Louisa May Alcott Research Paper

Many people have read and loved the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Her charming book on the lives of four young girls growing up to be resilient young women during the American Civil War has touched the lives of many throughout generations. Only a remarkable author such as Louisa May Alcott could write a book as sensational and memorable as Little Women. Her personal life experiences allowed Alcott to depict characters and events vividly in her literature. It was through her own life that she drew the inspiration to write life-changing novels. The life of Louisa May Alcott inspired her literary works because the characters she wrote about were based upon people that she knew, her books challenged the political and social climate

Despite being largely associated with Little Women’s innocence and sweetness, Louisa May Alcott’s legacy is one of empowering women (National Public Radio, 2009). She was very progressive for her time and supported many political movements. Alcott worked towards women gaining suffrage and was against alcohol consumption (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, n.d.). She remained unmarried and had a source of income, which was very rare for a woman during that time period. This demonstrates how she resembled a feminist (National Public Radio, 2009). Alcott resolved that society would not prevent her from finding work as an author, despite the few opportunities women were offered for a successful career during that period (Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, n.d.). To summarize, Louisa May Alcott went against the social standards of her time by writing about independent female characters and through her own feminist

Alcott’s father was never able to earn a living or even provide for his family, despite his affiliation with some of the most influential thinkers of that time (National Public Radio, 2009). Poverty began to afflict Alcott’s family, and a result, she promised that she would do something to provide financial relief (Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, n.d.). Louisa turned to writing in order to provide for her family. This presented many challenges because of the scarce opportunities women had during that time. The book Little Women, however, was instantly successful, and her family was able to have enough money to live comfortable lives (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, n.d.). Louisa became the household’s primary source of income, even though this was typically a male’s role (National Public Radio, 2009). An Old-fashioned Girl, Little Men, and Work were all written as her accounts of helping to support her family (UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, n.d.). In conclusion, Louisa May Alcott’s trials and hardships influenced her as an author and gave her inspiration to write literary