Little Women Louisa May Alcott Analysis

Four young sisters, who had little in materials; yet, had the greatest of spirits affecting everyone who knew them are portrayed through Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. The eldest was gorgeous, sweet Meg. She worked as of governess for an affluent family to try to help out at home. Next is, tomboyish, strong-minded Jo. She worked for her old aunt as servant, to help like Meg, and loved to read and write whenever she could. Third was humble, quiet Beth. She was not the school type; therefore, stayed home and helped with the housework as well as worked on her special musical gift on the piano. Finally, was self-centered, conceited Amy. She attended school and had problems fitting in; though, she had a great gift for art and drawing. They made
up the March family. The four girls worked hard to make their dad proud when he comes home from the war and to make their mother’s life easier.
Through psychoanalytically and psychologically analyzing the characters and that of the author Louisa May Alcott have a lot in common.
Alcott grew up in a lesser fortunate home just like the March girls and had to work at the same kind of jobs as Meg and Jo to help support her family. She also grew up in a family of four girls. Further understanding of Alcott, she reminds the reader of the character of Jo March. The best way to see Alcott in Jo is through Jo’s love of writing. Jo writing and literature fancies are that to Alcott’s. Although Little Women is fictional, Alcott’s personal experiences and early life played a large role in creating the characters and settings, as well as, making the characters relatable. Even, though Alcott never married herself, she felt pressure from society at her time to make sure her alter ego, Jo March, got
married.

Sara Crewe had more than most girls could even dream. However, due to conflict in India her father, Captain Crewe, brings her to a London girl’s boarding school. Here, the spoiled Sara is treated like a princess because of her father’s riches. At the news of his death and loss of his fortune, as well as, knowing she can’t put Sara on the street knowing it would reflect bad on the boarding school, the head mistress, Miss Minchin, gets rid of everything Sara has minus one outfit and the doll. For two years Sara became a slave of the school. She was beat and denied food many times. Being forced to sleep in the attic, go on long, labor intensive errands shows that even in rags that she is a true princess. The man that her dad supposedly lost the fortune to takes Sara in and she becomes richer than before; because, the investment started slow and grew abundantly after Captain Crewe’s death. The story A Little Princess, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, shows that a princess whether crowned with riches or rags is a person who gives willing to help others who have even less; yet, they are human and can be frustrated and upset with their situation at times. Analyzing A Little Princess through the use of topical and historical lenses brings a between the lines propaganda to life. Sara worked for a roof over her head. She was lucky to get food and was beat and yelled at constantly. The fact she could not afford to live after her father passed away penniless so she was forced to become a child slave at her boarding school. The book was published in 1905 at the prime of the industrial boom. Although this story does not take place in sweat shops or large industries it does illustrate how poorly children were treated if they were in the lower class. In the story Sara meets kids on the street who are labeled as beggars because their families cannot afford them. It is a creative propaganda that tears a readers heart out for the poor girl and realizing this underlying story makes one rethink the idea of child labor.

Black man accused of raping a white women shakes the town of Maycomb as Atticus Finch, a white man, agrees to defend him in the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Over a three year span, the novel follows Atticus’s and especially his children’s reticule before the trial for defending a black man. Even though the community of Maycomb is racist, Atticus stands by his choice to defend the black man, Tom Robinson. His kids stand by him as well, even sitting in the colored balcony to watch the trial. Atticus makes a great case proving Robinson not guilty; yet, the white jury convicts him. He is later shot trying to escape. Even after the trial Atticus and his family still face problems for defending Robinson. At the end, Scout, one of Atticus’s children, truly realizes that the barrios between blacks and whites need to come down. Through archetypal, symbolic, and mythical analysis the question raises of why title To Kill a Mockingbird? The Mockingbird is a symbol for segregation. Mockingbirds harasses other birds that enter their territories, to kill one symbolically is breaking down the barriers of segregation between blacks and whites. Racal segregation has been a theme in literature for a long time and many of those stories happen just like this one. The stories always are whites against and oppressing blacks because of color. Unlike most racial stories, this one says in the title that racial segregation needs to end and it’s not
right.