Little Women

Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, originally published in two volumes in 1868, is set in New England and inspired by her own family and life events. It is a coming-of-age domestic novel about four sisters who grow up during the American Civil War. Due to its popularity, Alcott wrote two sequels: Little Men (1871) and Jo’s Boys (1886).

The novel has been adapted many times for the screen, including the 1994 film for which Winona Ryder was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the 2019 adaptation directed by Greta Gerwig, which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Plot Summary

The novel begins with the March girls—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—reading John Bunyan’s Christian allegory, The Pilgrim’s Progress, which influences the, throughout their development. They reference it heavily in the first part of the novel.

Mr. March, their father, is away serving as a chaplain for the Union Army. His absence takes a heavy toll on the family. On Christmas day, Marmee, the girls’ mother, gives each of her daughters, most of whom are in their teens, a guidebook that assists them in overcoming their follies and staying true to their values.