Little Women Reflection Post

I have been thinking about the novel "Little Women" and how it is said to be a guide for women of its time. Certain characters in the novel, Meg, certainly embody what a woman was like during this time period but I feel that the other characters do not serve the same purpose. Jo is the first character that comes to mind who would not fit a model of a woman in the 1800s. Her masculine characteristics would have been frowned upon in most settings. I feel that the inclusion of Jo in this book serves not as a guide but a possibility. Alcott is portraying women in many different ways and I believe she is telling women of the time that there is more than one way to act. She does not go as far to say that this is how women should act, but the contrast in behaviors between Meg and Jo shows that there is some wiggle room.
In regard to our discussion about the difference between the way women acted in the 1800s and the way they act now, I feel that there has only been a small amount of change. Women today are more liberal in their speech, dress, and sometimes actions, but it seems that in the upper/middle class societies women share the same characteristics of the 1800s. Women in these settings can still be seen dressing in gowns, living at home until marriage, and being over-all reserved. I am not trying to argue that there has been no change in the past 20o years, I am merely suggesting that in certain settings one can see the past in the present.