The Inspiration Behind Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

By Stephen Crowley
Louisa May Alcott (1832 - 1888) wrote a vivid and inspirational novel set during the nineteenth century called Little Women. The story touches on the fight for independence amongst women at the time and portrays a story that captures courage, love and adversity.

It follows a journey into the everyday lives of women in New England during the nineteenth century. The novel seeks to portray the strength within sisterhood at times of strife and how the women seek tranquillity in their lives.

Published in 1869, Little Women follows the troubles and strife of four girls - Meg, Beth, Jo and Amy. The tale takes us through their young adolescence to their adult years. Faced with a dull Christmas without their father as he heads off to fight in the war, the girls find solace within each other's company. As their experiences lead to triumphs and social issues, they learn the invaluable side of the bond among them.

Louisa drew on her experiences from childhood for the story when she struggled to find her place in a difficult time. She was one of four daughters from a family originally from Boston. At the tender age of just eight years old, her family became faced with a poverty stricken life. The most ideal setting for a novelist involves being able to draw material from his or her own experiences.

At just the age of 20, Louisa experienced the wonder of being published. She worked as a school teacher at the time in Boston and revelled at her first published story in a Boston newspaper. More success followed as only two years later, her first novel would start appearing on book shelves.

One of the inspiring aspects of her writing reaches out to the fight within women for liberty and independence. Also, her books help eased the lives of so many parents needing to find a comfortable pastime often in times of struggle.

Little Women remains a famous classic novel, still inspiring women today and reaching out to the courage in all of us. There have been three big movie adaptations in 1933, 1949 and 1994.