Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Study Guide

Little Women is a story about four sisters on the journey to adulthood. Each sister has her own distinct personality, temperament, and talents. They struggle with serious problems, overcome obstacles, and even stumble along the way because of some bad choices, experiencing both success and failure as they grow up. As you prepare for the test, review the key events in the life of each sister, but pay special attention to the following aspects of the novel.

First, note that this novel is driven more by the characters than by the plot. Each character is well-defined and speaks with a unique voice. The members of the March family and their friends have their specific likes and dislikes, and they are driven by different passions. These differences are evident in the ways they speak. On the test, you will encounter a series of quotes from the novel. Be prepared to identify the speakers of these quotes based on what they say and how they say it.

Second, in Part One of the book, the girls are reading The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, a Christian allegory (a symbolic story) about a man named Christian who is on a journey to the Celestial City (aka Heaven). As Christian – a character who symbolizes all Christians – travels to the Celestial City, he experiences ups and downs just like the March sisters. In fact, Louisa May Alcott uses events from The Pilgrim's Progress to show how the girls' journey to adulthood parallels the Christian's journey to Heaven. It will be helpful to watch the animated film of The Pilgrim’s Progress (2019) beforehand.

Alcott uses Bunyan's book especially in chapters 6-9, when she mentions the Palace Beautiful, the Valley of Humiliation, Apollyon, and Vanity Fair. Use the Internet to research how these four terms from The Pilgrim's Progress relate to what is happening to Beth, Amy, Jo, and Meg, respectively.

Finally, consider how the girls have become women in Part Two of the novel. How have they changed and matured? What experiences have they had, and what lessons have they learned about what it means to be a woman instead of a girl? Focus on the journey to womanhood of one sister in particular, and be prepared to explain how she grew from a little girl into a little woman. Watership Down by Richard Adams Study Guide

Watership Down is a modern epic about a group of rabbits trying to make a home for themselves when their first home is destroyed. Like all epics, there is a hero at the center, someone whom the other characters respect and want to emulate. Recall the heroes of the epics you have read and compare them to the rabbits in this novel. Do they have similar qualities? Do they undergo similar trials? Did you notice the reference to a famous epic hero early in Chapter 22? Remember also the epic conventions we studied last year. Where does Richard Adams use some of those conventions in his story?

Each chapter begins with a quote from another book that relates to that chapter. Did you notice the quote at the beginning of the first chapter? From what Greek tragedy is that quote taken? Why do you think Adams used a quote from the Greeks to kick off the novel?

As you prepare for the test, consider the questions below and be prepared to defend your answers on the test:

 Who's the hero of the story?  Who is the rabbits’ chief god?  Who's the prophet/seer in the story?  Who's the singer/storyteller for the rabbits?  Who is the ancient hero the singer/storyteller talks about? How is he similar to one of the great epic heroes we studied?  Where is an epic simile (see Chapter 23)?  When do the gods intervene in the rabbits' lives (see Chapter 27)?  When does one of the characters move to the realm of the gods?

Also, to make his story more authentic, Adams uses specific vocabulary words drawn from The Private Life of the Rabbit by R. M. Lockley (see the glossary at the back of the book). Be prepared to define some of the terms from the rabbit world that are most commonly used throughout the novel.

Finally, consider the opening and closing lines of the book. There is a recurring symbol in those lines. What is the symbol and what does it symbolize? What is Adams trying to say about the lives of the rabbits?