Cogan, Frances B., All American Girls: The Ideal of Real Womanhood in Mid-Nineteenth Century America, University of Georgia Press, 1989.

Cogan presents a historical perspective on women's
roles in mid-nineteenth century America, including
their expected educational levels, skills, aspirations,
and manners. She suggests that in addition to the traditional
view of womanhood, there was a competing view of a more dynamic,
independent type of woman emerging in literature.

Fetterley, Judith, "Little Women: Alcott's Civil War," in Feminist Studies, Vol. 5, No. 2, Summer 1979, pp. 369-83.

Fetterley proposes that Alcott's text reflects compromises
in style and content that came about as the>
result of the demands placed on the author by her
publisher and her public.

Jefferson, Margo, "Books of the Times: Little Women, Growing Up Then and Now," in New York Times, December 21, 1994.

Jefferson describes the March household as being as
divided as its author, and relates the...