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Introduction:

Little Women is a young adult novel by Louisa May Alcott, published in 1868. The book is one of the most famous novels worldwide and was adapted into a film in 2019. The book follows the March family with Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, who are poor but happy together. They experienced many memories together, such as Meg’s birthday, the ball, Beth’s sickness and death, and more. This novel showcases the true family and happiness of each sibling and the people surrounding them. 

Plot:

The story begins with the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—lamenting their lack of money but deciding to buy gifts for their mother, Marmee, instead of themselves. Their father, who is serving in the Civil War, sends a letter that inspires them to be more grateful and independent. On Christmas, they give away their breakfast to a poor family and are rewarded with a feast from their neighbor, Mr. Laurence. At a party, Jo meets Laurie, Mr. Laurence’s grandson, and they become friends. The girls have many experiences: Amy gets in trouble at school, Jo nearly lets her drown after a fight, and Meg learns not to care so much about appearances. Mr. Laurence gives Beth a piano, and the sisters form a club to write stories. When their father gets sick, Marmee leaves to care for him, and Jo sells her hair to help pay for the trip. Beth catches scarlet fever from helping a poor family and becomes very ill, but recovers when Marmee returns. Mr. Brooke, Laurie’s tutor, falls in love with Meg, and they get engaged. Years later, Meg marries and has twins, Amy goes to Europe, and Jo writes a book but has to change it to get it published. Thinking Beth and Laurie might fall in love, Jo moves to New York, where she meets Professor Bhaer, who encourages her to write about her feelings. When Jo returns home, Laurie proposes, but Jo turns him down, and Beth dies shortly after because of scarlet fever that came back. In the end, Laurie and Amy fall in love in France and get married. Jo later marries Professor Bhaer and inherits her aunt’s house, turning it into a boys’ school.

Analysis:

The themes the author introduced are family and independence. There were a lot of family scenes throughout the novel, such as the Marches caring for Beth when she caught scarlet fever, the sisters working together in the writing club, buying gifts together for Marmee, and more. Their warm family spirit is presented in their attitude and behaviors around each other. They also showed independence near the later half of the book through their focus on each of their future and careers. Jo shows a tremendous amount of interest in books and writing and eventually meets Professor Bhaer, who helps her publish and write heartfelt stories. Amy goes to Europe to study. Meanwhile, Meg stays and marries John Brooke and has twins. Only Beth gets a tragic ending when she passes away from scarlet fever. They also show hospitality through their donation of breakfast, even with meager amounts of money. Meg presents the comparison of other privileged girls and herself. This shows her poor comparison mindset before. Beth also illustrates her overcoming of reservations and shyness through her attachment to Jo. The book shows true happiness and family. 

Conclusion:

Little Women is a coming-of-age novel by Louisa May Alcott, who published this book in 1868. The author introduces the book with the March family: Marmee, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy. They go through many hardships and experiences that make them improve themselves and find their partners. The book represents the theme of family and independence with hospitality. The March sisters show both family values and independence. They also present hospitality to others, even if they lack money.