Louisa May Alcott Summary

Louisa May Alcott Born November 29, 1832Germantown, Pennsylvania Died March 6, 1888Roxbury, Massachusetts Writer and editor Louisa May Alcott. The Granger Collection, New York. Reproduced by permi... Read more

Biography EssayThough she also wrote adult novels, Louisa May Alcott is known primarily for her eight novels for children in the Little Women series. Her children's novels are characterized by their g... Read more

If longevity is any benchmark for literary greatness, then Louisa May Alcott would qualify. Her novel Little Women, published in 1868, still attracts legions of readers well over a century after publi... Read more

Though she also wrote adult novels, Louisa May Alcott is known primarily for her eight novels for children in the Little Women series. Her children's novels are characterized by their glorification... Read more

Louisa May Alcott was widely known during her lifetime as the Children's Friend, a reputation based principally upon her domestic sagas for young adults, Little Women or, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy (1868, ... Read more

In the following essay, Yellin argues that Alcott's feminist concerns are revealed in her novel Work, which is distinguished from other nineteenth-century novels "in proposing that women... Read more

In the following essay, a version of which was presented at the National Women's Studies Association Conference in May, 1980, Halttunen examines the role of the "parlor theatrical"... Read more

In the following chapter from a critical study of Alcott's fiction, Keyser offers an analysis of Behind a Mask, considering the work in the context of the "Victorian Cult of True Womanho... Read more

In the following essay, Estes and Lant emphasize the ambiguity and complexity of Alcott's portrayal of "a young girl's entry into the world of Adulthood" in "Fancy&#... Read more

In the following excerpt, Douglas contrasts Alcott's sensation stories with her popular juvenile writings and concludes that "the little girls of Alcott's later work have somethin... Read more

In the following essay, Fetterley argues that " 'Behind a Mask' is Alcott's most radical text." Every student of 19th century American literature owes Madeleine S... Read more

In the following essay, Carpenter studies the theme of repressed rage in "A Whisper in the Dark," commenting that "the text should be viewed as a battleground not only for its cha... Read more

In the following excerpt, Shealy views Alcott as "a pioneer in American fantasy literature. " On Christmas Day 1854, Louisa May Alcott presented her mother, Abigail, with a copy of he... Read more

In the following essay, Stoneley considers the use of fashion in Louisa May Alcott's work as a consequence of her upbringing. He asserts that Alcott's treatment of fashion also reflects ... Read more