Light Essays -- Literary Analysis, Alcott

Louisa May Alcott was said to be â€Å"the pioneer in the delineation of sprightly young-girl life, brim full of animal spirits, yet overflowing with a desire to be true and brave and helpful†(Delamar 150). As a classic, inspiring author, Alcott is best known for her novels concerning poverty, family struggles to overcome obstacles, and female independence. Alcott incorporated these ideas through her works in Eight Cousins and Little Women. Even though Rose in Louisa May Alcott’s Eight Cousins and the March sisters in Little Women are brought up in different types of socioeconomic environments, they share common traits and themes, such as moral lessons, feminist ideas, and coming of age. The character Rose in Eight Cousins and Laurie in Little Women are similar in terms of socioeconomic societies, unlike the March sisters in Little Women who struggle to support themselves during the Civil War. After becoming a recent orphan, Rose was put into the care of several unknown family members, wealthy Scottish descents from Boston, engaged in the China trade. As an heiress, she was expected by her six aunts to attend â€Å"a fashionable finishing school† (Alcott 43) and learn the proper etiquette of a young elite lady. Although Rose is only thirteen, she is treated like an adult who drinks coffee daily and dresses in womanly fashions such as corsets, high heels, veils, and bustles. These high expectations cause Rose a great deal of stress which leads to long-term illness. Unlike Rose, the March family struggles financially. At one point, the March’s were wealthy, until Mr. March lost his job and joined the war in order to provide for his family. This monetary loss caused a major set back to the family and negatively impacts the four daughters, ... ...en, she marries John Brooke, conforming to society’s expectation of women. While her aunts persuade her to marry into wealth, Meg independently makes the decision that love is more important than money, from experiences with high society. Through this experience, Meg becomes more independent and accepts herself as who she truly is and values what she has. Similarly, Amy succumbs to peer-pressure among her classmates. Trying to be like the other girls and popular, she goes against her morals and boldly endures the negative consequences of her action of encompassing pickled limes. Once quitting school, Amy discovers the power women have and becomes a feminist. She travels to Europe to accomplish her desire to be an artist, considered rare for women during the nineteenth century. Amy follows her dreams and becomes a more assertive and independent â€Å"little women†.