COVE

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women was published in two volumes across 1868 and 1869. The novel follows four Civil War era sisters--Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy--as they come of age in New England. The four sisters bond as they experience strife and loss and journey from young girls to, as the title suggests, little women. Like many pieces of literature in the nineteenth century, Little Women seems particuarly interested in imparting lessons to its readers. While these lessons are not as harsh as some earlier texts, such as John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress (1678, 1684), Alcott does still work in many messages for her young readers. To do this, Alcott primarily draws on previous writers and philosophies; for instance, she takes into consideration the works of Bunyan. She also works in the messages and themes of the Transcendentalist movement. Of course, some of her messages are self-made, too, such as forgiveness in the relationships between Amy and Jo and Amy and Laurie. Alcott also has some moments that are almost entirely entertaining with minimal imparting of wisdom intertwined. This exhibition will journey through Little Women's didactic moments, influences, entertaining scenes, and cultural relevance today.

Cover of First Edition of Little Women (1868), Volume I, by Louisa May Alcott, published by Roberts Brothers, illustrated by Abigail May Alcott, Ex Libris Used Books. The opening line of Little Women is a declaration from Jo that "Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents" (Alcott 1). In the conversation that follows, the girls eventually come to the conclusion that they should purchase Christmas gifts for their mother when they go into town, as their father gave them an explicit instruction to "take special care of mother while he [is] gone" (Alcott 4) during the war. This conversation sets an immediate didactic tone for the novel; in a moment of distress, four children turn to the guidance of their elders on the way to best handle a problem. This didactic tone is further pressed by the novel's preface: an excerpt from The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, a work that will continue to be relevant as Alcott's book continues. Overall, the story is not exclusively didactic, but there are still plenty of didactic moments, such as the one presented here.

Jessie Willcox Smith,"They All Drew to the Fire," from Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, 1915 edition by Little, Brown, And Company. In this striking illustration by American illustrator Jessie Willcox Smith, the four March sisters sit around the fire and read a letter. They are positioned closely around their mother, whom they affectionately refer to as "Marmee," painting a picture of domesticity that is only aided by the fire right next to the girls. In the background of the image sit two books. In the era that Little Women is set, the two most common books in a household were The Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. It is thus easy to interpret that at least one of the two books sitting on the mantel behind the March sisters is a copy of The Pilgrim's Progress, especially because, early in the novel, each of the March sisters receives a copy of the text. At another point in the text, the girls act out scenes from the novel. Additionally, many of the chapter titles in Little Women are references to Pilgrim's Progress. For instance, Chapter Six, "Amy's Valley of Humiliation," is a direct reference to "Into the Valleys of Humiliation," a story from Bunyan's text. Similarly, in both Chapter One "Playing Pilgrims" and Chapter Sixteen, "Castles in the Air," the girls play pretend pilgrims. In "Castles in The Air," they even discuss their ideal castles, a further reference to Pilgrim's Progress. The abundace of references to Bunyan's book point to it serving as a clear guide for the March girls as they grow into women. 

May Alcott, "Jo in A Vortex" from Little Women, 1869, Roberts Brothers, Wikimedia Little Women does not just enlist the help of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress for its didactic moments. The text itself also features moments of instruction, albeit these moments are more subtle than that of Bunyan's or another traditional didactic tale. Alcott elects to intertwine her lessons into moments of entertainment.  Take, for instance, when the youngest sister, Amy, destroys her older sister Jo’s manuscript. Jo is initially incredibly upset with Amy for doing this. It makes sense initially that Jo is as upset as she is; after all, the above image of Jo working on her manuscript is called "Jo in A Vortex," implying the amount of time and effort that Jo is putting into fixing it. This image comes from an early version of Little Women, illustrated by Louisa May Alcott's sister. This edition was quickly pulled, though, in part because of its poor illustrations. However, Alcott does still do a good job of showing Jo's focus as she writes, which showcases just how much Jo cares about her manuscript. It is still in Jo's nature to forgive--she even states that it would be against her Christian beliefs not to forgive Amy. Alcott does not preach like Bunyan in this scene, but she is still teaching a lesson in this moment; many young children may be inclined not to forgive their siblings if they are in a position like Jo’s, but seeing Jo forgive Amy may teach children to do the same.  

Jessie Willcox Smith, "In A Minute a Hand Came Down Over the Page so That She Could Not Draw," from Little Women, 1915 edition by Little, Brown and Company. Little Women does have moments that feel more entertaining than instructive. Moments of entertainment are most obvious in the text’s romance between Amy and Laurie. This is made clear even from the illustration above by Jessie Willcox Smith, who also did “They All Drew to The Fire.” The bright pink cherry blossoms situated behind Amy and Laurie enhance the fancifulness of the image, as the bright shade of pink evokes romance. Their bodies are positioned incredibly close to one another, further showcasing their closeness and budding romance. It is also worth noting that it is hard to track a moral lesson to Amy and Laurie’s relationship. Thus, moments that feature their relationship tend to skew less didactic and more entertaining, which further explains why Willcox’s imagery here is brighter compared to some of her other illustrations.

Theatrical Release Poster of Little Women (2019), Directed by Greta Gerwig, 2019, Wikipedia. Little Women has stayed incredibly present in the cultural sphere since its initial publication. The book has inspired countless adaptations in mediums including theatre, film, and television. For instance, the 2019 adaptation of Little Women directed by Greta Gerwig changes some details of the story to make it more entertaining. The professor that Jo March marries at the end of the novel is made more attractive. Meg March, often critiqued for being the flattest of the March sister, is given time to shine and justify her housewife aligned desires, claiming that “just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” This line does not appear in the original text, and while there is a moral element to it, it is primarily meant to serve Meg’s character. It is also worth noting that moments such as the girls acting out Bunyan are still in the film, but the focus on the didactic features of these tales is greatly toned down. Instead, it seems that Gerwig is more interested in focusing on the girls' relationships with each other and does so by paring down discussions of lessons to be learned and by expanding upon the sisters' personalities. Even on the poster, the March sisters are huddled together, allowing for them to look incredibly close. By including moments like this one that are more focused on making an engagaing story than teaching a lesson, Gerwig---and plenty of other Alcott adapters---are  highlighting the novel's more entertaining elements that appeal to viewers today,