Independence of the March Sisters in Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

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Little Women shows the independence of the March sisters, what actions make them independent, and how they become independent women. The Laurence and March family show every different kind of love in this story, from love of family to romance. The March girls and Laurie Laurence face challenges and are taught that, in the end, experiencing problems in life are there to teach them to learn from their past mistakes, ultimately helping them grow and make wiser choices in the future. Unbelievably different from when they were teenagers, Jo, Meg, Beth, Amy, and Laurie grow tremendously by learning happiness, love, and independence. In Little Women, Louisa May Alcott depicts female independence, love, and coming of age through the lives of the March family.
Female independence plays a major role in Little Women, exhibiting how the March sisters help provide for their mother and home. Jo, Amy, Beth and Meg are teenagers with many responsibilities, which ultimately teaches them independence. As teenagers, each of the March girls have a job and chores to do to help their mother, Marmee March, keep a pleasant home. "The virtues of mutual self-sacrifice and domestic cooperation, however, must be proven to the March girls before they can recognize how important such virtues are to their self-realization:" (Thomason 141). From the circumstances they face, the March girls begin to realize the virtues in their jobs, learning from them and to enjoy them. Meg is a governess in New York for the Kirke children, who are constantly rude to her, whereas Jo works for her Aunt March who has no children. Beth does not go to school, so she just does chores and studies at home, because she is shy. Mrs. March is an example of an independent woman wh...

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...h girls become little women, Marmee protects them and teaches them to learn from their mistakes. The March girls realize many things, learn, and mature throughout Little Women. All of the March girls change in many ways as they face adulthood.
In Little Women, each character learns the value of happiness and achieves this by showing contentment with themself when realizing that their dreams and ambitions can change. They are shown that their future is uncertain, and that they will never know what circumstances can happen that can affect it. Without the love of their family, the March girls would not be so close or be able to get through this transition to adulthood. Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy are characters of great change and show growth in their independence and their love from the time of being teenagers until they are reaching adulthood and starting a new life.

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