This paper compares Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" and Anna Todd's "The Spring Girls" paying special attention to gender roles in the two novels. It aims to look at Anna Todd’s retelling by portraying the change and development of the role of women and feminism in a period of 150 years. So, the main question will be: What changes and new issues in the role of women in America can be found in the retelling, "The Spring Girls", which was published 150 years after "Little Women" and how does the author, Anna Todd, deal with Louisa May Alcott’s legacy?
In order to answer the question above, the paper will start off by building a theoretical frame on the history of feminism and adaptation theory. Latter will firstly, define the term adaptation and then, focus on the general changes and their effects in "The Spring Girls". Next, the paper will continue with the main part which will depict more specific changes in the new novel, changes in the role of women and the perception of feminism. In doing so, it will focus on four different topics, namely, the home sphere, class and social acceptance, relationships and sexuality, and last but not least the new woman. This is aimed to be achieved by analyzing and comparing Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women and Anna Todd’s retelling The Spring Girls. The analysis of the stories of all of the four sisters instead of only one, as found in most research papers, aims to offer a new feminist reading of the novel.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. A Modern-Day Retelling of Little Women: The Spring Girls
3. Gender Roles and Feminism
3.1. Beth: The Ideal Woman
3.1.1. In Little Women
3.1.2. In The Spring Girls
3.2. Amy: Class, Gender and the Importance of Social Acceptance
3.2.1 In Little Women
3.2.2 The Spring Girls
3.3. Meg: Marriage, Relationships and Sexuality
3.3.1 In Little Women
3.3.2 The Spring Girls
3.4. Jo: The Arrival of the Educated and Independent Woman?
3.4.1 In Little Women
3.4.2 The Spring Girls
4. Conclusion
5. Works Cited
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the evolution of gender roles and feminism over a 150-year period by comparing Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel "Little Women" with Anna Todd’s 2018 modern-day retelling, "The Spring Girls." The primary research question investigates how Todd adapts Alcott’s legacy to address contemporary issues, specifically focusing on how shifting societal standards regarding the "ideal woman," class, marriage, and female independence are represented in the modern adaptation.
- The historical development of feminist movements and their impact on female gender roles.
- A comparative analysis of the four March sisters (Alcott) and the four Spring sisters (Todd).
- The transition from nineteenth-century societal collectivism to twenty-first-century individualism.
- The intersection of adaptation theory, social acceptance, and the challenges faced by modern women, such as digital-age bullying and sexualization.
Excerpt from the Book
3.1.1. In Little Women
In Little Women Elizabeth or Beth as she is called is referred to as the “peacemaker“ of the March family (cf. Alcott 3). At the beginning of the novel she is thirteen years old and is described as a girl with smooth hair and bright eyes who always has a peaceful expression and a timid voice (ibid. 4). Proehl says that Beth characterizes the highly idealized model of the nineteenth-century woman (cf. Educating 46). But, what is an ideal woman? The ideal woman of the nineteenth century is described by Barbara Welter as a woman who possesses four specific characteristics which she calls the four virtues of women: piety, purity, submissiveness and domesticity (cf. Welter 44). In order to find out wether Beth realizes these virtues or not, her character will be analyzed in reference to these characteristics in the following paragraphs.
The first virtue, piety, refers to religiousness. Especially during hard times the reader is confronted with Beth as a faithful character. For instance, when their mother goes away to look after their father, who has been serving for the army during the Civil war and is injured, Beth prays quietly by herself instead of sharing her fears and worries with her sisters (cf. Alcott 176f). Another example can be found near to the end of Beth’s storyline. The presumably middle class March family looks after a less fortunate immigrant family, the Hummels. Due to her selflessness, Beth is the one who visits them the most. However, her contact to the Hummel family results in deathly consequences (cf. Grasso 30), she infects herself with scarlet fever. Even though she recovers from her illness, she starts getting weaker and weaker from day to day and dies at the age of nineteen eventually. In contrast to the other characters in the novel, especially her sister Jo, who questions God’s kindness, she accepts her death as God’s will.
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: Provides the literary context of Alcott’s novel and introduces the contemporary retelling by Anna Todd, establishing the scope of the comparative analysis.
2. A Modern-Day Retelling of Little Women: The Spring Girls: Discusses adaptation theory and the formal differences between the two texts, such as narrative perspective and structure.
3. Gender Roles and Feminism: Establishes the theoretical framework by exploring the history of feminist movements in the United States from the nineteenth century to the present.
3.1. Beth: The Ideal Woman: Analyzes how the archetype of the nineteenth-century "ideal woman" is embodied by Beth in Alcott’s work and how this is updated in Todd’s version.
3.2. Amy: Class, Gender and the Importance of Social Acceptance: Examines the struggle for social status and the influence of class expectations on the character of Amy across both novels.
3.3. Meg: Marriage, Relationships and Sexuality: Explores shifting views on marriage, financial security, and the sexualization of women through the lens of the character Meg.
3.4. Jo: The Arrival of the Educated and Independent Woman?: Investigates the evolution of the "tomboy" archetype and the pursuit of career and independence compared to traditional gender norms.
4. Conclusion: Synthesizes the analysis to argue that while the "ideal woman" concept has evolved, the core themes of female agency and choice remain central to the narratives.
5. Works Cited: Lists all primary and secondary literature consulted for the thesis.
Keywords
Little Women, The Spring Girls, Louisa May Alcott, Anna Todd, Feminism, Gender Roles, Adaptation Theory, Nineteenth-century, Twenty-first-century, Beth March, Amy March, Meg March, Jo March, Social Anxiety, Female Independence
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary goal of this academic thesis?
The thesis aims to analyze and compare the depiction of gender roles and feminism in Louisa May Alcott’s "Little Women" and Anna Todd’s "The Spring Girls" to demonstrate how these concepts have evolved over 150 years.
What are the central thematic areas covered in this work?
The key themes include the "ideal woman" archetype (piety, purity, submissiveness, domesticity), class segregation, the role of marriage versus career, and the development of female identity.
What is the main research question of the paper?
The research asks what changes and new issues in the role of women in America are visible in Todd’s 2018 retelling compared to Alcott’s nineteenth-century original, and how Todd manages Alcott's literary legacy.
Which theoretical and scientific methods are applied?
The analysis utilizes adaptation theory and historical gender studies to interpret the textual changes and the cultural shifts between the nineteenth century and the contemporary era.
What does the main body of the work focus on?
The main part is divided into four subchapters, each linking a specific theme to one of the four sisters (Beth, Amy, Meg, Jo), comparing their Alcott-original portrayals with their Todd-modernized counterparts.
What are the main keywords characterizing this research?
Essential keywords include feminist history, adaptation theory, gender roles, tomboyism, domesticity, financial independence, and narrative comparison.
How does the character of Beth differ in the modern retelling?
In "The Spring Girls," Beth moves away from religiousness and the "pure" Victorian ideal, instead dealing with social anxiety as a recognized psychological condition and establishing her own sexual identity.
Why is the narrative shift regarding Jo's relationship with Laurie significant?
The shift is significant because, unlike in the original where Jo avoids romantic entanglements to protect her independence, Todd’s Jo attempts to balance a career and a romantic relationship, reflecting modern possibilities for women.
How does the adaptation treat the issue of class in the twenty-first century?
Todd presents class as a secondary concern compared to the nineteenth-century focus, instead emphasizing personal effort and the value of individual choice over "marrying up" for wealth.
What conclusion does the author draw about the "ideal woman"?
The author concludes that there is no longer a singular "ideal woman"; instead, a modern ideal is defined by a woman's ability to make her own choices, whether she chooses a domestic life, a career, or a combination of both.
- Quote paper
- Özlem Arslan (Author), 2019, Gender Roles and Feminism in Louisa May Alcott’s "Little Women" (1868/69) and Anna Todd’s "The Spring Girls" (2018), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/512678
