It is no secret that Little Women is a feminist piece. The film (directed by Greta Gerwig; book by Louisa May Alcott) follows the lives of the March family. Jo March makes her living as a writer in New York City, while her sister Amy studies painting in Paris. Meg, the oldest sibling, is married with two children, and Beth develops an illness that brings her family back together. 

 

As set in the early 1860s, women had few to no rights and had little opportunities available to them. Immediately, the audience is introduced to the empowering sense of the film with Jo’s opening scene at the New York City publication. Though her story gets published for a very low financial compensation, the scene serves as a foundation for the outrage that Jo feels about being a young woman in society. 

 

Through the sisters, the film also shows different perspectives on the concept of marriage. Jo’s position on such can best be described with this line (which she screams out when talking to her mother): “I’m sick of being told that love is all a woman is fit for!” The latter of this line is equally as descriptive of Jo: “Women, they have minds, and they have souls, as well as just hearts. And they’ve got ambition, and they’ve got talent, as well as beauty... I’m so sick of it!” (This quote as a whole, however, is taken from Alcott’s book Rose in Bloom, not Little Women). This, I believe, is the struggle that many modern day feminists face (me included). There’s this needing feeling of defying all possible gender norms to feel independent and empowered, to feel like “a good feminist.” The idea that women don’t need a man, or for that matter marriage, to get ahead in life (which is true) is what keeps many of us at a battle with romance. Jo finishes with “But I’m so lonely.” Though many women see this yearning for love as a sign of weakness, the film shows that this is not the case. In the end, Jo marries Friedrich Bhaer, a professor with whom she eventually runs a children’s school with. In no way is her personality and ambition lost when she marries because she marries somebody that respects her drive and her persona. 

 

On a final note, I wanted to talk about another important quote. Earlier in the film, prior to Meg’s marriage, Meg says to Jo: “Just because my dreams are different than yours doesn’t mean they’re unimportant.” I absolutely love this quote because it’s important to recognize that just because a person follows the norm, role, stereotype, or expectation, it doesn't make their accomplishments or goals of lesser importance than anyone else’s. 

 

With that being said, enjoy being who you are. Enjoy expressing your feelings and your dreams. You are valid, and so is what drives you. 

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