DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR LITTLE WOMEN BY LOUISA MAY ALCOTT

1. In the first two chapters, the girls use John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress as a model for their own journey to becoming "lile women." What was Alco trying to say by using such a strongly philosophic al piece of lit erature as the girls' model? 2. What purpose does Beth's death serve? Was Alco simply making a senmental novel even more so, or was this a play on morality and philosophy? Do you think Beth was intended to be a Chris t figur e? 3. Consider the fact that Beth will never reach sexual maturity or marry. What do you think this says about the ins tuon of marriag e and, mor e import ant, about w omanhood? 4. Consider Jo's wring: While we are treated to citaons from "The Pickwick Porolio" and the family's leers to one another, we are never presented with an excerpt from Jo's many literary works, though the t ext t ells us the y ar e quit e success ful. Wh y is this? 5. Do you find it surprising that once Laurie is rejected by Jo, he falls in love with Amy? Do you feel his characterizaon is complete and he is acng within the "norm" of the personality Alco has cr eated f or him, or does Alc o simply dispose of him once our her oine r ejects him? 6. Some crics argue that the characters are masochisc. Meg is the perfect lile wife, Amy is the social gold digger, and Beth is the eternally loving and paent woman. Do you believe these characterizaons are masochisc? If so, do you think Alco could have characterized them any other way while maintaining the realism of the society she lived in? And if this is true, wha t of Jo's char acter? 7. The last two chapters find Jo seng aside her budding literary career to run a school with her husband. Why do you think Alco made her strongest feminine figure sacrifice her own life plans f or her husband's? 8. Alco was a student of transcendentalism. How and where does this philosophy affect Alco's wring , plot, and char acterizaon? 9. Do y ou belie ve this is a f eminine or a f eminist piece of w ork?

Questions is sued f or t he R andom H ouse e dition.

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