Gender Stereotyping in Little Women

    Louisa May Alcott's novel, Little Women, has been a young adult classic especially for young girls since the late nineteenth century. Although Alcott's novel was a hit, it has surprisingly progressive themes that transcend many of the gender stereotypes common within the time of the story. Through pushing boundaries and expectations placed on both men and women from society, gender norms were challenged and ultimately broken.

    Main characters such as Jo and Laurie, and more specifically their relationship is a vehicle through which Alcott is able to challenge gender norms. To start, Alcott made the decision to give the characters names of the opposite sex. When hearing about Little Women for the first time, one may conclude that Jo was a male protagonist due to her masculine name, and Laurie was Jo's female love interest due to the femininity of his name. In addition, Jo also has more masculine qualities, wanting to provide for her family and fight in the war, even stating "I can't get over my disappointment in not being a boy.... for I'm dying to go and fight with Papa" (Alcott 3). Jo even goes as far as to call herself the "man of the house" when her father is away (Alcott 5). In return, Laurie possess more feminine qualities, he is more interested in marriage, and is more happy to sit around in his lavish life than fight in the war, common ideals with women at this time. Ironically, Mr. Laurence's, Laurie's uncle, efforts to ensure Laurie's manhood by maintaining the family business ultimately leave him sheltered from the world like a nineteenth century female socialite.

    Throughout the novel, Laurie falls more and more in love with Jo, until ultimately he decides to propose. Although Laurie wishes to get married, Jo does not hold that same idea and proclaims "I don't believe I shall ever marry"(Alcott 365). A female protagonist at this time would most likely be an ideal woman to society, prim and proper and her greatest goal would be to find a husband. However, prim and proper are the furthest things from how Jo would describe herself as she is "homely and awkward.... shouldn't like elegant society"(Alcott 365).

    By intention or not, Louisa May Alcott breaks gender stereotypes by flipping the roles of men and women. Ultimately putting women into an independent light and men into the dependent. These progressive themes were not present or at least not common at this time period, nonetheless made a hit story. Ideally, these themes and mentalities became more present in American society after reading the novel.