Conflicted Feminism (?) in Little Women

Emily Wynne 

Dr. Simon

ENGL 345

17 November 2015

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women depicts the nineteenth-century woman’s struggle with restrictions placed upon her gender. At the beginning of Alcott’s novel the March girls displayed individuality and disregard for gender stereotypes, but this appearance of feministic ideals deceives readers. As the female characters in Little Women grew older they recognized that strong, independent women were not accepted in nineteenth-century society; they strove to take on more traditional gender roles, creating a stereotypical, not feminist, scenario. Although critics continue to argue that Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women should be considered strong feminist literature, all of her female characters eventually give up on or revise their dreams, trading independence for traditional domesticity; consequently Alcott presents, at best, a mediocre stance on feminism.

From a young age, girls in nineteenth-century America prepared to take on the role of mother, wife, and housekeeper, but males pursued education and enjoyed much more freedom than females of the time. The traditional domestic woman’s duties included caring for children cooking, and cleaning while upholding a meek feminine attitude.  Families expected daughters to marry young; on the other hand, it was perfectly acceptable for a young man to go to a university or spend a few years abroad before settling down and starting a family. If a woman was in her twenties and still not married she would be known as a spinster or an old maid; no such negative connotations existed for unmarried men. Throughout nineteenth-century America a clear line separated a woman’s role in society and a man’s role. These stereotypical gender roles became commonly accepted; any person seeking to overturn these norms was viewed as an outsider.

Some scholars consider Little Women to be an influential work of feminist literature; they argue that Alcott acclimates nineteenth-century America to the idea of independent women challenging gender norms in society. Jo March embodies the wish of many tomboys throughout the ages: avoiding femininity entirely. Women such as Jo long to support themselves by making use of their own talents as opposed to depending on a man.

Although there are certainly instances of feminism in Little Women, the book as a whole cannot be considered a work of feminist literature. The March girls professed independence and unusual goals but neglected to maintain these ideals. Jo attempts to make a name for herself as a woman author, but in the process she gives up her own writing style in favor of the frivolous writing style expected of women writers in the nineteenth century. Of course, by abandoning her own ideas, Jo failed to produce good work. She called a March family meeting to discuss the options: either change her writing and get published immediately, or stick to her own style and risk not being published at all. Alcott has created the character of Jo March out of her own successes and failures as a women writer. Jo had success in publishing her writing, but in conforming to the style of other women writers she lost the originality of her work along with any hope of being considered a literary role model.

Little Women simultaneously conformed to gender ideas common to the nineteenth century and turned feminine norms inside-out. Marmee attempted to make her daughters into well-behaved, docile little women so that they would one day be desirable housewives. Jo rebelled against these ideas in her younger years, but eventually compromised her ambitions. The freedom Jo enjoyed during her childhood allowed her to be more independent than many girls of her era. Before long Jo settled down into the role of typical domestic woman; this decision shaped the main message of Alcott’s novel: after adolescence, independence in girls ceases to be acceptable.

Another instance of a distinct lack of enduring feministic ideals is demonstrated by Amy and Jo’s air castles. In the beginning of the novel the two girls have ambitious and unconventional dreams for females in the nineteenth century.  Both sisters dreamed of forgoing the stereotypical female role of child-rearing and housekeeping in order to pursue their artistic passions.

By writing an educated woman character, Alcott further acclimates nineteenth-century America to the idea of independent women challenging the gender norms of society. However, these “air castles” of Amy and Jo, as they are termed by Alcott,  never come to fruition; instead, years pass and the girls became women caught in the trap of nineteenth-century gender norms. If Little Women was truly a feminist work of literature with characters that could be considered strong female role models, Amy and Jo would not have given up on their dreams so easily.

As an adult, the propagated societal norms took root in Jo’s mind; she reflected upon the dreams of her younger days and came to the conclusion that her desire for independence was not a practical one for the time in which she lived. Throughout her childhood the idea of living a life in which her primary role would be to care for children and a husband appalled Jo. She wanted to travel, write, and become a renowned woman author.  After struggling to support herself by writing, Jo discovered that being an independent female was easier said than done in the nineteenth century. Giving in to the pressure of her family and friends; Jo eventually convinced herself that what she wanted all along was to raise a family. She does not display outward bitterness at this turn of events. On the contrary, Jo believes that her previous aspirations were nothing more than childhood fancies and daydreams. This changed view prevents Jo March from being considered a revolutionary woman role model of her time because she abandons her feminist ideas in favor of traditional domesticity.  

Louisa May Alcott made a determined effort to insert feminism in her novel, but reality prevailed over her utopian ideals. In a perfect world Amy and Jo would have followed their individual dreams to become a great painter and writer, respectively. These ideas are discarded when the girls decide to follow the norms dictated by society;  they trade idealistic independence for domestic duties.

The characters of Little Women attempted to defy societal norms, but abandoned their determination upon experiencing the difficulty that accompanied this independence. Amy and Jo traded lives of adventure and artistic pursuit in favor of marriage. This surprising change of mindset perhaps resulted from Alcott’s own realization that, although she and a select group of people might be striving to introduce new gender norms to America in the nineteenth century, the vast majority of the country still advocated traditional domesticity for women and careers for men. Despite Alcott’s endeavor to acclimate society to the idea of educated and independent women it was still necessary for a woman to choose the traditional path in life to be accepted by those around her.

Louisa May Alcott presents a complicated stance on feminism in her literature. Some sections of her work appear to present modern gender norms, but overall her attitude toward gender equality is mediocre. Alcott vividly portrays the struggle endured by women in the pursuit of self-actualization. Alcott advocates progressive, modern ideas of equal gender roles while simultaneously promoting traditional women’s roles. Regardless of their independence Jo March and her sisters, Meg, Amy, and Beth, learn to cook and clean in order to represent Alcott’s complicated view of a woman’s  place within society and the home. Alcott believes that the two skill sets are inseparably intertwined.

The logical conclusion drawn by this analysis proves that Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women does not advocate feminist ideals. Rather, Alcott presents initially independent characters that eventually conform to stereotypical gender roles as opposed to promoting equality between genders. It is important to note the difference between a work of literature that has brief instances of feministic ideals and a work of literature that promotes the continued independence of women and equality in gender roles.

If Little Women continues to be viewed as a groundbreaking and feminist novel many young girls for generations to come will be presented with a skewed idea of gender roles and the meaning of feminism. Although the young March girls disregard societal norms and act in a non-stereotypical way, as they grow older they return to the traditional domesticity expected of women in the nineteenth century. Children reading Little Women may get the mistaken impression that, although it is fine to dream of independence and nonconformity as a child, as adults, these dreams must be set aside for more practical lifestyles.