Abstract

Little Women is a novel published in 1868 and the most famous and most successful work written by American author Louisa May Alcott. It is loosely based on Louisa May Alcott’s own experiences in her childhood. The story follows the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War, using emotional entanglement among family members as the clue to describe the happiness of March’s family union. The novel describes their progress about how they become good and mature women with additional strains of romance. This thesis analyzes the relationship between males and females in the 19th century’s patriarchal society as well as the March’s family education, which is divided into the significance and effectiveness of the family education. By holding a comparison between general or traditional women’s status and the female images in the novel, I attempt to illustrate the fact that the awakening of woman identity is embodied in Little Women.

Keywords: Louisa May Alcott; Little Women; patriarchal society; Jo; feminism

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

Introduction-1

Introduction-1

1. The Relationship Between Males and Females-2

    1.1 Examples of the Embodiment of the Patriarchal Society-2

    1.2 Analyzing the Original Relationship Between Males and Females-3

    1.3 Female Status in the Novel-4

2. Significance of the Family Education-6

    2.1 A Brief Introduction of the March’s Family-6

    2.2 The Ways of the March’s Family Education-7

    2.3 The Meaning of the March’s Family Education-8

3. The Effectiveness of the Family Education for Children-10

    3.1 Changes in the Personalities of Children-10

    3.2 Pursuit of True Love, Freedom, Independence, Equality and Feminism-10

Conclusion-12

Works Cited-13