The beloved novel Little Women is a timeless classic. Louisa May Alcott masterfully describes the resilience, humour, and love epitomized by the titular “little women,” Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, set against the austere backdrop of New England during the Civil War. Woven into the lives of the March sisters are the mischief and merrymaking of Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, a jovial family friend and neighbour. The challenges experienced by the sisters, as well as the lessons they learned, are as varied and individual as the chosen path to adulthood each follows. As Alcott illustrates, the absence of a one-size-fits-all model of maturity can lead to personal fulfillment; though it is moderated by the ever-present societal restrictions that remain as influential today as in the 1860s.
The scope of employment opportunities for present-day young women has evolved and expanded from the traditional set of occupations held by their mid-nineteenth-century counterparts. The underlying motivations for young women to secure a paid position have changed considerably as well, reflecting the commendable progress in women’s rights since the Civil War. For the eldest March sisters, Meg and Jo, familial economic hardship necessitates paid employment to lessen their burden on their dear parents. Meg serves a well-to-do family as a nursery governess, while Jo becomes a daytime companion to the elderly Aunt March. The positions that are assigned to Meg and Jo, while essential and valued, covertly reinforce the sexist and classist belief that “domestic-support” duties are strictly for young women in financial need. This prejudice ignores the diverse skills young women possess that can be richly utilized and developed outside of the home. Furthermore, the expectation to secure employment solely for monetary gain discourages young women from choosing their preferred career as income, often readily available through menial jobs, is ultimately prioritized over fulfilment. Jo, through her audacity and persistent efforts, does eventually achieve her dream vocation of becoming a published author, an unconventional livelihood for a young woman of her time. While the efforts of the preceding generation of working women, along with their allies, have brought better equity in the modern workplace, more progress is still necessary to fully eradicate the limiting barriers that dissuade women from striving towards their career potential, such as attaining leadership positions and flourishing in traditionally male-dominated industries.
The short-sighted model of building up self-worth upon compliments, wealth, and external beauty is as readily accepted and followed by young women today as it was in the 1860s. While staying at a friend’s home for a post-winter holiday, Meg is overawed by the affluent and elegant lifestyle her gracious hosts routinely enjoy. Her poverty is momentarily set aside as she blissfully blends in with high society, enjoying splendid leisure time and entertainments only the wealthy can afford. One evening, at the expert hands of her friend’s sister and the family maid, she is transformed into a polished “little beauty” in a tight and revealing sky-blue dress, high-heeled blue silk boots, and silver filigree jewellery. Her charming apparel draws the attention of several young gentlemen, and the resulting shower of flattery emboldens her to flirt and generally behave out of character. When Laurie voices his mild disapproval of her belle-of-the-ball pretence, Meg initially bridles at his remarks. Though later, she confesses to her mother and Jo that the heart of his observation was entirely true. Meg’s honest reflection on her masquerade and foolish behaviour highlights the pitfalls of sacrificing authenticity for transitory attention, and the overall shallowness of chasing compliments—a truth that some contemporary young women are gradually considering from their compulsive use of social media, where narcissistic behaviour and unattainable beauty standards are blatantly promoted and, often times, rewarded.
When the March sisters’ day-to-day lives are overshadowed by inescapable hardship, the game pilgrim’s progress helps them bear their various burdens. On Christmas Eve, each sister somberly reflects on her impoverished circumstances and the decision, on Mrs. March’s urging, to have a holiday without presents so they can better support the army and endure a hard winter in the same spirit as other financially bereft families in their community. In the midst of the melancholic mood, Mrs. March reminds them of the fun they had experienced as young girls when playing the game of pilgrim’s progress, re-enacting the heroic, perilous journey from the desolate City of Destruction, in the cellar, to the flowers and cake that awaited in the Celestial City, on the roof. With piece-bag “burdens” tied to their backs and a roll of directions as their helpful guide, they battled their way through lions, hobgoblins, and other nefarious foes to reach the heavenly destination, where their bundles mercifully fell away. The March sisters, now older and wiser, take up the game with alacrity, bearing their real-life duties and burdens with the sole aid of a guidebook provided by their mother. Pilgrim’s progress offers the women a framework to carry on when life’s burdens feel overwhelming—an important reminder for modern young women that while life’s obstacles may at first elicit disheartenment and self-pity, challenging times can be efficaciously shouldered, and can strengthen one’s character, if met with perseverance and fortitude.
In the revered coming-of-age tale Little Women, Alcott affectionately expresses the trials, insecurities, and aspirations of four adolescent sisters. The unwavering affection and solidarity shared between Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, in addition to the cherished guidance from their loving parents, encourages the sisters to navigate a dispirited time with a resolve to be of service with their individual talents rather than submit to the youthful temptations of apathy and selfishness. Their admirable development during this period of unrest presents a compelling reference as they journey into adulthood, courageously conquering other challenges that remarkably mirror the prevalent issues “little women” of 2022 face. Alcott’s renowned story provides the much-needed inspiration for modern females to overcome restrictive gender-based assumptions, to choose authenticity over approval, and to endure life’s hardships with wisdom and grace—capacities that together can shatter glass ceilings in all areas of life.
Reference
Alcott, L. M. (1989). Little Women. Viking Penguin.
