Little Women (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: Louisa May Alcott
- First Published: 1868
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction, Social realism, Bildungsroman, Domestic realism, Didactic literature
- Subjects: Maturation or coming of age, Values, Family or family life, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Mothers, Parents and children, Love or romance, Gender roles, Nineteenth century, New York City, Marriage, Villages, Friendship, Manners or customs, Social life, New England, Poverty or poor people, Women’s issues, Civil War, Sisters, Women, Death or dying, Small-town life, Work or workers, Italy or Italians, Sacrifice, Materialism, Career women, Victorian era or Victorianism
- Locales: New York, NY, Italy, New England
Little Women was, and remains, Alcott's best-known and most widely read work. It was her first novel for young girls and was so popular that her audience demanded sequels, a request that Alcott fulfilled, although most readers believe that Little Women is the most compelling of Alcott's novels about the March family.
As the novel opens, the four girls—the oldest, Meg (sixteen), tomboyish Jo (fifteen), sweet Beth (thirteen), and the youngest, Amy (twelve)—are sitting around the hearth contemplating a Christmas without presents, for their father is away serving...
[The entire page is 1371 words long]
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