Saturday, January 31, 2009
Little Women Reflection
Although I had heard much about this novel, I had not taken the time to read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women until I was required to do so for this class. I agree with many of the other students in our class that many of the "lessons" this book attempts to teach are now quite outdated; however, I think this book is still relevant to our society in many ways. I found the bold statements Alcott made about feminism and conformity particularly interesting. By making Jo the main character of the novel, Alcott seemed to be trying to advocate nonconformity. This lesson is definitely still one that many books, movies, and television continue to stress. Individuality has become increasingly respected and encouraged in our society, unlike the conformity and suppression of personality that was all too common in the 1860's. Because rebellion is so valued throughout the novel, Alcott contradicts much of how the women of her time were expected to behave. I also find it particularly interesting that many consider this novel to be somewhat of an autobiography. Alcott, like Jo, struggled to adopt typical feminine characteristics and behaviors and was forced to suppress her desire to fight in the civil war. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Alcott portrayed Jo.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree about the lessons that can be learned, and I definitely like the idea of it being an autobiography. I wonder if parts of herself on cast onto characters besides Jo, and in what ways.
ReplyDeleteWhere did you guys hear that it was an autobiography? I know that Alcott related to Jo the most but I cant see it being a true "autobiography." Anyway, that really is an interesting point... I guess Alcott herself didn't really feel as if she "fit in" with the conformed women of the time.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting that Jo was portrayed in the book as so outside of social norms and customs, but also never broke away too far too be cast out of her family or society. I enjoyed watching in class to see how the movies changed their depictions of Jo and of the family, both to show how society had changed and to show an image of this family in a way that suited the particular context.
ReplyDelete