Breaking Societal Norms in 'Little Women': A Reflection

Introduction

For this reflection paper, I have chosen the old classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott in 1868 (Goodreads, n.a.). It may be more dated and have concepts that are not a true reflection of today’s world, but in my opinion, this novel depicts a very profound concept of gender roles in society and how they affect ‘women’ in this case.

'Little Women' is a story about four sisters living and growing through the 19th-century Civil War. But the story has a special focus on the second oldest sister, Jo March, who is portrayed as a bit different in the sense of how an average girl in American society was expected to be. Through her struggles, wishes, and dreams of becoming a writer, you can realize the impact of socially constructed gender roles on individuals.

Challenging Gender Expectations in 'Little Women'

As said by Lorber, 'gender is an institution embedded in all the social processes of everyday life and social organizations' (as cited in Risman, 2004, p. 430). That means that the concept of gender is so deeply engraved in our society, that for years we have accepted it as just a part of us and unconsciously do gender as it has been set out upon us through the social construct.

In Little Women, all the girls are portrayed as having a good sense of being dutiful as daughters, sisters, and in eventually as wives, to be ladylike and prepare themselves for their future as wives to potential suitors. Jo March, who is considered to be more of a tomboy, lacking ladylike manners and being more outspoken and expressive of her dreams and anger, is also one who is against the idea of marriage as the only future woman could hold. Hence, coming to the point of how gender roles and the act of doing gender can be individual preferences and how gender can not be held in isolation by overlooking the effects of history, culture, and race (Risman, 2004).

Struggles of Women's Individuality in 'Little Women'

The novel also shows how the girls struggle with finding the right balance between domestic, traditional, dutiful women and personal growth. This sheds light on the societal gender stratification and role definition versus the individual's need to be their own self. While two of the sisters went on to confine with social terms, Jo March, moved to New York to pursue her writing career. For Jo, fitting in the society was not natural, and she wanted to be independent and be able to earn and support her family, which was at the time only a male standard to do. The question that arises is why would professional or public sphere of a woman’s life be in conflict with her personal goals or the private sphere. This again comes down to the social stratification of gender roles.

However, what I appreciate about Louisa May Alcott is that through her narration, she has not idealized one single kind of life for a woman, but rather opened doors through her characters about the ideology that choosing your individual way is what should be more socially correct. But it is not to be overlooked that the paths the other sisters chose were a direct effect of the embedded gender roles.

Another interesting theory that can be considered as an aftermath of socially defined gender roles is the idea of ‘work’ and what is considered to work and what is not. The problem is that most of the work which challenges males defined society or law forgets to also highlight the importance of the other side (emotional or physical) that may come naturally to both men and women. In this case, where this novel did have a powerful or at least moving message of liberation and self-choice for women, it overlooked, how the caring and home-making nature of a woman that to some extent does come naturally is just as important as being able to be independent and earn for yourself.

According to some studies conducted about household work, it was found that on average 70 percent of the household work is taken on by wives, whereas only 15 percent is done by husbands and children (Hartmann, 1981). However, there is no payment for this kind of work, even though it is classified under work terms. What is seen in Little Women, through Jo March is that women are oppressed if they are only confined to social norms, but also that the only independence is to go out in the world and do what men do. What our narratives forget to shed light on and appreciate is, that what a woman is doing whether under societal norms or as a part of her preference or nature, is to be acknowledged.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the concepts and ideas pushed through in Little Women were and are still necessary to be able to realize the effects of structural gender roles in society and individuals. It also helps to understand that to break through or put an end to societal gender roles, one kind of gender or sex should not be the benchmark for coming through, but rather to recognize individual differences and preferences.

References

1. Goodreads. (n.a.). Little Women. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1934.Little_Women
2. Hartmann, H. I. (1981). The Family as the Locus of Gender, Class, and Political Struggle: The Example of Housework. Signs, 6, 366-394. Retrieved February 28, 2019, from https://www-jstor-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/stable/3173752?seq=20#metadata_info_tab_contents
3. Risman, B. J. (2004). Gender as a Social Structure: Theory Wrestling with Activism. Gender and Society, 18, 429-450. Retrieved February 27, 2019, from https://www-jstor-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/stable/4149444?seq=2#metadata_info_tab_contents