Analysis Of Little Women By Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is one of many American authors that is remembered by her works. Alcott’s most famed piece of literature is Little Women. The events that take place during this novel are based on events that took place during Alcott’s life. Alcott brilliantly portrayed a nineteenth-century American family’s life in her novel.

When writing her novel, Alcott applied John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. It reflected both the usual and original strains in her work. Alcott developed the moral of her characters around the story of the pilgrim who travels from the City of Destruction to the Celestial city facing internal and external demons (“Novel Summaries Analysis” n. pg.). Little Women was typical of young adult books of the nineteenth-century because it was episodic in arrangement and the chapters were dedicated to individual sisters (Salwak 810). Alcott kept her complex prose available by using an abundance of dialogue and making sure that none of the sentences were lengthy (Shmoop Editorial Team n. pg.).

The March sisters, in the novel, were modeled after Alcott’s own sisters (Gosman n. pg.). Throughout the novel, the sisters had to conquer individual character flaws and become “little women”. At 16 years old, Meg was the oldest. She cared too much about her appearance and too little about work. She had to learn to dedicate more time to her family and less time dreaming of a life of glamour and luxury. Jo was 15 years old and had a violent temper. She was an audacious, rebellious, spirited girl who wrote plays, poems, and short stories. She had to reconcile herself to being a girl of poise, grace, and tolerance. Beth was 13 years old and an excellent pianist. She had to overcome her shyness. At 10 years old, Amy was the younges...

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...e succeeded spectacularly.

Alcott uses an affectionate tone to describe the characters in the book since it is based on her own family life. Each sister’s personal struggles are described with loving detail. It is like the narrator sympathizes with everything they are going through. The narrator is affectionate for all the characters in the novel. She shows sympathy for them in the situations they are in (Shmoop Editorial Team n.pg.).

In conclusion, Alcott uses many different literary elements in her works. She is considered one of the greatest American authors because of her use of the elements. Little Women is her greatest piece of work. Critics agree that the characters are well drawn and colorful and that the plots are intricately and tightly woven (“Louisa May Alcott”). Alcott brilliantly portrayed a modern nineteenth-century family in her work Little Women.