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A review by bookphile
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2.0
Little Women is one of those classics that is always on the list of books your should read, especially on lists for books that women should read. Well, people need to re-read it and stop putting it there, because this book is full of backward and anti-feminist ideas of womanhood, full of preaching, toxic advice advice, not just in terms of being a person too.
This book is a product of its time. The time when the woman's only job and calling was to take care of family, and strive to be nothing but a wife and a mother. I want to be clear: there's nothing wrong with wanting or doing any of those things. But if you tell me it's the only thing that women should strive for, and that there's no higher calling for a woman, I'll slap you. And this book is full of advice on how to be a better daughter, and sister, and wife, and mother - which made it sound not only preachy but considering some of the advice, kind of toxic. No you shouldn't give up who you are and your greatest passions in order for the sake of anyone, I don't care what anyone says.
I can't say I liked the characters that much. They were all caricatures of different kinds of women. The mother, the angel (literally a dead girl), the wife, the vain pretty one, and the tomboyish one. All religious and pious and willing to give up their own health and safety for the sake of others. Jo and Amy had the most personalties of all of them, but those personalities were in the end used as examples of how a woman shouldn't be and by the end "fixed" to be better. By the end, they all become wives and mothers, except the dead one, she became something better even better than a wife: an angel.
Jo - our wild, tomboyish, theater kid, sensational novelist, messy, chaotic, free spirited - through modern eyes, Jo is the coolest. But I feel like Alcott meant for Jo to be the example of a kind of or or woman you shouldn't be. She was the "bad" type, going through a tomboyish phase, spurring all good thing that a woman should be, and being a bad Christian to boot by writing awful novels to make ends meet. Which is why by the end Jo gives up writing, marries, has children, and is a school teacher. Her end is like the Harry Potter epilogue, disappointing and stands against everything Jo is: wild and free and creative. But no! She's a woman and she's not supposed to be any of those things, so of course Alcott writes an older man who can take her in hand and make her want to be a "better" woman. He tells her that she's actively harming people with those godless sensational novels, and that it would be better to be poor than make money that way. He's patronizing in all the worst ways. So once she falls in love with him, she's ready to give up her writing - which is literally her only passion.
Amy - who is always characterized as a spoiled, selfish, vain little brat who does terrible things and is the Worst. Except the thing is - Amy was that for a little portion of the book when she was a child- and then she's taught a lesson by a near death experience. She grows up to be a beautiful, kind, and thoughtful woman. Most important Amy grows up to be a talented artist. Except then, Amy goes to Rome, and decides that she's never going to live to those great artists and decides that the one thing she's good at doesn't matter any more. So she immediately gets married to a rich man - but don't worry, she's not one of those selfish rich people, no, they're the kind of rich people that help others and give their money away. And of course, also has kids. Because who needs passions and talents when you can be a wife and a mother, right?
At least Meg was always a genteel little lady who wanted to be married and and be a wife and home maker. Of course we're shown the struggles and tribulations of a young wife making mistakes and spending her husband's money. Occasionally she's shown as being a bad wife - because she decides to focus on her twin babies that she takes care of her own - and forgets to also make herself pretty, clean the house, and cook a diner by the time hubby gets home. I mean, come on, you have one job Meg. But also, she can't be a perfect mother all by herself either, and needs her husband to step in and handle the discipline when her idea of pacifying a child who won't go to bed is give them sugar. *sighs*
Other lessons in this book:
- it's better to be poor than rich, unless the rich help other people (this doesn't include family cause then it's a hand out and they're too good for it)
- you shouldn't ever complain or feel bad about your terrible circumstances.
- you should give up who you are and your passions for the sake of others
- you should just take the abuse others give you because that makes you a better person
- taking care of yourself too much is vanity, but not taking care of yourself enough is sin
Anyway, super disappointed in this book. What utter nonsense.
This book is a product of its time. The time when the woman's only job and calling was to take care of family, and strive to be nothing but a wife and a mother. I want to be clear: there's nothing wrong with wanting or doing any of those things. But if you tell me it's the only thing that women should strive for, and that there's no higher calling for a woman, I'll slap you. And this book is full of advice on how to be a better daughter, and sister, and wife, and mother - which made it sound not only preachy but considering some of the advice, kind of toxic. No you shouldn't give up who you are and your greatest passions in order for the sake of anyone, I don't care what anyone says.
I can't say I liked the characters that much. They were all caricatures of different kinds of women. The mother, the angel (literally a dead girl), the wife, the vain pretty one, and the tomboyish one. All religious and pious and willing to give up their own health and safety for the sake of others. Jo and Amy had the most personalties of all of them, but those personalities were in the end used as examples of how a woman shouldn't be and by the end "fixed" to be better. By the end, they all become wives and mothers, except the dead one, she became something better even better than a wife: an angel.
Jo - our wild, tomboyish, theater kid, sensational novelist, messy, chaotic, free spirited - through modern eyes, Jo is the coolest. But I feel like Alcott meant for Jo to be the example of a kind of or or woman you shouldn't be. She was the "bad" type, going through a tomboyish phase, spurring all good thing that a woman should be, and being a bad Christian to boot by writing awful novels to make ends meet. Which is why by the end Jo gives up writing, marries, has children, and is a school teacher. Her end is like the Harry Potter epilogue, disappointing and stands against everything Jo is: wild and free and creative. But no! She's a woman and she's not supposed to be any of those things, so of course Alcott writes an older man who can take her in hand and make her want to be a "better" woman. He tells her that she's actively harming people with those godless sensational novels, and that it would be better to be poor than make money that way. He's patronizing in all the worst ways. So once she falls in love with him, she's ready to give up her writing - which is literally her only passion.
Amy - who is always characterized as a spoiled, selfish, vain little brat who does terrible things and is the Worst. Except the thing is - Amy was that for a little portion of the book when she was a child- and then she's taught a lesson by a near death experience. She grows up to be a beautiful, kind, and thoughtful woman. Most important Amy grows up to be a talented artist. Except then, Amy goes to Rome, and decides that she's never going to live to those great artists and decides that the one thing she's good at doesn't matter any more. So she immediately gets married to a rich man - but don't worry, she's not one of those selfish rich people, no, they're the kind of rich people that help others and give their money away. And of course, also has kids. Because who needs passions and talents when you can be a wife and a mother, right?
At least Meg was always a genteel little lady who wanted to be married and and be a wife and home maker. Of course we're shown the struggles and tribulations of a young wife making mistakes and spending her husband's money. Occasionally she's shown as being a bad wife - because she decides to focus on her twin babies that she takes care of her own - and forgets to also make herself pretty, clean the house, and cook a diner by the time hubby gets home. I mean, come on, you have one job Meg. But also, she can't be a perfect mother all by herself either, and needs her husband to step in and handle the discipline when her idea of pacifying a child who won't go to bed is give them sugar. *sighs*
Other lessons in this book:
- it's better to be poor than rich, unless the rich help other people (this doesn't include family cause then it's a hand out and they're too good for it)
- you shouldn't ever complain or feel bad about your terrible circumstances.
- you should give up who you are and your passions for the sake of others
- you should just take the abuse others give you because that makes you a better person
- taking care of yourself too much is vanity, but not taking care of yourself enough is sin
Anyway, super disappointed in this book. What utter nonsense.