Alegorical Fun
Submitted by timzj2003 on 06/30/2008 05:21 PM
- Category: Psychology
- Words: 628
- Pages: 3
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Alegorical Fun
Few reform era novels are actually enjoyable to read; even fewer allegorical novels can be counted as light reading. It is a rare treat when one gets to read a book that tries to teach a lesson that does not come across as preachy, instead as just a nice story about a nice family. Little Women in one sentence is a reformist, allegorical, coming of age, and semi-auto-biographical novel about the four March girls growing up in civil war New England. Louisa meant Little Women to teach the next generation morals just as Pilgrims' Progress had taught hers.
The novel starts out with the March girls, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy, whining about how much they dislike being poor. Then they decide to be nice and greedy and buy themselves something for Christmas. In this part of the book there is a good deal of exposition explaining the weaknesses and strengths of each girl. Jo March is a tomboy and seems to be based mostly on Alcott herself.
Later the girls decide to instead of being greedy vest themselves to charity. No good deed goes unnoticed and they catch the eye of some well off neighbors who invite them to a New Year's party. There they meet the other main protagonist of the story; Laurie; a feminine boy who wants to be a professional piano player. He seems to be the opposite of tomboyish Jo and is part of the message against strict gender roles.
Alcott shows her distaste for the social conventions of the time with Jo. Jo rebels against the social norms by wearing a dress with a burn mark to a party. In addition she wants to write and earn a living for herself, things usually reserved for men.
A great deal of the novel seems to be spent in the girls struggling against what others want of them and what they want for themselves. For example Jo wants to be a writer and struggles against the sensational stories the publishers want and the stories of romance she wants to write. All the girls work against their imperfections and value family above...
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