little women
Little Women was written by Louisa May Alcott and first published in 1868. The novel is an autobiographical family ethics novel which was set in the American Civil War and based on the life trifles of four sisters from an ordinary family in New England in the 19th century.
Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are sisters with their own characteristics and dreams. Meg was the eldest of four, she cares about her beauty and was full of longing for love. Jo is the second, she was independent and determined to be a writer. The third eldest daughter was Beth, she was petite and weak, but she loved poetry and gained spiritual power from them. Amy, the youngest of all, sometimes was a little bit finicky with harmless vanity, and she was fond of drawing and painting.
During the American Civil War ,their father Mr. March went off to war as a chaplain. So the four daughters and their mother lived a difficult life at home. They were poor but still willing to help their neighbors, the Hummels, who needed help more than they did. Such is women nature, that women have vanity and love for beautiful clothes and dresses. The four little women wanted to have beautiful clothes and dresses, delicious food as well. They sometimes, of course, would complained of their dull clothes and rough hands. However, they were all full of hope for a better future and convinced of themselves that they could control their own fate.
Their mother, Mrs.March was also a prototype of a independent and caring mother. After her husband went off to war with the army, Mrs. March took care of her four daughters on her own and took the family responsibilities on her thin body. Although her family was not rich, she supported people in greater difficulties. She taught her four daughters to be virtuous, and she was very religious. The image of Mrs.March reflected women's self-improvement in ethics.
Meg disdained the hypocrisy of upper-middle class and chose to mary for love although it meant a poor life . Despite the financial constraints of marriage, she realized that "poverty is not a bad thing" because it gave them courage and inspiration to weave their own dreams , which made their lives more meaningful. The image of Meg reflected women's self-improvement in emotion.
As the core heroine of the novel, Jo acted as the leader among her sisters, showing personalities such strong, optimistic, self-reliant all the time. She loved writing, partly because it gave her pleasure, but also because it was a way for her to remain independent and "gave herself everything she needed without asking anyone for a cent. ” She took unremitting efforts to become a writer. After marriage, she also urged for independence, demanding that "I should take my responsibility to support the family with my husband", which reflected women's self-improvement in career.
Beth was the dearest sister in Jo ’ s heart. Unlike Jo, she was weak and looked pale all the time. But in her weak body, it was a strong and peaceful soul. Beth took care of her sisters when her mother went to the front battlefield to look after her father, who was seriously ill. She loved her family, as well as the poor and the weak, without asking for anything in return. She cared for the broken dolls which were relinquished by her sisters. After such a long struggle with illness, Beth accepted death without fear, for she believed that death was a fusion of nature and as long as her beloved ones remembered her, her spirit would accompanied them forever . The image of Beth reflected the moral strength of women.
The youngest is my favourite one. Amy dreamed of becoming a great artist and made unremitting efforts to do so. Even though she was frustrated sometimes and even ridiculed by others, she never doubted her ability. Perhaps she was sometimes sophisticated compared with her dear family members, and more fond of seeking fame and fortune---almost married for social status. However , she still stuck to her moral codes. What ’ s more , having a wealthy husband was the way she expressed her love to family---she knew her sisters won ’ t agree with her, but she wanted to support all of her family members. She was talented in art and beauty, and so ingenuity that even she was poor for fashionable dresses her handmade accessories made her elegant and glamorous. After her marriage with Laurence, she did not give up everything for her family according to the tradition, but continued her artistic pursuit. Her compassion for the poor drove her to devote herself to charity, and she embodied the self-improvement of women in human nature.
Influenced by Ralph Waldo Emerson, a great thinker of that time, Little Women emphasizes the concept of personal dignity , independence and self-discipline. I learned from the four sisters that maybe life was not generous to you at first, but you could still make your own to realize your dreams. So no matter what life brought to you, please return in love; no matter what life can be to you, be kind to life.
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