FEMINISM ANALYZE IN NOVEL LITTLE WOMEN BY LOUISA MAY ALCOTT: TYPE

OF FEMINISM
DEWI YULI ANTI (171010600350)
UNIVERSITAS PAMULANG

ABSTRACK

Literature was the replication of the real world. It catches the phenomena in the society and
then copies them with its setting, characters and its narration. This also happened in the famous
novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. Little Women is a novel that tells about four March
sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – and how they struggled to make life despite the fact that their
family recently lost its fortune. How each girl faced their own personal demon and moral challenge.
The main characters ware portrayed as active subjects and each displays a different kind of
feminism. The feminism topic interested the writer because at time setting in the novel women were
seen as an object which their value seen less than men. The purpose of this study is to find several
types of feminism found in the Little Women novel by Louisa May Alcott. To achieve the purpose
of this study, the writer used a descriptive qualitative approach. The results of this study show that
there are several types of feminism shown in this novel. They are namely liberal, Marxism, radical
feminism, and … feminism.

INTRODUCTION

Women have an important role in life which cannot be underestimated and yet they have
been oppressed since ancient time. The world seems to keep denying women’s existence and the
fact that through women, the leaders were born. Society sees men as its only member and presumes
women as the ‘Other’. Creating the patriarchy and matriarchy system, that imprisoned women from
their right. It makes men become the center of society, the one who hold the power and can easily
gain what they desire while women have to work two times harder than men or even worse are not
allowed to own and do something.
Women are demanded to do the house chore, take care of the family, and raise the children.
They do not have the chance to pursue their dream let alone to get proper education. These
conditions produce a movement called feminism. Charles E Bressler state, feminism’s goal is to
change the degrading view of women so that all women realize that they are not a “nonsignificant
Other”, but instead each women is valuable person possessing the same privileges and rights as
every men. Women, they do have the chance and rights to get proper education, to pursue their
dream and have the rights to determine their life.
Nowadays, women have access to have proper education and pursue their dreams. They are
aware that they have the rights to determine their own path. Feminism movement has opened the
chance for women to follow their dreams instead to follow the traditional concept of women which
imprisoned them from their rights. It reconstructs the concept that women’s job is only about
household chores or they are not part of society that they can have education, career, and also can
have the same privileges as men.

Literature – as it is like a mirror – reflected these conditions and problems on some of

famous literary work. Little Women, a novel written by Louisa May Alcott is one of them. Little
Women novel was originally published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869. This novel consists of
forty seven chapters and 751 pages. Little Women also has been adapted into several stage plays
and films.

Little Women tells about four sisters, March sisters which each of them has different dream.
They have to fight to make their dreams come true while facing the stereotype about women in the
society. Jo March lives in New York and makes her living as a writer, while her sister Amy studies
painting in Paris. Amy has a chance encounter with Theodore, a childhood crush who proposed to
Jo but was ultimately rejected. Their oldest sibling, Meg, is married to a schoolteacher, while shy
sister Beth develops a devastating illness that brings the family back together. In this era, although
women have the same authority to do some of few thing that man can do, women still seen less than
men. There is some field which still have not change. Feminist, just like Jo’s demand, wants the full
integration of women in society, demanding women’s equal right in work, pay, status and treatment
in public. In this novel Louisa gave the readers a view how the society saw women and how women
struggle to overcome these stereotypes. To me this novel is really interesting to discuss. Not only
about the characters’ struggle toward the system that imprisoned them but also their development in
the story.

Therefor this study aims to uncover feminism issue as presented in Little Women novel by
Louisa May Alcott and to categorize what kind of feminism found in Little Women novel by Louisa
May Alcott. The writer used descriptive qualitative method to analyze the novel. This research will
be conducted based on several steps: 1).The writer read novel Little Women to gather some data
and to understand the story. 2). Identify the dialogue or the sentence which related to the problem.
This research will be conducted through the analysis of the main character’s dialogue and the author
explanation. How the main characters see themselves in that period of time? And what kind of
feminism was the main character displayed?

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

It is not a secret anymore that society sees women as an object. Since ancient time society
gave definition and standard about women and how to become one. Society which only consider
men as its member, strips women from the rights they have. It becomes a wall between women and
their freedom, their rights and their chance. Unlike men who can have proper education, dominating
social life, economic and other fields, women cannot do these things. They were not permitted to be
involved in social life let alone get proper education. Women are required only to do household
chores, to raise the children. They were imprisoned in their house. They cannot claim something as
their own, even if they do, in the end it will belong to their husband. This is how the society sees
and defines women. One who will always under men control.

Therefor feminism movement exists to defend women, to help women claim their rights, to
help women gain the equality as man. As Charles E. Bressler (1999) state in his book that
feminism’s goal is to change the degrading view of women so that all women realize that they are
not ‘nonsignificant other’, but that instead each woman is a valuable person possessing the same
privileges and rights as men. Feminism guide women to get out of men dictation, and teach them to
value themselves. This movement start in early 20 th century when women get their rights to vote
and were directly involved in social life. They can have proper education, career, healthcare, even
involved in politic field. However, the society still sees them below men, inferior toward men. Men
still become the centre of society while women were seen as the ‘Other’ of Society.

Although women can already be involved in social life, they still struggling with the gender
equality. They have to go through the hard way to get what their desire. They have to climb from
the bottom of the ladder and work their way up to higher position in harder way than men even if
they have the same qualification. Women have more burdens to carry than men even if the society
allows them to pursue their dreams like every man. This is the centre of feminism, the assertion that
men, consciously or subconsciously, have oppressed women, giving them little or no choice at all.

Feeling dissatisfied with these conditions, several figures voiced their opinion and
perspective with their work. One of them is Virginia Woolf, the British scholar and teacher.
Through her work, A Room of One’s Own, she shared her perspective how things are going on. In
her book she declared that men have treated women, and continue to treat women as inferior. She
voiced her belief that it was male who defines what is mean to be female, and who dominates the
political, social life, economic, even in literary work. She also believed that if women could have
been as success as a man if they were given the chances. However at the current time, the Great
Depression of the 1930s and the World War II take place and becomes the focus of the world, side
aside the development of feminist ideas.

Another pioneer of the feminism movement is Simone de Beauvoir, French writer. Her most
famous work is The Second Sex. Like Woolf, she also believed that male in these society defines
what it means to be human, what it means to be a woman. Since female is not male – who is the
centre of the society – female becomes the ‘Other’. Subordinate to male, female start to believe that
their existence are secondary or not important in the society. She also declared that both French and
Western societies are patriarchal. Where male take control of everything, they are the subject of the
society, and women is the object. According to Beauvoir, a woman must break the bonds of
patriarchal society and define herself if she wishes to become a significant human being in her own
right and to defy male classification as the ‘Other’. Therefore, in her work Beauvoir argued that
sexual equality takes two directions. First, it exposes the ways that masculine ideology exploits the
sexual difference to create systems of inequality. Second, it identifies the ways that arguments for
equality erase the sexual difference in order to establish the masculine subject as the absolute
human type.

Beauvoir’s goal in The Second Sex is to demand that sex is an accidental quality, it means
that both male and female are equally qualified to become members of the society. The traditional
idea that female can get the same privilege as a man but they must train and life like one should be
erased. This also applies in play where the one that can rule is male. Beauvoir insists for equality
must not fall in this trap. She insists that women and men treat each other as equals and that such
treatment requires that their sexual differences be validated. Equality is not a synonym for
sameness.

Then, what are the branches of the feminism theory?

There are many feminism theories that exist. Below are some of them:

1. Liberal Feminism
This is the variety of feminism that works within the structure of mainstream society to
integrate women into that structure. Its roots stretch back to the social contract theory of
government instituted by the American Revolution. Abigail Adams and Mary Wollstonecraft were
there from the start, proposing equality for women. As is often the case with liberals, they slog
along inside the system, getting little done amongst the compromises until some radical movement
shows up and pulls those compromises left of centre. This is how it operated in the days of the
suffragist movement and again with the emergence of the radical feminists.

2. Eco-Feminism
This branch of feminism is much more spiritual than political or theoretical in nature. It
may or may not be wrapped up with Goddess worship and vegetarianism. Its basic tenet is that a
spatriarchal society will exploit its resources without regard to long term consequences as a direct
result of the attitudes fostered in a patriarchal/hierarchical society. Parallels are often drawn
between society's treatment of the environment, animals, or resources and its treatment of
women. In resisting patriarchal culture, eco-feminists feel that they are also resisting plundering
and destroying the Earth and vice-versa.
3. Radical Feminism
This term refers to the feminist movement that sprung out of the civil rights and peace
movements in 1967-1968. The reason this group gets the "radical" label is that they view the
oppression of women as the most fundamental form of oppression, one that cuts across boundaries
of race, culture, and economic class. This is a movement intent on social change, change of rather
revolutionary proportions, in fact.
4. Cultural Feminism
As radical feminism died out as a movement, cultural feminism got rolling. In fact, many
of the same people moved from the former to the latter. They carried the name "radical feminism"
with them, and some cultural feminists use that name still. (Jaggar and Rothenberg [Feminist
Frameworks] don't even list cultural feminism as a framework separate from radical feminism, but
Echols spells out the distinctions in great detail.) The difference between the two is quite striking:
whereas radical feminism was a movement to transform society, cultural feminism retreated to
vanguardism, working instead to build a women's culture. Some of this effort has had some social
benefit: rape crisis centers, for example; and of course many cultural feminists have been active in
social issues (but as individuals, not as part of a movement).
5. Marxist Feminism
Marxist feminism is growing up in the second wave during late 1960s and 1970s, in Britain
especially. Marxist feminist analysis as the identification of the structural elements that determine
the quality and nature of our experience. Pilcher and Whelehan (2004:50) state that “changes in
women’s social conditions with the overthrow of industrial capitalism and changing relations of the
worker to the means of production”. They consider that changes of women’s social are from the
economic, social, political structure which related to capitalism. Guerin (1979:202) states that
“Marxist feminists attack the prevailing capitalistic system of the West, which they view as sexually
as well as economically exploitative. Marxist feminist thus combines study of class with that of
gender”.
6. Socialist Feminism
Women’s participation is important in development of economy. This condition does not
mean to increase women’s status. In capitalism women’s is in under development. Socialist feminist
is concerned with the roles allocated to women that are independent of class status. Tuana and Tong
(1995:262) say:
“Socialist feminist claim that the labor of women, in the domestic realm
serves not only the interests of specific families but also the interests of
capitalism in that the family reproduces the attitudes and capabilities
needed to enter into the wage labor force.”

The socialist feminism’s purpose is to construct the society in order to get equality in
gender.
 DISCUSSION

The collected data on this study consist of 6 data from the novel. These data are classified
into 4 type of feminism, namely liberal, Marxist, radical feminism, and existentialist feminism.
These data can be found mostly in chapter one, chapter seven, chapter fifteen, and chapter thirty
four. Below are the explanations of each data that the writer has found in the Little Women novel
by Louisa May Alcott:

 Data 1 from chapter 1

The March sisters have worked to not only fulfill their own need but also to help their
mother. After their hard work they intent to spend their money which they earn to buy something
what they desire as their reward.

“Mother didn’t say anything about our money, and she

won’t wish us to give up everything. Let’s each buy what
we want, and have a little fun; I’m sure we work hard
enough to earn it,” cried Jo, examining the heels of her
shoes in gentlemanly manner.

Based on the definition, this data is classified into liberal feminism theory. As Chinn and
Wheeler state that liberal feminists do not object to the roles of housewife and mother per se, but
rather to the political, social, and economic imperative that channel women into these roles. The
March sisters aware of this condition and they desire to use their right to enjoy the money they earn
to fulfill their heart’s content. In this part of story, their gender does not become an obstacle to them
from spending their money or directly involved in economic field – by buying and owning some
property on their own behalf.

 Dara 2 from chapter 1

Right from the start of the story, the readers get to know that Josephine, or known as Jo, is
Boyish. She rather would be running around the town than sitting like young lady all day long.

Jo immediately sat up, put her hands in her pockets, and

began to whistle.
“Don’t, Jo. It’s so boyish!”
“That’s why I do it,”
 From the quotation above, the data can be classified as existentialist feminism. Existentialist
feminism stated a woman has to become a self, a subject who transcends the definitions, labels, and
essences of her own. Jo, who always thinks herself as a man, never cares about the other people
about her. She keeps doing whatever she wants, acting like a boy and detesting lady like attitude.
Even if in 19th century women have to wear long skirt, have long hair, and act gently, but not for Jo.
She styles her dress and hair in her own way and her personality – acting like boys – becomes
bolder when she befriend with Laurie.

 Data 3 from chapter 1

In the beginning of the novel, Louisa took the setting while the civil war was on going.
Their father was not home because take participant in war. This condition makes one of the March
sisters to take his place and replace their father position in the family.

“I’m the oldest,” began Meg, but Jo cut in with a

decided, “I’m the man of the family now Papa is away,
and I shall provide the slippers, for he told me to take
special care of Mother while he was gone.”

From the data above, it can be classified into Marxist feminism as the definition about
Marxist feminism and Chinn and Wheeler state that to eliminate capitalism and resulting in sexist
society there must be a socialist revolution to return the ownership of property and the means of
production to society as a whole. Josephine sees herself as a man who should take father’s
responsibility in his absent despite that women are not supposed to take responsibility to the family.
She felt that she is the only one who can take that duty, worked hard to help Mother earn money.
She went as far left her hometown to New York to get a better job, not only help Mother kept the
household running but also to support Amy who was in Europe.

 Data 4 from chapter 7

The next data is taken from chapter 7 page 108. Amy got humiliation from her classmate
and was punished by one of her teacher at school Mr. Davis.

“I don’t approve of corporal punishment, especially for

girls. I dislike Mr. Davis’s manner of teaching and don’t
think the girls you associate with are doing you any
good…”
 This data shows radical feminism in the novel. Radical feminist stated that the oppression of
women is fundamental. The patriarchal family, violence against women, and prostitution are
cultural institutions that contribute to the women’s oppression. There is a protest about labeling
women oppression as a weak creature and often being the target of violence by said power men
hold. Mrs. March expressed her disagreement with the way Mr. Davis treat Amy. Not the solely
reason that Amy was her daughter but she generally opposed with the thought that one must be
punished by hitting one’s body, especially female. She found it was wrong to give the student a
physical punishment because one’s body – especially women’s – is the main object of the
oppression by the other’s power.

 Data 5 from chapter 34

Beside be Boyish, the readers know that Jo loves freedom, not be bounded by something
else.
“Nothing more, except that I don’t believe I shall ever
marry. I’m happy as I am, and love my liberty too well to
be a hurry to give it up for any moral man.”

From the quotation above, it can be concluded that novel uses radical feminism here. Here
the readers get more an overview about Jo. Not only she loves being free, not be restrained by
anyone, but she also does not want to get hurt or makes someone hurt because of her. Whether it
was physically or mentally. She firmly rejected Laurie’s proposal to get married. Fully aware that
the married would not bring any good to both of them. Even worse it will take away her happiness
and torture her. It would only take away what her heart desire the most, she will never be get the
said freedom and to do the things she adore.

 Data 6 from chapter 15

Recently lose their fortune and the absent of their father. Amy and Jo assure their family
about their lost fortune.

“Jo and I are going to make fortunes for you all. Just
wait ten years, and see if we don’t,” said Amy, who sat in
the corner making mud pie…

Like data 3 above, this quotation is classified as Marxist feminism. Not only Jo who felt the
responsibility to take care of the family but also Amy felt the same way. They both feel that the two
of them must provide the family with fortune they deserve in place of their father’s absent. Even
though it will take some times to achieve, they still want to provide the family. They make the rest
of the family rest assure, not thinking about the lost fortune they once have because Jo and Amy
will definitely bring back the fortunes that will support their family, even greater fortune to be sure.

CONCLUSION

Based on the result of this study, it explained that there are several types of feminism
namely liberal, Marxism, radical feminism, and existentialist feminism. First, the liberal feminism
was shown by the characters at how they try to fulfill their need and support their own life through
hard-work to earn money. Then the Marxism feminism was shown when the characters value the
hard-work they have been through and encourage more equality despite their position in the society
or in the family. Existentialist feminism was shown when the character act boyish or the characters
fight to become a subject, transcends definitions, labels, and essences so that they will reach the true
freedom they desire. The last one is radical feminism. It was shown when the characters opposed
the corporal punishment as well as the sexual violence toward human being, mostly to girls. The
reader can feel the feminism through the characters struggle to survive and try to fit in in the world
of men, as well as express their objection toward the opinion that women have less value than men.

REFERENCE

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/beauvoir/
https://www.uah.edu/woolf/feminism_kinds.htm
Bressler, Charles E. 1999. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. United State:
Prentice Hall Inc.
Ayu D, Jayanti, Rahma (2013) An Analysis Of Feminism Portrayed In The Main Character,
Elizabeth Bennet, In Jane Austen’s Pride And Prjudice. Tulungagung: State Islamic
College (Stain)
Dermawati, Eka. 2018. Analysis Of Feminism In The Novel Of Little Women By Louisa May Alcott.
Jawa Barat: Universitas Gunadarma
Chinn, Peggy L. & Wheeler, Charlene E. 1985. Feminism and Nursing. Buffalo: Margaretdaugther,
Inc.
Alcott, Louisa May. 1868. Little Women. United States: Roberts Brothers
 YAYASAN SASMITA JAYA
UNIVERSITAS PAMULANG
DATA PEMBAYARAN SEMESTER GANJIL 2020/2021
FAKULTAS / PRODI : SASTRA / SASTRA INGGRIS
NAMA MAHASISWA : DEWI YULI ANTI
NIM : 171010600350
SHIFT : REGULER C

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