If one assumes that Louisa May Alcott's novel “Little Women” provides an insight into the lives of various women and their individual future goals in 19t h century America, one also raises a number of questions about the historical validity of the aforementioned theme: "Are the possibilities and paths of female self-realization in Alcott's novel really a reflection of earlier conditions or merely fictional? " Also: "If women in 19t h America were indeed able to realize their life dreams, did this really apply to all women, regardless of their social class or ethnicity?"
In order to answer these questions, a comparison between Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy's lifestyles and those of actual women in 19th century America is necessary. To this end, the second chapter of my paper will present the sisters' individual aims and their final lives at the end of the book. This is followed by an exposition of the historical positions of America's women in 19th century in the third chapter. Subsequently, I will compare both aspects with each other in the fourth chapter and will make a final assessment on the formulated questions about whether Alcott's illustration is a fiction or corresponds to reality in the paper's conclusion.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy March – four sisters, four different dreams.
- Meg the traditional feminine
- Beth a musician to remember
- Amy a glamorous artist
- Jo the tomboy
- A view into history: Women's positions in 19th century America
- The American woman as wife, educating mother and single woman
- Women's work and their economic and domestic duties
- The former American women in comparison with the March sisters.
- Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper analyzes the lives and aspirations of the four March sisters in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and compares them to the real-life experiences of American women in the 19th century. The paper aims to determine if the novel accurately portrays the possibilities and limitations of female self-realization during that period, considering factors such as social class and ethnicity.
- The pursuit of personal dreams by women in 19th century America
- The role of societal expectations and limitations on women's lives
- The intersection of gender, class, and ethnicity in shaping women's experiences
- The complexities of female identity and self-expression in the 19th century
- The contrast between the fictional world of Little Women and historical reality
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The first chapter introduces the central theme of the paper: the comparison between the aspirations of the March sisters in Little Women and the actual lives of women in 19th century America. The second chapter focuses on the individual dreams and ultimate outcomes of each sister, exploring their unique paths to self-realization within the context of the novel.
The third chapter delves into the historical realities of women's lives in 19th century America, examining their roles as wives, mothers, and single women, and exploring their economic and domestic duties.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The key topics explored in this paper include 19th century American women, female self-realization, societal expectations, domesticity, economic roles, social class, ethnicity, fictional representation, Little Women, Louisa May Alcott, and historical analysis.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2022, Were American women in 19th century fully able to pursue their personal dreams?, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1253744
