. However, just like the rest of the March sisters, she loses many aspects of her identity as she fits into a mold built by her mother.
In my opinion, the novel starts off as a feminist expedition, but slowly halts to a stop as the ending teaches young girls a very different story. Every single one of the girls, as they begin to grow up, is expected to focus perfecting their imperfections. Jo must control her anger. Amy needs to overlook vanity. Meg is taught to give up her love for finer things. Finally, seemingly to teach the other girls a lesson, Beth, the most innocent of the March sisters, dies young. Undoubtedly, by the end of the novel, they slowly overcome their vices and lose individuality. Meg holds back her love for luxury, and Amy must ignore beauty. Also, none of the March sisters get what they desire. Jo begins to write stories that are no longer sensational, because they sell. Likewise, she improves her lady-like qualities, ditching the temper. Her mother teaches Jo to control her anger, stating “I am angry every day of my life, Jo, but I have learned not to show it, and I still hope to learn not to feel it” (61). This teaches young girls a lesson much opposite from even the earliest of feminist movements. Young women are taught to dull their desires and anger to focus on internalizing their emotions. Each of them gives up their vices and lose bits of their individuality. Louisa May Alcott is not showing a radical feminist idea, rather it takes her a whole novel to repeat the idea that women are best kept quiet, submissive, and helpful.
Although I liked the novel, the message it sends to young woman of the time seems to rewind the clock, rather than push it forward. It is yet another lesson on how to become virtuous and respectable. However, this means the children must give up all desires and passions to focus on being a good women without vice. They are taught to only take what you need, and never what you want. To me, the March sisters are sensational and full of character in the beginning of the novel but lose their sense of self and identity to a society that values quiet, bleak women.
I agree with your statement that throughout the novel the March girls lose their individuality and begin to confine towards society’s standards for women. Meg sacrifices her personal desires to do what is best for her family. This is seen when Meg asks Sallie Gardiner to buy the expensive fabric from her, so she can buy a coat for her husband. Likewise, Jo and Amy also change throughout the novel and move towards society’s expectations of young women. However, I do not agree that the feminist expedition halts at the end of the book. In fact, I believe the message is magnified at the end of the novel.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, Jo fights societal expectations for young women by acting boyish and not worrying about what others thought of her. Although, the way she rebels against these norms change as she matures, they do not vanish. Jo takes great pride in her ability to provide for herself and her family financially, “Jo enjoyed a taste of this satisfaction, and ceased to envy richer girls, taking great comfort in the knowledge that she could supply her own wants and need ask no one for a penny” (179). It was uncommon in the 19th century for a young woman to be the provider of her family. The evolution of Jo’s character and the way she continues to surpass the limitations society places on young women is more inspiring to young readers than the simple defiant nature Jo exhibits in her youth.
Through The Pilgrim’s Progress mimicking narrative style of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Alcott provides her perspective on the vices of women, exemplified in the four March sisters at the beginning of the narrative, and the ideal, virtuous woman, seen in the three remaining March sisters at the close of the narrative. With this in mind, I agree whole heartedly with the criticism Ashlynn makes that “the novel starts off as a feminist expedition, but slowly halts to a stop” based on the example of the most revolutionary character in the novel, Jo.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the novel Jo is introduced as having boyish characteristics which develop into the traditionally masculine characteristics of being ambitious, independent, and the provider to her family. Had the narrative progressed in this same manner, I would have agreed with Rachel that this book had at least a proto-feminist narrative, but the reader discovers that Jo gives up her sensationalist writing after she “got on the Professor’s mental or moral spectacles… [to see] the faults of [those] poor stories [glaring] at her dreadfully, and [filling] her with dismay” (Alcott 355-356). Jo relinquishes her pursuit of independence and her hope for providing for her family because of the shaming of a man whose criticism was based in traditional Christian teachings. If the reader chooses to interpret Jo’s stories as symbolic of Jo’s pursuit of independence, then it would be incorrect to propose this story as a feminist narrative from beginning to end.